5 Stars – Page 4 – Feed The Bookworm

Darynda Jones: A Bad Day For Sunshine

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The Rundown: Sunshine Vicram is duped by her meddling parents into becoming the sheriff of her small hometown. Her first day on the job is a doozy and leads to revelations about her abduction 15 years ago.

Written by Darynda Jones, Published April 2020

Oh my gawd, stop what you’re reading right this minute, and go order this book. I’m not kidding. So Oh my gawd, stop what you’re reading right this minute, and go order this book. I’m not kidding. So I’ve had Darynda Jones’ other series on my tbr list for, well, forever. Then I got an ARC copy of the 2nd book in her new series, so of course, I had to go back and read the first one before I read that one. Did that make sense? I hope so.

Anyway, if you’re a fan of Stephanie Plum, you’re going to poop your pants over Sunshine Blaze Vicram. Sunshine and her daughter Auri have just moved back to Sun’s hometown of Del Sol, New Mexico after her parent’s somehow managed to get her elected as the new town Sheriff. Even though she left Del Sol in the rearview mirror years ago. Lucky for her, her best friend Quincy is a Sheriff’s Deputy, so it’s old friends back together again.

Her first day on the job brings a missing teenager who has been predicting her death and abduction since she was six. Sybil St. Aubin had made friends with Sunshine’s daughter, Auri, that summer at the lake, and has left behind a series of clues that don’t seem to add up.
The day also brings Little Miss Sunshine straight back into the orbit of the only man she’s ever loved. The boy she fell in love with as a teen, and the man she could never forget, Levi Ravinder. Levi has taken his family’s “corn whiskey” aka, moonshine, business legit and is doing well for himself. But he seems to have no use for our heroine, although as long lost memories come back, he seems to be at the center of Sun’s abduction and the aftermath. Oh, and a stolen rooster named Puff Daddy, whose owner seems to be causing more problems than necessary. And there are magic muffins that predict a really bad day.

Things don’t get much better when Levi’s nephew Jimmy goes missing as well. Jimmy happens to be the son of Sunshine’s arch nemesis Hailey. Sun is hopeful that the kids are together and it’s all some sort of misunderstanding. With Levi’s tracking skills, it becomes apparent that Jimmy isn’t with Sybil, however, they do make a shocking discovery on the snowy mountain (did you know it snowed in New Mexico?) that brings Sun’s kidnapping back into the forefront.

This book has an amazing cast of characters from Sunshine’s conniving parents, to her crackerjack police team to the Ravinder clan (who may or may not be all that bad), and the various odd inhabitants of Del Sol.

So, that probably wasn’t the most concise summary of a book. The bottom line, I couldn’t put this book down. If you’re looking for a tough, funny, independent, kick-ass heroine, this book is for you. It’s full of wit and sarcasm and made me laugh out loud. Of note: I listened to the audio version, and it is hard not to compare it to the Stephanie Plum series, especially because it’s the same narrator. But I’ll refrain from doing so since I’m desperately holding out hope that by book 28 (I think?) my girl Steph will finally learn to put some bullets in her gun. But I digress.

I can only hope that this series continues because I can’t get enough Sunshine. Stay tuned for my review on A Good Day For Chardonnay, the 2nd book in the Sunshine Vicram series.

This audiobook was listened to on the Scribd app.

Laura Dave: The Last Thing He Told Me

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The Rundown: Owen Michaels disappears, leaving his wife and daughter questioning everything they thought they knew.

Written by Laura Dave, Published 2021

Owen Michaels and his wife Hannah had it all. Or, almost all. There’s the small fact that Owen’s daughter, Bailey won’t give Hannah the time of day. But in an instant, that all changes. On the day our story starts, Hannah and Bailey both get a note from Owen. Hannah’s simply reads “protect her”. Bailey also finds a cash stash in her locker.

Now, Hannah and Bailey don’t get along. Hannah doesn’t know how much she can or can’t do when it comes to raising Bailey and Bailey doesn’t have faith in Hannah. What follows is a journey of two women, drawn together through extreme circumstances. In an unfamiliar city and unsure of who to trust, Hannah and Bailey must both confront the fact they that have both been lied to. Bailey must question her entire life, and the person she though she was. Hannah questions the man she thought she loved.

My favorite character in this book, beyond a doubt is Grady. He isn’t a major character, but he plays his part so well. I didn’t really know what to make of him at first, and I won’t give too much away on him because it would ruin the story, but you’ll like him too. I also liked that you get to know Owen through Hannah’s flashbacks to happier times. But you doubt him and his motives for about half way through the book.

I loved this book. If I could, I would give it 4.5 stars (but I’ll up it to 5), only because I HATED the ending. I understood it, but I hated it. I think because I’ve been reading a lot of romance novels, where everything is tidied up nice and neat at the end of the book. And don’t get me wrong, the ending fits, and there isn’t any other way it could have ended. But that doesn’t mean I have to like it.

All and all, a solid book. It’s a page turner for sure, with short, action packed chapters. I finished this book over 2 days, so it’s a quick one.

This book was borrowed from my local library using the Libby App

James Patterson: The Black Book

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The Rundown: Chicago police officer Billy Harney is on a mission to clear his name. Too bad he can’t remember what happened.

Written by James Patterson, David Ellis Published 2017

Ah, Mr. Patterson. Bravo. This book is classic James Patterson. The Black Book is packed with quick chapters so the book moves along at quite the clip. The only downside of this is that I didn’t feel a connection with the characters until about half way into the book.

Billy Harney wakes up in the hospital after taking a bullet to the brain. His former twice time lover and his current partner Kate Fenton, is dead, and so is his new girlfriend, state’s attorney Amy Lentini. Sucks for everyone, especially Billy, that he can’t remember a thing that happened that night. In fact, he can’t remember anything in the two weeks leading up to the event. This proves to be pivotal, as the scene appears to be set up. Little do we know, there are higher powers pulling the strings.

In this book, you distrust everyone. Billy, Kate and Amy, not to mention all of the supporting characters, all have ulterior motives. In fact, as unreliable as Billy is due to his memory, he’s the only one I even semi-trusted. But even he does a good job convincing you he may not be as shiny as his star. Billy has a past that pops up here and there, especially when Kate goes bananas. Sorry to spoil anything, but yeah, Kate loses it.

Also, kind of plot hole? There is a part where we hear about Kate getting a make over and showing up in a fancy new sports car, but we never learn where she gets the money for that. Perhaps we’ll get some answers in the sequel that just came out, The Red Book.

In an effort not to spoil too much for anyone, this book is highly recommended if you have a day or so to kill, because you won’t want to put it down. It isn’t because I was overly attached to the characters, but because I just HAD to know who the dirty cop was. I’m excited for a sequel, because I want to see more Billy. Too bad I liked Amy, but she’s dead. That isn’t a spoiler, she dies in the first chapter. But keep a close eye on details, because someone mundane details are important later.