A Good Day for Chardonnay by Darynda Jones

A Good Day for Chardonnay (Sunshine Vicram, #2)

by Darynda Jones

'Laugh-out-loud funny, intensely suspenseful, page-turning fun' Allison Brennan on A Bad Day for Sunshine

Running a small-town police force in the mountains of New Mexico should be a smooth, carefree kind of job. Sadly, full-time Sheriff - and even fuller-time coffee guzzler - Sunshine Vicram, didn't get that memo.

All Sunshine really wants is one easy-going day. You know, the kind that starts with coffee and a donut (or three) and ends with take-out pizza and a glass of chardonnay (or seven). Turns out, that's about as easy as switching to decaf. (What kind of people do that? And who hurt them?)

Before she can say iced mocha latte, Sunny's got a bar fight gone bad, a teenage daughter hunting a serial killer and, oh yes, the still unresolved mystery of her own abduction years prior. All evidence points to a local distiller, a dangerous bad boy named Levi Ravinder, but Sun knows he's not the villain of her story. Still, perhaps beneath it all, he possesses the keys to her disappearance. At the very least, beneath it all, he possesses a serious set of abs. She's seen it. Once. Accidentally.

Between policing a town her hunky chief deputy calls four cents short of a nickel, that pesky crush she has on Levi which seems to grow exponentially every day, and an irascible raccoon that just doesn't know when to quit, Sunny's life is about to rocket to a whole new level of crazy.

Yep, definitely a good day for chardonnay.

'A Bad Day For Sunshine is a great day for the rest of us' Lee Child

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on

4 of 5 stars

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A Good Day for Chardonnay is the second novel in Darynda Jones' Sunshine Vicram series. It's a delightful mystery/thriller series that somehow maintains a sense of humor and confidence despite all of the horrors that go on. I love it.

Sunshine Vicram (yes, that is her real name) is the Sheriff of a small town somewhere in New Mexico. You'd think that running a small town would mean things are quiet for her and her force – but you'd be wrong.

Between Sunny's past, her family, and the never-ending drama of the town, Sunny doesn't have time for much else. It will take a lot of coordination to get to the bottom of everything she's dealing with, but thankfully Sunny's got the required determination.

"Can you give me one good reason why I shouldn't beat you to death with a feather duster?"

If you like thriller novels with a whole lot of personality, a dash of humor, and a touch of that cozy mystery vibe, then you're going to love A Good Day for Chardonnay. However, I would recommend checking out the first in the series (A Bad Day for Sunshine) first.

What I love the most about this series and Sunny's character, in particular, is that it deviates from the norm. Calling it a bit of a thriller alongside a cozy mystery really does not do it justice. It's charming and unique and isn't afraid to bounce all over the place between those two borders.

It's more than enough to keep my attention and allow me to have a lot of fun in the process. Yes, there are some darker moments in A Good Day for Chardonnay, but Sunny's personality lives up to her name, and her sense of humor will always work to brighten the mood. It helps keep the story from getting too dark and thus makes it the perfect escape of a read.

Thanks to StMartinsPress and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Read more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks>

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 2 August, 2021: Finished reading
  • 2 August, 2021: Reviewed