Mistletoe and Mayhem

A bride-to-be plans her Christmas wedding while hot on the trail of the arsonist who could’ve ruined it in this cheerful cozy from Thompson (Gone Fishing). When a fire sweeps across Texas, it threatens to destroy 27-year-old RaeLyn Hadley’s family farm, where her nuptials are set to take place. Luckily, the property is spared. Then rumors circulate that the blaze was deliberately set, and enterprising RaeLyn—who’s also a part-time reporter for the local paper—begins zeroing in on potential suspects. Among them is landowner Buck Adler, who has said he would rather burn his property to the ground than have it seized by the powerful oil company that’s after him, and twins Karter and Keener Oberdeen, who miraculously escaped the blaze by taking refuge in a pond, and whose stories don’t quite add up. As the wedding draws closer and RaeLyn is seemingly no closer to identifying the culprit, she grapples with what it means to trust her neighbors and follow God’s will through life’s ups and downs. Readers will have no problem cheering for the upbeat and relatable RaeLyn, and the mystery is nicely balanced with gentle humor and poignant moments between RaeLyn and her family. It makes for a sweet and festive treat. (Sept.)