I seriously enjoyed this one, it was a fun and enjoyable read that has many unique facets other cozies do not. For example, the main character Riley Rhodes and her CIA Librarian/Food Blogger career. Riley and her best friend Caroline's relationship brings out the fun-loving aspect of this mystery., as well as the cute cat characters that add an animal aspect to this mostly culinary cozy. I personally enjoy any culinary mystery and love the charm a family-owned ice cream shop brings to the plot. The murder mystery brings out the amateur sleuth within Riley and the detective on the case winds up having eyes for Caroline, which helps Riley's amateur investigation a bit easier. This book is filled with many twists that kept me guessing on the murder mystery and culprit.

The Rocky Road to Ruin, is an awesome start to what is sure to be a highly entertaining series.

Thank you to Net Galley for the advanced reader copy of #RockyRoadtoRuin.

This was definitely a fun little cozy mystery! It was a quick and easy read, and I finished it in a day!

This is a great start to a new cozy mystery series. The small town Connecticut setting was great and I loved the Ice Cream shop and all of the creations mentioned in the book. I really liked the main characters and thought they worked well together. The writing was great and I really enjoyed the mystery. I look forward to book two.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle by St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Paperbacks and #NetGalley for my honest opinion.

Rocky Road to Ruin is the first in a promising new cozy mystery series. I can’t wait to read more from the An Ice Cream Shop Mystery series.

The Rocky Road to Ruin: An Ice Cream Shop Mystery
By Meri Allen
St. Martin’s Paperback
August 2021

Review by Cynthia Chow

After the death of her best friend’s mother, Riley Rhodes returned to her hometown of Penniman, Connecticut to help Caroline recover and assist in running the late Elizabeth “Buzzy” Spooner’s Udderly Delightful Ice Cream Shop. Scooping out delicious layered confections in waffle cones is a delight on its own, but it also gives Riley an escape from a career mistake. Her job as a librarian and travel blogger had actually been going well, but it was a snafu working undercover for the CIA that revealed a lack of judgment and misplaced trust. Before Riley can help her friend decide on the future of the shop and the adjoining Fairweather Farm, Caroline’s brother Mike rolls into town with an agenda and a pro tennis playing girlfriend. It quickly becomes apparent that Mike plans to develop the farm into a high-end residential community, so when he is found murdered in the Fairweather Farm barn and Caroline’s scarf nearby, Riley’s bestie lands high on the police suspect list.

Distracting the investigation is the disappearance of Mike’s famous girlfriend Angelica Miguel, and it’s up for grabs as to whether she is the killer or another victim. Using skills more librarian-related than based in espionage, Riley follows a path that leads to secret identities, past tragedies, and plans of vengeance. Investigating Detective Jack Voelker is amenable to Riley’s input despite not knowing of her past with the CIA, but perhaps that is due to his barely concealed affection for Caroline. When not dodging acts of arson, additional murders, and shocking betrayals, Riley finds herself assisting in Penniman Sunflower Festival, hand blending in brownies and gluten-free cookies into their special confections, and adopting the adorable and appropriately named kitten Rocky Rhodes.

This first of a new series quickly introduces readers to an abundance of characters, both human and feline. There is an abundance of former high school classmates and teachers, but challenging Riley most as an adult may be adjusting to her bookstore-owning father’s new wife. A country singer and mysteriously talented cook cast their shadow of fame on the town, but the real celebrity has to be retired showcat Princess Hortense Ophelia Tater Tot, aka Sprinkles. The descriptions of Udderly’s bachelorette party alcohol-laden frozen confections are as tempting as the recipes for sunflower layered honey-caramel-sunflower ice creams, ensuring that foodie mystery fans will be hungering for more. Future installments will hopefully exploit more of Riley’s covert operative skills, but only as long as she continues to dish out treats from the charming Udderly Delightful Ice Cream Shop.

I really enjoyed this first book in a fun new series! I love the quaint town setting. The theme is fantastic, and the author does a great job of fleshing out the characters. The story was well-paced, and I had so much fun trying to solve the mystery. This book also made me crave all the ice cream.

The Rocky Road to Ruin was a good introduction to a new cozy mystery series. I loved the setting & the author does a great job at making you feel right in the middle of the story.

My only complaint (and it's small) is that they were a lot of characters introduced quickly & it was hard to keep up them at times. That being said I think as the series evolves we will get a better idea of their importance.

The Rocky Road to Ruin by Meri Allen has Riley Rhodes returning home to Penniman, Connecticut for the funeral of her best friend’s adoptive mother. Riley is a CIA librarian as well as travel food blogger and sometimes undercover spy. Unfortunately, something happened in Italy that has Riley wondering about her future. The day after the funeral, Riley finds Mike Spooner, the deceased adoptive son, dead in the barn and his tennis star girlfriend is missing. Riley’s curiosity has her digging into the case searching for answers. The Rocky Road to Ruin by Meri Allen is the debut of An Ice Cream Shop Mystery series. Meri Allen is a descriptive writer. She provided detailed word images of the town, the characters, Buzzy’s farm, and, most importantly, the ice cream. Riley Rhodes is a unique character for cozy mysteries with her occupation. I like that the author took the time to establish Riley and the town. I did feel that we are introduced to a few too many characters in this first book. There are just too many to keep straight (neighbors, relatives, employees, reporters, visitors). We also get to meet Sprinkles, Buzzy’s prima donna cat, and Rocky, a rescue cat. I enjoyed reading about their attitudes and antics. I can tell the author has been around cats. The mystery is multifaceted with multiple suspects and misdirection. There are clues to help readers solve the whodunit before the reveal (if you are an avid cozy mystery reader, you will have no problem unraveling this whodunit). There are delicious descriptions of ice cream that will have you running out for a cold creamy confection. I did feel the pacing was a little slow with the detailed descriptions and the number of characters. I also wanted a little more cozy. I was hoping for a cozy small town with the story focusing around the ice cream shop. I think the author is trying to give us something different. Some things worked and others did not. An example is Riley being a CIA librarian, travel food blogger, and secret spy. I would have been happy with travel food blogger because the CIA aspect seems out of place (except for Riley’s attention to detail). The Rocky Road to Ruin is a good start and I do wish to read the next installment in An Ice Cream Shop Mystery series. The Rocky Road to Ruin is a sweet treat with cat capers, land wrangling, prying reporters, creamy confections, sunflower festival fun, a curious cowboy, and a mysterious murder.

I’ve always assumed the most stressful part of writing the first book in a cozy mystery series is that it has to stand on its own while perfectly setting the stage for any subsequent books. Cozy authors have to balance creating a winning main character who readers root for while plopping them in a niche that separates them from other series—to say nothing of all the murder and mayhem that has to surround them in a semi-plausible way. It’s an awful lot to balance in a crowded genre.

Well, if Meri Allen (author Shari Randall’s pseudonym) struggled with any of this, none of it shows in the pages of The Rocky Road to Ruin, which marks a terrific beginning for her and her newest sleuth, Riley Rhodes.

A CIA librarian and food blogger with a complicated past, Riley returns to her hometown to attend a funeral. Unfortunately for the denizens in this otherwise idyllic Connecticut community, that’s not the only corpse Riley sees in this book. Soon she’s out tracking a killer all while reconnecting with her past and even helping out at her former job, the Udderly Delicious Ice Cream Shop.

Simple, right? Just the kind of mystery that permeates so many cozies. And yet, Allen has crafted such an incredibly likable and strong heroine that everything around her feels fresh. Rather than feeling like the type of detective that stumbles around interrogating a foolish cast of characters, Riley comes across as a levelheaded natural—of course she’d be the one to solve the mystery. It helps that Allen has paired her against a strong group of secondary characters who more than hold their own. While she’s quick with a joke and, as the name of the ice cream shop suggests, she has no problem with a pun, Allen has carved out some really lovely characters who come across as fully realized people. There’s also a couple of cats, which for me is never a bad thing.

Of course, then there’s the mystery itself. Allen does a great job of telegraphing the potential victim while also still managing a surprise reveal. From there, it’s a wild ride as Riley tracks clues questions suspects, and, on occasion, mixes up ice cream. Allen balances the mystery with the fun perfectly, yet there hits a point about three-quarters of the way through when this book becomes unputdownable. I knew the case was on the cusp of being cracked, yet the reveal was oh-so satisfying.

The Rocky Road to Ruin is better than an ice cream sundae on a hot summer’s day.

After the first chapter, I was ready to put it down and say, Thank you, Next. I have never understood when an author has three hundred pages a need to introduce the vast majority of the characters at once. Let the wine breathe let each personality note come into its own at the right time. There is no urgency to rush and bewilder your audience.

As the story unfolds, there are parts of Riley Rhodes's past which did not add to the overall storyline. A background seemingly placed for intrigue rather than purpose. Then as Meri Allen gets the story rolling, she will suddenly take a left turn with unnecessary filler. The reader will find the usual set of friends, family, and pets, but most disappointing is a couple of undeveloped but appealing characters, which seem to have been forgotten at the end.

Hopefully, with her next book, she will expand in a few places, tone down the repetition, and add a humorous quirkiness to the town of Penniman, Connecticut.

Justice will be swirled by amateur sleuth Riley Rhodes in the first in Meri Allen's brand-new mystery series, The Rocky Road to Ruin!

Riley Rhodes, travel food blogger and librarian at the CIA, makes a bittersweet return to her childhood home of Penniman, Connecticut – land of dairy farms and covered bridges - for a funeral. Despite the circumstances, Riley’s trip home is sprinkled with reunions with old friends, visits to her father’s cozy bookshop on the town green, and joyful hours behind the counter at the beloved Udderly Delicious Ice Cream Shop. It feels like a time to help her friend Caroline rebuild after her mother’s death, and for Riley to do a bit of her own reflecting after a botched undercover mission in Italy. After all, it’s always good to be home.

But Caroline and her brother Mike have to decide what to do with the assets they’ve inherited – the ice cream shop as well as the farm they grew up on – and they’ve never seen eye to eye. Trouble begins to swirl as Riley is spooked by reports of a stranger camping behind the farm and by the odd behavior of the shop’s mascot, Caroline’s snooty Persian, Sprinkles. When Mike turns up dead in the barn the morning after the funeral, the peace and quiet of Penniman seems upended for good. Can Riley find the killer before another body gets scooped?
Amazon.com

Shari Randall, now writing as Meri Allen, has created a new ice cream shop mystery series. Her previous Lobster Shack series was nominated for an Agatha Award for, Curses, Boiled Again.

In the first book of this new series, The Rocky Road to Ruin, readers meet Riley Rhodes, the main character. Riley’s history provokes the question: How can a librarian also be a spy for the CIA? We learn a bit about Riley’s latest CIA caper, and I hope in subsequent books we learn more. As a writer, I see subplots abounding from Riley’s background. Food blogging? Another gateway to subplots or complications of the main plot.

The secondary characters supporting Riley are positive influences with the exception of her stepmother, who is unintentionally passive aggressive or perhaps, it is intentional. And yet, it may be that Riley can’t stop resenting the woman, but for what reason? In any case, Riley will have to deal with her stepmother in one way or another once she determines who or what is the problem.

Welcome Shari Randall’s Meri Allen to WWK. E. B. Davis

What is the thinking on the name change? You are writing to the same cozy mystery market. Your writing was nominated for an Agatha award. Why change a successful brand with a new name? (I’m so against this because for me it’s the writer not the book.) My agent says the traditional thinking is, “new series, new name.” He’s the pro, so I followed his advice.

Is there a Penniman, Connecticut? If not, where did you come up with that name? Is it a New England surname? Is there a Seven-Mile River?
Penniman exists only in my book, alas, but it was inspired by my favorite bits and pieces of real Connecticut villages and towns – the covered bridges, the town greens, the unique bookshops and tea shops. The story is set in what’s called the Quiet Corner of Connecticut, the northeastern corner, and it is filled with many special small towns. But there is a real-life Eight Mile River near me. The name Penniman came to me because I’d decided to name Riley’s dad’s used bookstore The Penniless Reader, and I worked backwards from there for the town’s name.

Riley’s father was a former teacher and now owns a second-hand bookstore. Her stepmother, Paulette, was a nurse. How does Paulette have the money to support her champagne tastes? Paulette’s first husband was loaded and she got a sweet alimony deal.

The ice cream store, Udderly Delightful, was created by Riley’s best friend Caroline’s mother Buzzy, who has died. Caroline lives in Boston and works as an art appraiser for an auction house. Why does she want to keep Udderly Delightful open? For Caroline, holding onto the shop is holding onto Buzzy’s memory. Caroline and Mike were adopted by Buzzy after spending several difficult years in foster care. Udderly Delicious was Buzzy’s baby and a Penniman institution, and Caroline doesn’t want to give it up

Although Buzzy adopted Caroline and Mike, they are full siblings, and yet they have little in common. Why, if they were both raised by Buzzy, does only Caroline seem to have Buzzy’s values? This is a great question. Nature vs. nurture, right? I think Mike’s brash, outgoing personality, and athletic prowess took him in a different direction than Caroline, who is shy, artistic, and introspective.

Even though Buzzy has died, she is very much a character. Riley’s mother died when she was two years old. Was Buzzy like a mother to Riley also? Buzzy did fill that role for Riley, and that’s part of the reason she decides to take the job as the shop manager. Riley lived in Washington DC for many years and traveled extensively, so staying in Penniman also means she can be close to her dad.

Was Riley released from the CIA’s employ, or does she feel the need for a career change after what happened in her last assignment? Riley wasn’t fired, but a disaster in Rome made her doubt herself. She sees the job at the ice cream shop as a chance to regroup and shift gears. Riley has lots of creative ideas from her travel and food blog, so she’s eager to explore those possibilities.

When Riley is stressed, how can she possibly eat hot fudge sundaes topped with potato chips? A potato chip topping is delicious! The chips add a nice salty crunch.

Buzzy’s cat Sprinkles (does she have a urine problem or does the name refer to those adorning the top of ice cream?) is also a main character, an antagonist of sorts. Sprinkles plays a game with Riley that could get her hurt. Is there nothing Riley can do about it? Sprinkles, a fabulous snowy white Persian, is definitely named for the pretty ice cream toppings. She’s a diva who considers herself an adornment to every life she encounters. A former show cat, Sprinkles was kicked off the circuit for biting, scratching, and general bad behavior. She doesn’t want to share Caroline with Riley and resorts to all sorts of sabotage to get her way. It keeps Riley on her toes.

When a scruffy kitten appears on the farm, Riley names him Rocky because he looks like he’s already survived a few rounds in the boxing ring. But Rocky appears at the murder scene and has a nose for investigation. Will Rocky become Riley’s sleuthing sidekick? Rocky is my nod to Koko and Yum Yum, the cats in The Cat Who series. He’s an inquisitive little thing. Though he leaves most of the sleuthing to Riley, he’s usually where the action is.

Will readers become familiar with Riley’s “Rhode Food” blog? Will there be excerpts? What a great idea! There will be now!

You describe a waffle iron to make waffle cones, but waffle cones are thin and crisp. Is this a different type of waffle iron than those the home cook is used to? Are the waffles fried and then rolled while they are hot? Yes, that’s exactly right. Here’s a video. Riley has her eye on this waffle cone machine. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzL2acsqMJw


When was Riley in the army? Helicopter crash? Riley went in the Army right out of college. The crash occurred during a training mission in her first year, so her dream of being an army officer was crushed. After rehabbing from several broken bones, she returned to running, a passion of hers in high school, and decided to follow her love of books into a library degree and an eventual job at the CIA library (yes, they have their own). Riley’s background and training in the army, plus her frequent travels, put her on the radar of some higher ups at the CIA and she was approached about doing occasional missions.

Why do Caroline and Riley indulge Sprinkles in her obnoxious habit, which is? (It makes me shudder!) I didn’t think it was possible myself, until I saw a friend’s cat do it. We don’t want to spoil anyone’s breakfast, so I won’t say what it is here. Read the book and find out!

Wouldn’t the alcohol in Boozy ice cream prevent it from freezing? Is it more of a slushy? Yes, alcohol lowers the freezing point of ice cream and sorbets, and an ice cream maker must take that into account. What Buzzy called Margarita Ice Cream is more of a margarita sorbet, and it gets even more delicious as it melts into a slushy.

How much ice cream research did you do to create the series? Was it fun? Delicious? Did you try to make any at home? Brownie Bomb, Peach, Sun Flower…homemade marshmallow topping…all of them sound like treats! First lobster and now ice cream! Suffering for my art! I’m spoiled. I love taking road trips and followed lots of back roads to some fantastic ice cream shops. Because I set the shop in the eastern part of Connecticut, I concentrated the research there and discovered some fabulous ice cream shops: Buttonwood Farms (which also inspired the book’s sunflower festival), the UConn Dairy Bar, Michael’s Dairy, We-Lik-It – I ate a lot of ice cream while writing this book.
Like many people in 2020, my husband and I spent a lot of time at home, and decided to invest in an ice cream maker. That little machine has earned its counter space. There’s a batch of chocolate chip ice cream going right now.

What’s next for Riley? Riley will be back for at least two more books. Book Two’s working title is Mint Chocolate Murder, and the murder will take place during a fantasy ice cream social. I’m having a lot of fun dreaming up ice cream treats for that one.

Thank you NetGalley, Meri Allen and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of Rocky Road to Ruin. This is my personal review.

This is the first book in the series An Ice Cream Shop Mystery. It is a great start!

Whenever you can mix ice cream, murder, mystery and the great cast of characters in a book you have a hit for sure. And to toss in a small town setting you will be drawn in from the beginning to the end.

Riley Rhodes is a one woman wonder who can do it all.

The twists and turns kept me guessing what was going to happen.

I am looking forward to the next book in this series.

A funeral, a mystery, a CIA librarian/food blogger, and ice cream all come together to make this first novel in the An Ice Cream Shop Mystery series one that I couldn't put down. When mission gone wrong forces Riley Rhodes home, the funeral of her long time best friend's mother brings some much needed change. Caroline and her brother must decide what to do with their inheritance. Never seeing eye to eye, Riley brings just the right amount of reason to the mix. However, before all can be resolved, a murder, a missing model and a several strange people turn up. With the town on edge and Riley's sixth sense zinging, will she be able to solve the murder before the murderer gets away?

Meri Allen does a wonderful job of building suspense while moving the story forward with the action of Riley trying to decide her future after a ruined mission. Her characters are relatable. The story is easy to follow while keeping the reader in the dark as to who done it?. Several red herrings bring one to turn the pages. I look forward to her next in the series. I received a copy through Netgalley. A review was not required.

Really enjoyed this book! This was well written with lots of action, several side stories, and lots of suspense. Riley seems like a great friend and she and Caroline make a great team. Killer was a mystery right up to the reveal. I love when an old mystery has ties to a current mystery. Great story!

Riley Rhodes, travel food blogger and librarian at the CIA as well as an occasional operative, makes a return to her childhood home for the funeral of her best friend's mother. Caroline, the best friend, and Mike, her brother rarely agree on anything. Mike has a buyer lined for their mother's property. Caroline won't agree to the sale so the next morning when Mike is found murdered in the barn, Caroline is one of two suspects. The other is Mike's missing girlfriend. Riley doesn't believe either woman murdered Mike and begins to investigate the crime.

This has to be the first cozy mystery I've read where the lead is employed by the CIA. I also like that the lead investigator on the case seems to be romantically interested in Caroline and not Riley. We find out a little about Riley's life working with the CIA. Can't help but wonder how her last mission in Italy will came back to haunt Riley in Penniman.

I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher and/or author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Caroline and her brother Mike never saw eye to eye and their mother's death brought about their biggest disagreement. However the problem is soon solved by her brother's murder. Now Riley, CIA librarian plus, food blogger and Caroline's good friend needs to find the real murderer to prove Caroline is innocent.

A pleasant new series with a charming setting. I liked the characters though I did not feel very attached to them but that could come as the series progresses. This story will definitely make you hungry for ice cream. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

3.5 stars

The Rocky Road to Ruin by Meri Allen is such a wonderful cozy mystery. The ice cream theme is perfect for summer, but I loved everything else about it as well. I can't wait to recommend this book to other cozy mystery fans!

Riley Rhodes has returned home to Penniman, Connecticut, for the funeral of her best friend’s mother. After the service, she sees that Caroline and her brother, Mike, are fighting over what to do with the property that the two of them were left, including Udderly Delicious, the ice cream shop where Riley worked as a teen. The next morning, Riley finds Mike dead. Knowing that Caroline will be a prime suspect, Riley tries to figure out what happened. Can she do it?

Riley has a fun background for an amateur sleuth – CIA librarian. And yet this is definitely still a cozy, and the warmth pulled me in right away. This book has a bit of a bittersweet vibe. We get the wonderful characters and setting we love in a cozy, but the beginning is appropriately somber. It really works well. The pacing was a little uneven in the middle, but the book had a strong beginning and ending that make up for it. I had a hard time putting the book down the closer I got to the climax. There is more than enough talk to ice cream to make you drool, and two recipes inspired by the more creative contributions are in the back of the book. Now’s the time to enjoy this debut. Me? I’ll be having a second helping of ice cream while I wait for the sequel.

First, I’d like to thank St. Martin’s and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this e-arc. I really enjoyed this book and gave it 4 stars.

This is the first book in a new cozy Mystery series. This book has a lot of characters that you have to keep track of. The characters aren’t all important to the story, but they did add to the story. I also like the fact that Riley still feels at home in her town even though she has been gone for some time, and the fact she she stepped up to help out her best friend. It gives the story the “cozy” feeling that cozy mysteries are known for.

In addition to the human characters, there are two cats in this story. One is snotty and the other is a wild escape artist. The cats are mentioned quite a bit in the story, especially Rocky, the escape artist. The cat’s also aren’t really important to the story, but they are a nice sideline. They add a little flavor to the story.

*Spoiler Alert* There is a back story from 17 years ago that is brought up in the book. At first, this back story seems to be more about the character than the mystery, but this backstory is relevant to this story because it helps solve the murder.

The book starts slow, but picks up 75% of the way through. Once it picked up, I couldn’t put it down.

Travel blogger/Librarian who really works for the CIA, heads home after a botched assignment for the funeral of her childhood friends mother. Her friend Caroline and her brother are at odds with what to do with the family ice cream shop when he is found murdered.

I really enjoyed this small town setting, everything about the ice cream shop and the sleuthing. I especially enjoyed that the main character came from a CIA background. This helped provide a little more credibility to the sleuther than a normal cozy has. As with any good mystery there were plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing.

I enjoyed this first book in the series and can't wait to read more.