A Bad Day for Sunshine

Book 80 of my 2023 Reading Challenge

read from August 5 - 26

A Bad Day for Sunshine

by Darynda Jones

Summary (via Goodreads)

Sheriff Sunshine Vicram finds her cup o' joe more than half full when the small village of Del Sol, New Mexico, becomes the center of national attention for a kidnapper on the loose. Del Sol, New Mexico is known for three things: its fry-an-egg-on-the-cement summers, strong cups of coffee - and, now, a nationwide manhunt? Del Sol native Sunshine Vicram has returned to town as the elected sheriff - thanks to her adorably meddlesome parents who nominated her--and she expects her biggest crime wave to involve an elderly flasher named Doug. But a teenage girl is missing, a kidnapper is on the loose, and all of this is reminding Sunshine why she left Del Sol in the first place. Add to that the trouble at her daughter's new school, plus and a kidnapped prized rooster named Puff Daddy, and, well, the forecast looks anything but sunny. 

But even clouds have their silver linings. This one's got Levi, Sunshine's sexy, almost-old-flame, and a fiery-hot US Marshall. With temperatures rising everywhere she turns, Del Sol's normally cool-minded sheriff is finding herself knee-deep in drama and danger. Can Sunshine face the call of duty - and find the kidnapper who's terrorizing her beloved hometown - without falling head over high heels in love . . . or worse? 

My Opinion

3 stars

I really like the Charley Davidson series so I picked this, the first in a new series by the author, as soon as I saw it at the library.  I like the characters and the writing was snappy and funny but I don't know...there are so many mysteries going on, each one more outlandish than the last, and I don't think the question of whether or not a child is a product of sexual assault is an appropriate cliffhanger.  And if there were people who had answers earlier, why the secret?

I'll continue the series because I want to know the answers but I'm shaking my head at the ridiculousness.  Maybe I should just reread Charley Davidson instead.