This was a story that became close to my heart. The main female character, RaeLyn, loved her grandfather and wanted to keep his memory alive. She associates lots of her fond memories with the red truck that her grandfather bought new. After he passed away and the family found their financial situation dire, they had to sell the truck. RaeLyn had been saving money for a while hoping to be able to find the truck and buy it back. When she found out the seventy year old rusty truck was going on the auction block she was determined to outbid any interested buyers.
She eventually gets the truck and pays way more than she planned. Before she can pick it up the next morning it disappears. High school boyfriend Mason steps in and offers to help her in her search. There are so many possible suspects. Not only those that bid against her but some community members. I felt for RaeLyn. I could understand her despair in losing so much of her hard earned money. Also her dream of owning her grandfather’s truck left her in tears. Wonderful characters within, a mystery to solve, and family relationships explored. I sure would love to taste one of Bessie Mae’s suppers. She even has the recipe in the back of the book for her dewberry cobbler.
Throughly enjoyed my time reading this novel, and I love the cover!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through Celebrate Lit but was not required to write a review.

Oh, Tilly everyone wants you. Where did you go? A smooth country themed story and it’s the first book of The Little Red Truck Series. You will like RaeLyn because she is down to earth and so much like most of us. The story starts out at the auction with a 20-something young, RaeLyn doing her best to outbid several people for her grandfather’s beloved old truck, including her old annoying high school crush, her family’s arch nemesis, and a blond troublemaker just to name a few. It’s quite humorous and there is a lot of inside small town dialogue as RaeLyn tries to piece together who might have taken her red antique Tilly. You will enjoy this cozy mystery over a nice cup of tea. I received this e-book for free from Celebrate Lit Tour and the opinions I express are honest and my own.
“I’m at the age where my back goes out more than I do.” -Quote from book.

Just how much trouble can one old truck be...?

I am always up for a good cozy mystery from Janice Thompson. They make me laugh and it's fun to try and figure out who did it. That meant I was pretty excited to find out about Tracking Tilly and I had to get my hands on this first Little Red Truck Mystery.

Tracking Tilly was every bit as good as I had hoped and maybe even a little better. The imaginative heroine and her quirky family kept me chuckling all the way through and I loved the smalltown Texas setting. I also loved the antique vehicle thread that made up some important and fun scenes.

The mystery aspect of this first book in The Little Red Truck Mysteries series was exactly what you like to see in a Christian cozy mystery. Janice Thompson did a great job layering the clues and revelations within the story as our heroine learns a thing or two about letting go of past hurts in order to see the possibilities and new beginnings right in front of her.

Tracking Tilly is an entertaining, fun, and enjoyable read from Janice Thompson. I finished it much faster than even I expected and now I am really looking forward to reading more Little Red Truck Mysteries whenever they release....

(I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.)

“He said there’s no point in looking in the rearview mirror. You need to keep your focus on the road.”

Seeing Janice Thompson’s name on this cozy mystery about an old red truck, I couldn’t resist picking it up. Tracking Tilly does not disappoint. There is plenty of humor, a bit of romance, and some mystery with twists. Anytime you have a young, single woman and her 82-yr-old feisty aunt playing sleuth, you know there’s fun ahead!

It may be a cozy, but I was happy to see growth and change in a couple of characters, specifically RaeLyn and her mother. RarLyn is holding grudges against, well, actually quite a few people. She has to learn the meaning of “water under the bridge.” RaeLyn does begin to understand different people’s possible points-of-view as the novel proceeds, which is good. RaeLyn’s mother has a few things to learn, too. (Like prayer requests should stay in the group!), although her gossip makes for a very entertaining story! Also, reserve your judgment on someone until you get to know them.

Bessie Mae is an instrument of reminder that God is in control, and He will work things out. “Sometimes life’s just not fair.” My aunt sighed. “But God is the one who will have the final say. That brings me some degree of peace when injustices happen.”

Boy, did I love it when RaeLyn comes to the conclusion that maybe her life isn’t all what people were doing to her, but how she was responding with jealousy. “There was still a teensy-tiny part of me that wondered why the Stephanies of this world always seemed to get the best—the high school prom king, the star quarterback, the cozy life in Iowa. She was Papaw. I was Wyatt Jackson.”

Definitely, if you like clean, Christian cozies with a great big dollop of laughter, pick up this book!

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. I also bought my own copy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

When a beloved old truck is stolen after an auction, Raelyn starts her own inquiry into the mystery. An awesome start to a new series set in my home state of Texas! Filled with Southern charm. Excellent character development. Definitely looking forward to the next book! Thanks #Netgalley and #BarbourPublishing for the eARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine.

My thoughts: Tracking Tilly is a fun cozy mystery written by Janice Thompson. It is set in Texas and she has the down home method of speech and family down pat. Even complete strangers are treated to a supersized helping of friendship. I had to admire what the heroine was up to and how she handled the tension and stress caused by her beginning decision and a subsequent events that followed. And I loved her big heart. If you like Southern hospitality and friendship and cozy mysteries you will love this book. Highly recommended. I was given a copy free and all opinions on my own.

Tracking Tilly

Raelyn wins her grandpa’s old truck in a auction. Before it gets delivered to her the truck is stolen. Raelyn does her own investigation to find the truck. I enjoyed her investigation and I loved her family. A very enjoyable story.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher. This book review is my own opinion.

Raelynn still lives on the family ranch with her parents. The ranch is struggling to stay afloat. Raelynn is turning a barn into an antique store. She will sell family antiques as well as taking items on consignment. Hopefully, this will bring in a nice income to help the ranch. Her grandpa's old red truck named Tilly is at an auction and Raelynn is determined to have it. She has plans to have it restored and sitting in front of the antique store to show that family is valued. She got into a bidding war with some other bidders, but in the end, hers was the winning bid! Her old high school boyfriend, Mason, was in the bidding war against her, but dropped out. After the option, he offered to tow the truck for her the following day. But, the following morning, she discovered Tilly was gone! Someone had somehow gotten into the auction house property and stolen Tilly. Who could have done that? Was it one of the men bidding against her? Was it Mason? She really didn't want to believe he would have done such a thing.
This was a really fun story. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I was given a free advanced ecopy from the publisher, Barbour Fiction through Netgalley. I was under no obligation to write a positive review.

Oh my do I love books written by this author. Her southern charm oozes from the pages as she take us to a small town with hospitality that makes you feel welcome. I love the cover and couldn’t wait to dive into the story.

RaeLyn could definitely be my guest friend. She loves her family and is always there to help others. Her dream of getting a special truck back to the family starts readers on quite an adventure. I’ve been to auctions before where it seems like everyone wants the exact item you have had your eyes on. After a fierce battle RaeLyn wins the bid for the red truck named Tilly. I was so excited I want to jump up and down.

Well don’t get to excited there folks because that treasure RaeLyn just won up and disappeared over night. Some mighty suspicious shenanigans starts happening when Tilly can’t be found. With the help of some family members the team called “The Hadley Sleuths,” has formed. Watch out, town you are about to experience a whirlwind of secrets, suspects and a family determined to return Tilly back home.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

This is a very gentle cozy mystery. There is no suspense nor any threatening scenes. It is mostly an account of day to day southern life, such as marriage relationships, old grievances, current friendships, having family dinners, etc. The town's people are such that I have become engaged with them would be happy to read more about them.

RaeLyn was a hard character for me to like, however. Aspiring to go into business, she seemed an overly characterized typically distracted southern girl. Some of the secondary characters were interesting and well drawn with quirky characteristics. There was some clever dialog and humor included.

The mystery was low key and almost not the primary focus of the novel. There were many suspects and each seemed to have a valid motive. The mystery's resolution at the end was a little anticlimactic. I did learn quite a bit about antique cars, restoring them and the car shows displaying them.

This is a gentle novel and a comforting read, mostly about people with much less of a focus on the mystery.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

I enjoyed how there were so many potential culprits in the beginning. The story was a bit slow moving for me but it was a cute read.

RaeLyn wants nothing more than to purchase her grandfather’s old truck to bring it back to the family where it belongs. After she wins the auction bid and needs to have it transported back to her house the mystery begins. Her beloved truck disappears and RaeLyn will need the help of an old friend to solve the mystery.

I thought this was a bit slow in places and I figured out who stole the truck early in the story. But, with it being a cozy mystery I expected to be able to solve the crime.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and Celebrate Lit. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was a precious cozy mystery. I loved the concept of a family truck going missing being the catalyst for the mystery rather than a murder. We have wonderful family connections,secrets from the past, a second chance romance, and interesting Texas towns people. This is definitely a great Christian cozy!

This book had some fun and sweet moments, but overall, it was predictable. The main character was annoying to me because she tried so hard to blame people that obviously were not the villain. It just went on and on.

I really struggled to get into this book because I found it hard to relate to the characters and the mystery aspect felt a bit cheesy. Maybe it's because the southern feel doesn't connect with me but I found this book hard to get into. Maybe for another reader it would be more enjoyable! I found the premise to be an interesting story though!

About this book:

“Who Stole Tilly from the Auction Block? Breathe in the nostalgia of everything old red truck in book one of a new cozy mystery series. The Hadley family ranch is struggling, so RaeLyn, her parents, and brothers decide to turn the old barn into an antique store. The only thing missing to go with the marketing of the store is Grandpa’s old red truck, Tilly, that was sold several years ago. Now coming back up on the auction block, Tilly would need a lot of work, but RaeLyn is sure it will be worth it—if only she can beat out other bidders and find out who stole Tilly after the auction ends. Hadley finds herself in the role of amateur sleuth, and the outcome could make or break the new family venture.”


Series: Book #1 in “The Little Red Truck Mysteries” series.


Spiritual Content- A Scripture is mentioned & discussed; Church going, Sunday school, services, & sermons; Talks about God; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Mentions of God; Mentions of prayers, praying, & blessings over food; Mentions of churches, church going, Sunday school, youth group, Bible studies, a prayer team, worship, services, sermons, & pastors; Mentions of an Easter service & children’s choir; Mentions of missionaries, mission fields, & ministries; Mentions of Baptist and Methodist churches; A few mentions of Bibles & Bible reading; A few mentions of blessings & being Blessed; A few mentions of miracles; A couple mentions of a nativity set; A couple mentions of hymns; A mention of being reborn;
*Note: The phrase “don’t know me from Adam” is said; A mention of good lucky charms (not believing in them).


Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘doggone’, a ‘shoot’, four ‘good grief’s, and seven forms of ‘oh my stars’; “B.S.” is said and refers to a time “before someone”, but it takes someone back when first said (implied cursing); Sarcasm & eye rolling; When a guy brings up about him and RaeLyn sneaking around when they were younger, she thinks that she doesn’t want her parents wondering how much sneaking around she did because “berry stealing was the height of [her] crime spree”; RaeLyn’s aunt suggests about doing something and keeping it a secret from her parents (they don’t do it, however); Some grief by RaeLyn for her grandfather; All about many mentions of a stolen car and items, thefts, thieves, & trying to find the car; Many mentions of divorces; Mentions of car accidents & a death (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of deaths in a house fire (a man’s parents when he was a teenager); Mentions of deaths of loved ones, grief (including RaeLyn with her grandfather), & illnesses (cancer and Alzheimer’s); Mentions of crimes, criminals, arrests, & jail; Mentions of trespassing & the possibility of being chased with a shotgun; Mentions of lies, lying, & deceit; Mentions of gossip & rumors; A few mentions of alcohol, drinks at a party, & not being a drinker; A couple mentions of the death of an infant; A couple mentions of an injury; A couple mentions of bullying; A couple mentions of jealousy; A mention of a shoot-out in a movie; A mention of chewing tobacco;
*Note: A man calls his wife “the little woman” (which makes RaeLyn wonder if the man is always demeaning to women); Many mentions of car brands, brand names, & items; Mentions of stores & fast-food chains; Mentions of actors, movies, TV shows, & singers (including John Wayne, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Farrah Fawcett, & Frank Sinatra); Mentions of social media platforms; A couple mentions of a short story (“The Last Leaf” by O. Henry); A mention of Reader’s Digest; A mention of a married couple having vastly different views on politics due to one being from Texas and the other from California.


Sexual Content- A barely-above-not-detailed kiss; Touches, Dancing, Hand holding, & Butterflies/Flutters, (up to semi-detailed); Noticing (barely-above-not-detailed); RaeLyn recalls herself and a friend battling over a guy & believes a guy stole her friend away from her; A man gives too much attention to RaeLyn for her liking & tries to hit on her; A man is called a “rounder” (meaning he gets around), has cheated and had affairs, & left his current wife for another woman (he has been married and divorced four times); Another man is caught in an embrace with a woman who is not his wife (*Spoiler* by RaeLyn who prior saw the man light up when he sees the woman and then later when they’re in an embrace; She wonders if she should tell his wife what’s going on, but realizes that she already knows and is pretending she doesn’t; RaeLyn decides to let it go and not be involved in their martial disputes after seeing that the woman knows what’s going on *End of Spoiler*); A woman talks about her marriage to a man fifteen years her senior, their divorce after his cheating, & her regret over the relationship; Mentions of affairs & cheating; Mentions of an out-of-wedlock pregnancy & the couple getting married but someone else thinking that they never really loved the other; Mentions of boyfriends/girlfriends, dates, dating, exes, break-ups, & broken hearts; Mentions of winks, blushes, & flirting; A couple mentions of wives leaving their husbands or taking a “sabbatical” away from him; A couple mentions of men hitting on RaeLyn and also a married woman; A couple mentions of jealousy; A teasing mention of a stolen kiss; A mention of a woman using her “charms” to woo men; A mention of a crush (being allowed but not a crush on a married man); A bit of love, falling in love, & the emotions;
*Note: Mentions of a voluptuous woman and her low-cut & figure hugging outfits; A few mentions of labor pains.

-RaeLyn Hadley, age 26
1st person P.O.V. of RaeLyn
256 pages

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Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star
Early High School Teens- Three Stars
Older High School Teens- Four Stars
My personal Rating- Four Stars

My most anticipated release of the year was a success!

I found my eyes squinting whenever Mason was on page because I wasn’t sure how to feel about him. 🤨 But he eventually won me over by the end of the book and I’m curious to see what happens next for the two of them.

Now, I’m not a big car person. Old, vintage, or brand new. Never really interested me. But because this book is written by one of my favorite authors and it sounded like there would be antiques been discussed, I was very interested in it.

If you like small town drama, go for this book. It’s messy and gets messier with each chapter. Which is why I would mark it for 16+, personally. I did find myself confused at times everyone’s different ages and some connections, but I just went along with trying to figure it out as I went and I think I did well. This book reminded me a lot of the “Brides with Styles” trilogy, though I liked that series a bit more. ;)

This was overall a fun, small town mystery and I’m super excited to see what this series leads to next!



*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
*I received this book for free from the Publisher (Barbour) for this honest review.

this is the first book in the little red truck mystery series. loved the book, the characters and setting were great.

A fun book to read. Ms. Thompson had me guessing almost to the end who the real culprit was, though some of the other suspects might be rightly accused of other crimes! Tillie is a much loved truck with great sentimental value on top of any monetary value the fixed-up version might bring. Rae Lynn wants her grandfather's truck strictly for the sentimental value, but perhaps the thief does too? It gets pretty convoluted until we figure out all the story behind the old truck, but Rae Lynn's sleuthing skills will prevail. This story is more than a great cozy mystery. There's an old family feud still gnawing at someone, a new and very fancy B & B messing with someone's dream, possibly enough brothers to go around, a new antique store about to open and my favorite part, a budding second chance romance. Grab a copy of Tracking Tilly and find out for yourself what it's all about. You might just fall in love with Tillie too!

I was attracted to this book because of the unusual cover. I liked the premise, too. However, I found myself slightly disappointed. I was hoping for more depth. This ended up being a sweet romance with a cozy mystery involved, which I enjoyed—although I figured out the culprit pretty early on. I really liked seeing the way RaeLyn and her family worked together and supported each other, and the close-knit community they lived in. This is a great book for anyone who loves Texas or classic cars, and wants a light, easy read.

Tracking Tilly: The Little Red Truck Mysteries #1 by Janice Thompson.

Thanks to netgalley, I found a new author to enjoy! The story was good, and the characters were lovable. It has some good twists and turns, and definitely has a great cozy feel with the small town. RaeLyn and her family were warm and inviting, and had good dynamics, without a perfect family vibe. I can't wait to read more from this series.