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?

I’m a fan of Darynda Jones’s style, and I’m a huge fan of Lorelai King as her narrator (she narrated the Charley Daniels series), so I was excited to pick up this book.

This book is classic Jones style. She’s a master of pulling readers into the story, then running your emotions through a ringer — I literally laughed out loud, lost my breath in suspense, and cried from the heartbreak. One of the things I so appreciate about Jones is that she touches on a variety of political and social issues without insulting those who might oppose her beliefs — you can tell that she’s focused on telling a good story, and it shows. Her settings are vivid, her characters are relatable, and her sense of humor helps balance the deep, emotional issues she brings up to create the suspense and tension that keep me on the edge of my seat.

I’m looking forward to the rest of this series.

R-rated for language, violence, and adult situations. Get your copy here!

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