I haven't read the first two books in the series, but I didn't have any trouble following book 3. I was mesmerized by the Hadley family. Their close ties to each other, their family traditions, and most of all, the love and playful banter between them.

There was a lot more going on than RaeLyn's wedding. There are a lot of mysterious happenings, family surprises, and danger. I loved how the family came together in times of personal upsets. Towards the end, the family became like real friends. I was engaged in the story.

There were times when the storyline made me laugh, other times when I was almost in tears, and then times that I was filled with joy in the knowledge of how God works—an excellent read, highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy from the author; a positive review is not required. All opinions are my own.

I'm a huge fan of Janice Thompson's Little Red Truck Mysteries, and I couldn't wait to dive into this newest installment. I was especially looking forward to this one being set during the Christmas season, and that it was focused around Raelyn and Mason's gorgeous wedding. This wonderful cozy definitely did not disappoint, and I'd be hard pressed to pick a favorite of the titles from this series as each has been equally amazing.

The author delivers another delightful cozy mystery with tons of family love, southern shenanigans, and just a small touch of a mystery that keeps readers on their toes guessing right until the end. This story in particular focuses around the changes that occur in families as children grow up, and begin to start the next chapter of their lives, and it was a beautiful illustration of the important of familial bonds and adapting to the new phases of life we might find ourselves in.

As with every Janice Thompson tale, the faith element was spot on, and effortlessly woven throughout the wonderful plot in a way that never felt inauthentic or unrealistic.

I absolutely adored every single thing about this title, and it's without a doubt going to end up being one of my favorite reads of the year. I can only hope that the author plans to give us many more titles in this series as I love these characters so much, and can't wait to continue reading along with them.

I'd definitely recommend this one for anyone looking for a clean, cozy mystery that's faith based and Christmas themed.

Final Rating: 5/5.



Thanks so much to Barbour Fiction for allowing me to read and review this one!



I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher (Barbour) via NetGalley. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and this is my honest review.

** “God has bigger plans for us than we have for ourselves.” **

Janice Thompson continues her Little Red Truck Mysteries series with “Mistletoe and Mayhem,” a story about faith and facing life’s storms.

RaeLyn Hadley’s wedding to Mason Fredericks is less than a week away, when a series of crazy events occur — fires, floods, illnesses and power outages, just to name a few.

Will all that happens ruin her dream of a beautiful outdoor wedding on her family’s beloved property? And will she be able to figure out what, or who, truly started the fire that almost devastated her family’s home?

Thompson again delivers a delightfully cozy story with trials, hopes, inspirations and a little mystery. She creates delightfully adorable characters, including RaeLyn’s lovely Aunt Bessie Mae, cooking and baking phenom. She also fills the story with a number of great themes, like dealing with change; the importance of finding faith; we face many fires, storms and floods throughout life, but God will walk through them with us (Isaiah 43:2); and God is never caught off guard. It also reminds us of the power and loveliness of friendship and family.

Fans of light cozy mysteries and tales from Texas will love “Mistletoe and Mayhem,” which is due out Sept. 1.

Five stars out of five.

Barbour Fiction provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.

This is the third Red Truck Mystery by Janice Thompson. Raelyn and Mason are preparing for their wedding. The week before, a fire broke out and Raelyn wants to know who started the fire or was it caused by a lightning strike? In Mistletoe and Mayhem, the mystery took a backseat to the wedding preparation. As much as I enjoyed the stories surrounding the wedding, I was looking for more cozy mystery. There are surprises and the usual family vibe. I received a free copy from Netgalley. My opinions are my own.

This has been such a fun series with characters that have become very real to me. I am so glad Raelyn and her friends and family found their happily ever afters, through good times and bad. I hate to leave them all behind now. It’s been a great ride. Mystery, love, a Texas Christmas with Jesus at the center, and Papaw’s cute little red pickup truck, it’s all here. I absolutely loved it all! Don’t miss out!
*I received a complimentary copy of this e-book from Barbour Publishing through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

"Mistletoe and Mayhem (The Little Red Truck Mysteries )" by Janice Thompson is more Cozy Christian Romance than Cozy Mystery. RaeLyn and Mason are soon to be married, just a couple days after Christmas. However, a wildfire threatens RaeLyn's family farm just before. That could threaten the wedding planning as well.

The mystery part took all of maybe a 16th of the story. RaeLyn barely interviewed anyone and for sure really didn't investigate. She just had a couple of interviews to make her newspaper article. It didn't even wrap it up actually confirming who the culprit(s) were. There was a heavy implication of who the culprit(s) was but no confirmation or culprit monologging.

This is the third book in this series and I pray Janice Thompson keeps this series going for a long time! I really enjoy long running series because the characters get to feel like your friends! I highly recommend this book!

What a fun mystery/rom-com. Janice Thompson hit it out of the park with "Mistletoe and Mayhem." You gotta love Aunt Bessie. And RayLyn and Mason. Planning a wedding for two days after Christmas. An outdoor wedding at that. However, RayLyn's praying for her dream wedding. As fate would have it, many events occur threatening her plans. A wildfire almost takes out her family home and leaves a mystery about the origins. Will RayLyn's wedding happen as her spreadsheet states or will her plans go awry? Many times throughout RayLyn , her family, and friends pray for God's intervention and their faith is strong in His divine plan.

Releases Sept. 1st. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I absolutely loved this book by Janice Thompson. It’s everything I love about reading Christian Fiction. Mistletoe and Mayhem is book three of The Red Truck Mysteries. It’s all about family with a generous portion of mystery to keep readers turning the pages. We get to spend time with a beautiful bride to be the week leading up to her wedding day. Raelyn has her wedding well planned in advance and now things are coming together. Then the unexpected happens and that’s when the Mayhem part of this story takes center stage. Grab your yourself a cup of coffee and go to your favorite reading place and let yourself get drawn into this story.
I enjoyed that this book was family oriented. I love mystery also . This book was a hit for this reader. I appreciate that it was inspirational. I loved every Character in the story. After I read the ending and closed the book I felt a warm glow of satisfaction that comes whenever I truly enjoy a book.
I highly recommend this book to readers of Christian fiction, mystery and cozy mystery. I have not read the first two books of this series but I was able to follow along in this book without a problem. I feel it could be read as a standalone but since I enjoyed this book I would like to read the other two books also. This book is scheduled for release on 9/1/25.
I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of Mistletoe and Mayhem. All thoughts and opinions expressed here in this review are entirely my own.
#MistletoeandMayhem #NetGalley

So I realized this is book 3 in a trilogy . Not sure how interconnected the books are but I know is within the same character's. Now I did enjoy the first half of say even the first 75/80 percent of the book until it was just flat for me … it felt flat and maybe due to the fact of not reading the first 2 books I found myself not interested in some of the characters …. At one point a friend stopped by after years of not seeing each other but she returned with a new man … it was a shocker for the friends and family members but like I didn’t really care ?? Like it wasn’t something that exited me to read about. .. the story had a nice flow and rhythm , is a nice Christmas story but it has nothing that makes it stand out zzz now I do think is a nice pleasant read .. is cozy tooo and I would recommend after reading book 1&2

Mistletoe and Mayhem is book 3 in the Little Red Truck Mysteries and is best enjoyed if you have read the earlier books in the series.

It's a week out from Christmas and Raelyn and Mason's wedding. There is lots of focus on the wedding and the pressure to get it all perfect, along with weather worries and a fire that came really close to destroying it all. Raelyn is a bit of an ameteur sleuth so starts asking questions about how the fire started which adds a side story as time marches onwards towards the wedding. I really enjoyed the united family, close knit friends and lovely small town community that came throughout the story.

This is a comfortable and easy afternoon read. I would have enjoyed more focus on the mystery rather than the wedding but other than that it is a sweet holiday read.
4 stars

Actual rating: 2.75 ⭐⭐✨💫

In this book (which is the continuation of a series) we meet RayLyn in the week before here winter field wedding. But a fire threatens to ruin all her plans. Who set the fire? Or was it an accident?

I will just start out by saying that I think for the right audience this book might be just what they want. I don't think I am that audience thought.

Let's start with something I really liked though: I think the writing style is easy-going and immersive. I could see everything haopening while reading, which speaks for the skill of the author.
I also did like the set of characters. Since this is the continuation of a series the author didn't waste much time introducing people. But most felt fleshed out with little quirks that made them likable and plenty of backstory that made them more three-dimensional.

Now in to the things that weren't for me:

The main topic if the book is wedding preparations and all the things RayLyn has planned for her big day. She has lengthy conversations with different people about things like the decor, the possibility of bad weather, which wedding cake her aunt will make etc. The mystery (who has started the fire?) is only first mentioned after 1/3 and only ever seems like a side plot. I would have personally much preferred for it to be the other way around. This way it felt like the description of a (admittedly beautiful) wedding and how to pull that off.
And for this I am not the target audience. I am personally not someone who worries about something like her wedding too much (and yes, I am married and have planned a wedding as well), because it isn't worth it to me. So reading hundrets of pages about someone else's detailed spreadsheet to plan the wedding really did exhaust and bore me a bit. But like I said, I think this is just as much a me-thing as it is a book-thing. I just wish the emphasis of this book had been made clear before discovering it mid book. I would not call it a mystery!

One more criticism I have is the somehow stilted way to talk about faith. I am not American, so I might be overly sensitive. But often the spiritual platitudes and side comments felt like they were edited in after the fact to make the book sound more christian.

To sum things up: I really did like ReyLyn, but we're she my friend I would have smack her with something on page 20 and tell her to reevaluate her priorities. I did enjoy this book though and I think for the right audience it might be quite perfect.

Reviews have been posted to Goodreads and StoryGraph

“Mistletoe and Mayhem” is a sweet Christmas time story. The author has written a story of Raelyn and Mason’s wedding week, and what a week it is. In true Texas fashion, the week is larger-than-life and full of crazy happenings. Not to mention, some surprises from friends to spice up this already hectic week of wedding prep. Suspicious happenings surround the wildfire in their drought-burdened area, which just piques Raelyn’s journalistic curiosity.
This book will stand well on its own, but if you have read others of the Little Red Truck series, then you will enjoy continuing the stories of some favorite characters. I enjoyed this book,and recommend it to anyone needing a sweet and quick literary escape with a sprinkle of Christmas spirit and some wedding plans thrown in for good measure.

Cute story. Well written. Easy to read.
Made me miss Christmas and my church family.
Would recommend to anyone.

This story blends holiday cheer with real emotional moments. I appreciated the honest look at RaeLyn’s nerves as an almost-bride, especially her worries over the weather and the shift into becoming an empty nester. There’s a lot of bustle from prepping for guests to praying the ceremony won’t require thermal blankets but it’s grounded in the kind of community spirit and friendship that gives small-town fiction its heart.

The mystery element surrounding the wildfire adds tension, though it felt a little underdeveloped at times. I found myself wanting more depth to the investigation and the stakes involved. Still, the characters are likable, the setting festive, and the ending hits the right mix of miracle and resolution.

A sweet read for the holiday season, especially if you’re in the mood for a little romance, a touch of mystery, and a lot of heart.

Loved reading the inspirational and entertaining story. As Raelyn and Mason get ready for their wedding, a fire rages out of control and almost burns Raelyn's family's farm but miraculously stops right before hitting the property line. Read the highly recommended, wonderfully written, and a must read riveting story.

I enjoy Thompson's books--they're comfortable and comforting. This one is no exception.

I did feel (as with other recent releases by the author) it was a tad overwritten, and "explained" gets too much use as a verb throughout--but I still enjoyed the read. Christmas books are fun any time of year!

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

What a great story! I feel like the Hadley's is my family. When they worried I worried. When they rejoiced I rejoiced. Such a realistic family that can become your own if you let them.
This story is told in my favorite 1rst person genre. Raelyn's point of view. Which in some places made it funny and serious at the same time.
Add my favorite dog Riley in there then we have a cool story.
I just couldn't put this book down! I was sad to say goodbye to the Hadleys. They're awesome people.
The cover is so cute. I was very glad to see Tilly again. She's pretty special for an old truck.
This book had all the right ingredients to make Ms. Thompson's readers enjoy this latest installment. I think this will be my favorite of this series.
I was very very happy to get to read and review this book. I was NOT disappointed at all. In fact I'm still thinking about them.
Still love Aunt Bess and Rob!! She still makes me giggle.
I'm giving this favorite novel of mine 5 stars! I highly recommend it
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.

Really loved this story about Raelyn and Mason's wedding which is taking place on the farm outside the Saturday after Christmas. Right before a fire breaks out and his headed to the farm. See what happens. Also the things Mason is doing for a wedding gift. Bessie Mae got married and moved out. See how much she doesn't like her electric stove,. This is a GREAT READ and one you must read so follow everything that is happening.

I loved being back with the Hadley family, and heading towards Raelyn and Mason's wedding, and all the preparations! We are also close to Christmas, and all the fun and celebrations that go with the holiday.
We are given the family dynamics of becoming empty nesters, and the weather, actually dangerous drought.
Raelyn is worried about the weather and her dream of having an outdoor wedding, and we are busy with all the prep that is going on! Will they need thermal blankets?
Then there is the mystery of the fire? Miracles, and loving friends that are there for each other.
Things don't always run smoothly, but it was a joy to be in Maybank, Texas!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Barbour, and was not required to give a positive review.