Review: ‘A Good Day for Chardonnay’ by Darynda Jones
A Good Day for Chardonnay
by Darynda JonesSeries: Sunshine Vicram #2
Published by St. Martin's Press on July 27, 2021
SubGenres: Mystery
Format: AudioBook, Paperback
Pages: 416
Narrator: Lorelei King
Length: 12 Hours And 8 Minutes
Source: Library - Libby, Purchased
Audience: 18+/Adult
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From the New York Times bestselling author Darynda Jones comes the second novel in her laugh-out-loud Sunshine Vicram mystery series, A Good Day for Chardonnay.
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.
I’m so thankful to my local library for having the audiobooks of the Sunshine Vicram Trilogy by Darynda Jones because I’m enjoying every second of these books. I finished listening to the second book, A Good Day for Chardonnay, and now I need to listen to the final book, especially since Darynda left me with a dang cliffhanger.
This trilogy definitely reminds me of Darynda Jones’s other series, Charley Davidson, but without the PNR elements. There’s a kickbutt, snarky heroine named Sunshine Vicram, who I friggin’ adore, especially since she has a daughter who acts just like her and wants to take after her mother. There’s also the guy that Sunshine has had a crush on for years, who is dark, mysterious, and swoon-worthy, named Levi Ravinder. She’s always arresting the guy for his own safety since he’s always getting himself into trouble or, in the case of this book, protecting his friend. Levi knows how to handle the Sheriff (Sunshine Vicram) with his sexy charm, though.
There are so many other characters that are in this trilogy that I love: Quincy, Sunshine’s best friend who works for her, and her parents, who are always trying to hook her up on dates, even if the guy is an assassin. Her parents, though, want her to make her move with Levi, and I’m all for Sunshine and Levi becoming an item, especially with the chemistry they already have for one another.
Once again, just like the first book, this one is action-packed, full of funny moments between the characters, and it’s dealing with yet another mystery or two. There were even teary-eyed moments in this book, so have some tissues.
When I started the second book, my biggest questions were whether Sunshine was going to find out who abducted her when she was seventeen years old and who Auri’s father was. Well, Darynda Jones definitely answers those questions and then leaves me hanging with a cliffhanger. Thankfully, I have the third book already and can start it right away.
I wish I could give this book (and the first book) more than five stars. That’s how much I love this trilogy. If you love mysteries with hilarious moments and a great cast of characters, then read this trilogy, and make sure to read them in order.
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About Darynda Jones
NYTimes and USA Today Bestselling Author Darynda Jones has won numerous awards for her work, including a prestigious RITA, a Golden Heart, and a Daphne du Maurier, and her books have been translated into 17 languages. As a born storyteller, Darynda grew up spinning tales of dashing damsels and heroes in distress for any unfortunate soul who happened by, certain they went away the better for it. She penned the international bestselling Charley Davidson series and is currently working on several beloved projects, most notably the Sunshine Vicram Mystery Series with St. Martin's Press and the Betwixt and Between Series of paranormal women's fiction. She lives in the Land of Enchantment, also known as New Mexico, with her husband and two beautiful sons, the Mighty, Mighty Jones Boys.
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