#NetGalley Book Review: A Bad Day for Sunshine by Darynda Jones

This is fun and intriguing; full of Jones' snarky humor and sharp writing.
A Bad Day for Sunshine
by Darynda Jones

File Size: 1957 KB
Print Length: 396 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1250149444
Publisher: St. Martin's Press (April 7, 2020)
ASIN: B07SCRJ2DF
Genre: Cozy Mystery, Private Investigator
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0.

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 Marshal. 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?

Review:
Sunshine Vicram has returned to her hometown as the new Sheriff after her parents managed to get her elected even in her absence. She has mixed feelings but is glad to bring her teen daughter, Auri, to be near her loving, if meddlesome, parents. At the Sheriff’s office she’s meeting and getting to know the team which includes her childhood and teen bestie, Quincy. He’s always been a hunk, but they never went beyond their inseparable friendship. The one she has trouble facing is Levi, a dark, tempting member of a local family with history and secrets.

Sunshine’s first day starts inauspiciously with a basket of muffins – a predictor of trouble. Before they finish the treats she is almost run over by a car through the front window. The driver is a panicked mother whose teen daughter is missing. This situation triggers memories of Sun’s own abduction when she was 17.

It takes a few interviews, and unsolicited help from Auri, before Sun finds clues that tie the girl to Levi’s family and reveal special details the parents didn’t disclose. Sun finds Levi and his clan, on one hand, antagonistic and on the other more than ready to step up to help with the tracking in their mountains.

Meanwhile, a handsome US Marshall has swooped into town hunting an escaped convict. He is intrigued by Sun and more than willing to work together in their investigations.

Auri continues to help in the investigation even though a certain group in school tries to bully and shame her into seclusion. She finds a surprising ally in a striking young man who takes no guff from anyone.

I was thrilled to enjoy the quick, snarky humor that Jones brought to her Charlie Davidson series. (I was quick to share several passages with my office staff who appreciate ‘snarky’.) I also liked a couple of elements that reappeared here including a hearing-impaired character and just a touch of psychic ability. The current day mystery interweaves with Sun’s own traumatic past. And the secrets involving Levi provide a sexy tension-filled interaction with Sun. There was a handful of bad words that I found unnecessary. Still, the combined strong characters, humor and suspense make this a wonderfully entertaining read and I look forward to continuing the series.

Source: NetGalley 2019. This qualifies for 2020TBR, 2020NetGalley and 2020Alphabet goals.

Audible Book Review: Portrait in Death by J.D. Robb

This has warm romance to offset a creepy killer.
Portrait in Death
In Death, book 16
By: J. D. Robb
Narrated by: Susan Ericksen

Series: In Death, Book 16
Length: 14 hrs and 2 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 06-06-13
Language: English
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Genre: Female Detective, Mystery
My Rating: 4.75 of 5.0

Publisher's Summary
After a tip from a reporter, Eve Dallas finds the body of a young woman in a Delancey Street dumpster. Just hours before, the news station had mysteriously received a portfolio of professional portraits of the woman. The photos seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary for any pretty young woman starting a modeling career. Except that she wasn't a model. And that these photos were taken after she had been murdered. Now Dallas is on the trail of a killer who's a perfectionist and an artist. He carefully observes and records his victim's every move. And he has a mission: to own every beautiful young woman's innocence, to capture her youth and vitality - in one fateful shot....
©2003 Nora Roberts (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Review:
This episode kicks off with Eve looking forward to peace at home as Roark’s majordomo, Summerset, is set to leave on vacation. A misstep causes a delay in that happy plan.

Eve gets a dead body tip from her reporter friend, Nadine. They stand at odds when Eve first refuses Nadine access at the crime scene and then demands that Nadine turn over any files and photos she has regarding the killing.

The photos show a young woman staged as a model – in death. Eve has no witnesses, but several suspects emerge as they pick apart the photos. She must discover an artist obsessed with capturing the innocence and vitality of his victims.

While Eve is busy investigating, Roarke learns a disturbing bit of his own history that causes him to withdraw into himself. The resulting tension and make up scenes are a strong part of this book. JD Robb (Nora Roberts) does an exquisite job of conveying Roarke’s pain, anger and withdrawal. Eve has to fight to get him to share what he has learned. Then, as he has often supported her, she must make an effort to be there when he needs her. This was a wonderfully warm romance element during the investigation of a twisted killer.

The usual great dialogue rapport is present between Eve and Roarke and with Eve’s team members, Peabody, McNab, Baxter and Feeney. There are also moments with Nadine, Summerset and Mavis. All fun and feisty. There is some bad language and of course grittiness related to murders. Still, this provides engaging characters with new mysteries in each book. I recommend the series to those who enjoy strong female detectives hunting down twisted killers.

Audible Notes: Susan Ericksen is the voice of these characters. She portrays each with a unique voice and energy suitable to their character. It is a pleasure to listen to this series which sometimes keeps me up too late. As always, this is great entertainment and narrated with skill and personality.

Source: Audible 2016 sale purchase. This qualifies for Audiobook, TBR and "P" for my Alphabet Challenge.

Audible Book Review: Purity in Death: In Death, Book 15 by J.D. Robb

I enjoyed the plot and character interaction in this addition to this highly entertaining series.

Purity in Death: In Death, Book 15
Written by: J. D. Robb
Narrated by: Susan Ericksen

Series: In Death, Book 15
Length: 12 hrs and 44 mins
Unabridged
Release date: 05-15-13
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Genre: Female Detective, Mystery, Police Procedures
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

Publisher's Summary
Louie Cogburn had spent three days holed up in his apartment, staring at his computer screen. His pounding headache was unbearable - like spikes drilling into his brain. And it was getting worse. Finally, when someone knocked at his door, Louie picked up a baseball bat, opened the door, and started swinging...
The first cop on the scene fired his stunner twice and Louie died instantly. Detective Eve Dallas has taken over the investigation, but there's nothing to explain the man's sudden rage or death. The only clue is a bizarre message left on his computer screen: Absolute Purity Achieved.
And when a second man dies under nearly identical circumstances, Dallas starts racking her brain for answers and for courage to face the impossible... that this might be a computer virus able to spread from machine to man....
©2013 J. D. Robb (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Review:
Eve begins a new investigation when called to the scene of a brutal killing. The killer was violently bludgeoning his neighbors with a baseball bat. Officer Trueheart took a few hits before he shot the man to stop him. The investigation quickly reveals that the killer, Louie Cogburn, was a sleaze bag criminal who spent hours on the computer which held the last message on the screen: “Purity has been achieved.” The case expands as more computer deaths are called in with the same screen message.

Eve pulls together her core team - Peabody, McNab, Feeney, and her husband, Roarke, as a civilian consultant - and begins the hunt for the Purity terrorists. News reporter Nadine adds to the tension and psychiatrist/profiler Dr. Mira steps in to help calm things when needed and even zany Mavis has a surprise to offer.

As usual, I enjoyed the well laid out plot and the teams work to get the conspirators. There is a nice blend of human life in this story as Eve deals with injured officers and shows a bit of the warmth and caring that lies hidden but fuels her drive to be a cop for the people.

The only thing I didn’t care for in this book was it seemed to be filled with anger. It opens with frustration and annoyance enhanced by the heat of summer. There is a lot of shouting and I was thankful for Roarke stepping in at times with his cool confidence that helps to center Eve.
I recommend this highly entertaining series to mystery lovers who like a tough female cop with great sidekick characters.

Audio Notes: Susan Ericksen does her usual superb job of narrating these characters. I think the angry/heat tone was part of the story and Susan captured it in the narration… for good or bad. Her voices are filled with personality and it makes listening to the series that much more enjoyable.

This is from my Audible TBR and qualifies for Mount TBR and Audio Challenge.

Audible Book Review: Lost in a Good Book: A Thursday Next Novel by Jasper Fforde

This is crazy fun listening - makes me chuckle and smile.
Lost in a Good Book: A Thursday Next Novel
Written by: Jasper Fforde
Narrated by: Emily Gray

Length: 12 hrs and 59 mins
Series: Thursday Next Novels, Book 2
Unabridged Audiobook
Release Date:03-08-11
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Genre: Female Detective, Alternate History
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0

Publisher's Summary
Intrepid literary detective Thursday Next is back in the second installment of Jasper Fforde's one-of-a-kind series. The inventive, exuberant, and totally original literary fun that began with The Eyre Affair continues with Jasper Fforde’s magnificent second adventure starring the resourceful, fearless literary sleuth Thursday Next.
When Landen, the love of her life, is eradicated by the corrupt multinational Goliath Corporation, Thursday must moonlight as a Prose Resource Operative of Jurisfiction—the police force inside books. She is apprenticed to the man-hating Miss Havisham from Dickens’s Great Expectations, who grudgingly shows Thursday the ropes. And she gains just enough skill to get herself in a real mess entering the pages of Poe’s "The Raven".
What she really wants is to get Landen back. But this latest mission is not without further complications.
Along with jumping into the works of Kafka and Austen, and even Beatrix Potter’s The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies, Thursday finds herself the target of a series of potentially lethal coincidences, the authenticator of a newly discovered play by the Bard himself, and the only one who can prevent an unidentifiable pink sludge from engulfing all life on Earth.
Delve into Jasper Fforde's literary universe with the other books in his Thursday Next fantasy/detective series.
©2011 Jasper Fforde (P)2011 Penguin Audiobooks

Review:
Thursday Next is a spunky literary detective working for Spec Ops (Special Operations) in an alternate London. Thursday won notoriety in her successful investigation in Book 1, The Eyre Affair, when she took down a prime criminal, Hades. Thursday is dodging the division’s publicist who keeps seeking her presence for promotions.

During an investigation, Thursday is caught in a time slip that involves her with Neanderthals, who have been recreated and trapped as civil slaves. A second loop indicates that Thursday is the target of an assassin. Thursday’s father is fully aware of time jumps and time slips as he was a “Chronoguard” officer who went rogue and lives in an alternate timeline while trying to prove corruption in the system. He is willing to help Thursday but needs her help to prevent the eminent destruction of the world from a strange pink goo.

Meanwhile Thursday is also facing threats from the corrupt corporate giant, Goliath. Goliath’s leader has a step-brother who was trapped by Thursday in Poe’s The Raven. Now the leader has ‘eradicated’ Thursday's husband, Landon. He is blackmailing Thursday to show him how to get into the literary library world to rescue his step brother.

The prior portal to the literary realm was opened by Thursday’s uncle, a prolific inventor. Now it has been closed and Thursday doesn’t realize she can get to the realm without the portal until she is cornered. She finds herself in the world of Dicken’s Great Expectations where she becomes the apprentice to Miss Havisham. She is assigned to help with the internal police force, the Prose Resource Operative of Jurisfiction. During her tasks Thursday ventures into the worlds of Kafka, Jane Austen, and even Beatrix Potter. She makes enemies and friends of the Neanderthals who have been recreated and trapped as civil slaves.

If all of that sounds rather crazy, it is – zany, crazy fun especially for those of us bibliophiles who are familiar with the classic authors and works that make up part of the stories’ adventures. It had been a while since I read The Eyre Affair but I remembered that it was fun listening. As I began this story it took me only a few minutes to remember the characters and get back into the fast-paced, comical stream of Thursday’s world. I love her unique pet, Pickwick, a dodo bird. The author melds literary characters with a rather fantastical world of strange, and sometimes corrupt, police procedures.

I recommend this series to readers who want to enjoy light, fun, literature name-dropping entertainment. I will be picking up Book 3, The Well of Lost Plots: A Thursday Next Novel, for future listening fun.

Audio Notes: Emily Gray does a wonderful job narrating this craziness. Her tone conveys a perfect flighty atmosphere to enhance the characters and dialogue. Although I am sure this is fun in print, for me it is a hoot in audio.

This selection is from my Audible library picked up in August, 2012. It qualifies for TBR Mountain, Audio Book Challenge and "L" in Alphabet Soup Challenge.