The Rocky Road to Ruin by Meri Allen is a great cozy mystery that is the start of a brand new, and I expect, awesome series: An Ice Cream Shop Mystery. This has some major potential!


This series takes place in present-day Connecticut in a quaint, picturesque town of Penniman. Riley Rhodes has just come home for the funeral of a dear childhood friend Caroline, to say hi to her Dad, and for other personal/professional reasons that she is trying to work through and keep under wraps, when the visit takes a deadly turn and she ends up being scooped into a murder/mystery.

Caroline’s brother, whom was polarizing to say the least, ends up the victim and Riley uses her past experiences as a Librarian for the CIA (as well as a secret service agent) to help find the culprit, help out Caroline, find her path in life, and save the adorable Udderly Delicious Ice Cream Shop.

I loved the character cast, the introductions to the relationships, some of the past history of the characters themselves and the town that was added to this first book to help lay the framework of the series.

I also enjoyed Riley as a main character and think she has a lovely personality and a staying power for the future books.

I also enjoyed coming along for the ride with the mystery plot and the progression to find the culprit. I enjoyed how it all ended up and look forward to the next book and to see where this all goes.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and St. Martin’s Press for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.

The title alone made me want to read this debut mystery from Meri Allen. Then I found out that she also writes the Lobster Shack mystery series as Shari Randall, well, I knew I was going to enjoy myself and not just because I love well crafted ice cream like some people like well crafted beer. The main character, Riley Rhodes was living her life as a research librarian and food/travel blogger for the CIA, (working undercover) until her career took an unexpected twist. That, coupled with the death of her best friend's mother, sent Riley back home to attend her funeral and be home again. Her father owns a used bookstore on the village center. I loved it's name - The Penniless Reader. Soon after the funeral, Riley senses that there is tension between Caroline and her brother, Mike. Their mother left them joint ownership of both the family farm and the well named ice cream shop, Udderly Delightful and Mike has his own ideas of what should be done next. What comes next? Mike is murdered on the family farm and Tiley's skill set is front and center to unmask the killer.
From the first chapter when we are introduced to Riley, her father and step-mother and the village setting, I felt at home. The village of Penniman, Connecticut is, as Riley says, the very definition of New England. The characters and the mystery kept me reading - that feeling of "just one more page" turning into "just one more chapter" that tells me Iv'e found a new must read series. By the end of this cozy I was also ready for a trip to the store to restock my freezer with ice cream.
My thanks to the publisher St. Martin's Press and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed reading about Riley's backstory but moreso liked that she was a good friend who needed a change in her own life, so she came through when her bestie Caroline needed someone the most. I was never quite sure throughout the book whodunit and wavered among a few of the characters. Maybe this dog wasn't all that likable, but I sure loved that little MacGillicuddy was a dachshund! Hilarious to give a German dog a Scottish name too. I really liked little Rocky the black kitty who sort of adopted Riley as his favorite human. He was awfully intuitive in other things too.

It was a good twist for once to have the bestie attracted to the detective. I'm pretty sure I haven't seen that yet. Sometimes the bestie is already attached/married or going with the main detective, but this was a fun switch. There wasn't quite the typical showdown. It was more of a discovery of a series of events and some crucial evidence. Everything was well-explained at the end and what a sweet surprise Caroline found hidden in an unlikely place. You'll have to read the book and find out. Now I'm really looking forward to the next book and wondering if some new friends in this book will show up there too.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, and my opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this cozy mystery featuring deaths both long ago and present day. Toss affairs, secrets, poisons, development, and complicated small-town relationships into the ice cream maker and you get a tasty concoction that keeps you reading.

Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest opinion.

A nice start to a new cozy series! Riley's come home to Connecticut to be with her friend Caroline after the death of Caroline's mother, a much loved member of the community. Caroline's brother Mike almost immediately tries to convince Caroline to sell the family farm and ice cream shop and then- he's found pitchforked to death. Yikes! Riley, our intrepid heroine, is a librarian at CIA, which is irrelevant to the story but an interesting angle for the character, and she, of course, starts to poke around for answers even as she runs the ice cream shop. I know this is meant to be a mystery (and it has good twists) but frankly I was equally engaged with the mechanics of the ice cream (I really want some of that sunflower!). The others characters are equally well done (I liked Paulette), the red herrings abundant, and the answers make sense. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. I'm looking forward to the next one. Don't miss the recipes at the end.

A good series starter! I am hoping that as the series continues we will get more background or info on Riley's history as a CIA librarian, but even if we don't, the author has established a good community and characters to base this series around. This was a good mystery on it's own, and I think the series has potential to grow and be very interesting.

This book just wasn't for me. I was excited to read for the setting and it had such a cute cover, but I just didn't find it interesting at all and in the end I did not finish it.

What a way to kick off a brand new cozy series! Ice cream, sleuthing, mischievous felines and an charming setting had me captivated from start to finish.

The mystery part of this story was fantastic. It involved a recent murder that also correlated with a couple past unresolved cases. I love when this happens because you get some extra chances to solve a few different crimes and sort through so many clues. I figured out parts, but definitely went back and forth on my prime suspects. There were plenty of red herrings, a mysterious vagrant and an arson involving a cantankerous neighbor that threw me off for a bit. I also liked that the lead has a background working with the CIA, even though no one knows that particular part about her most recent job. It made her actions and way of thinking extra plausible and well thought out.

Be forewarned. You will need to consume ice cream at some point while reading this story. I loved the Udderly Delicious Ice Cream Shop setting. I would pass on the experimental Sugar Rush flavor, but everything else sounded like a perfect sweet treat. I liked watching the staff create ice cream, sell scoops and even host a famous musician and adorable farm animals.

I’m curious to see how the storyline and character development continues as the series grows. Will Stretch/Zach stick around, is the vet a potential love interest, how will Riley breathe new life into the shop and will her past profession cause any conflicts as she starts over in her hometown.

The Rocky Road to Ruin by Meri Allen is the first book in a cute new cozy mystery series. Riley Rhodes is a travel blogger and a librarian for the CIA. Unknown to her friends and family, she was sometimes given undercover assignments by the CIA as well. She returns to her hometown to support her best friend, Caroline, whose mother just passed away. When tragedy stirkes Caroline’s family again, Riley ends up helping run Caroline’s family ice cream shop as well as investigating a murder. This is a cozy in which Caroline’s sleuthing makes perfect sense given her background and she is quick to report her findings to the local police detective who is leading the investigation even if he doesn’t always act on the information she gives him.

There are some really original elements and complexity in this book. I was pleasantly surprised that the author avoided the obvious by having the local detective and Riley to have an attraction and instead has him wanting to get closer to Caroline. Sometimes there is a little too much going on, so all the various characters and their backstories can be hard to keep up with. A list of characters at the beginning would have been helpful. There is room for more development to several of the characters in future books since we don’t learn a lot of details about some of the supporting characters. However, I enjoyed the book and the way things are wrapped up to avoid loose ends while still building interest for future books in the series. There are recipes for two of the ice cream flavors that are featured in the story at the end of the book. I would definitely read further books in this promising new series.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing an advance copy of this ebook. The book was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

The Rocky Road to Ruin by Meri Allen 4 stars

The first in a brand new "Ice Cream Shop Mysteries" introduces a host of new characters. Riley Rhodes, travel food blogger, librarian at the CIA, and sometimes operative is attending the funeral of the mom of her best friend, Caroline Unfortunately, there is some tension between Caroline and her brother Mike over their shared inheritance. Later that night, Riley discovers Mike dead body in a barn; it is now imperative to find out who killed Mike and get Caroline off the suspect list.

Since this is the first in a series, the book has a lot of set up and background to establish. Riley Rhodes is an intelligent and intrepid woman who will go to great lengths to protect her friends. She is at a crossroads in her career since a personal mistake caused a security breach. Her librarian skills were in full display when searching for clues. I enjoyed this book a great deal and since I read it on a hot day, the craving for ice cream was met with a scoop of lychee ice cream. I saw potential relationships in the future for both Riley and Caroline. I look forward to the next book in the series and to see if I was right as to who the future boyfriends are.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martins Press for this ARC.

Wow - the book kills off her brother. That was a little crazy - in a GOOD way. It's not your typical cozy where family members are sacred and live forever so hooray for that! Loved all the ice cream flavors and the humor. The only thing that was missing was her lack of CIA abilities. I know she was just the librarian but I was hoping to see more of her ninja stealth abilities or calling in favors from some American James Bond type of character to help her out. Isn't that the whole point of putting an ex-CIA employee into any story? But I am going to continue the series and see if it reveals more of that in future books.

I thoroughly enjoyed this new cozy mystery. I really liked that there wasn't a love triangle introduced into the plot, instead the story focused on Riley and her friend Caroline and trying to find out who killed Caroline's brother Mike.

Even though Riley is settling back in CT to run Utterly Delightful, I hope in future installments we learn more about Riley's work as both a librarian and an operative with the CIA. I am also hoping for more ice cream recipes!

*I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and I am required to disclose that in my review in compliance with federal law.*

Riley Rhodes is a travel food blogger and CIA librarian who returns to her small hometown of Penniman, Connecticut to attend the funeral of her best friend Caroline's mother Buzzy. After botching an undercover assignment in Rome, Riley is happy to visit her father’s cozy bookshop and work behind the counter at Buzzy's Udderly Delicious Ice Cream Shop as she did growing up. But tensions are rising as Caroline and her brother Mike disagree with what to do with Buzzy's farm and– the ice cream shop. When Riley finds Mike dead in the barn the next morning, suspicion turns to Caroline as the prime suspect. Riley uses her undercover know-how to help clear her friend.

This was a promising debut with some interesting characters but gets docked a few stars. The aspects of the ice cream business were interesting but there were times in the story when Riley conveniently found a source willing to break the official rules and gladly give up confidential information from police archives and files.

A great start for an interesting series! The mystery is delightfully twisty and turn-y; I especially like the main character of Riley. Her backstory is clearly one of the cool enigmas that we have in store in future books. Also, it features ice cream-a lot of ice cream-and who can say no to that?

The Rocky Road to Ruin by Meri Allen is the first book in the new cozy Ice Cream Shop Mysteries series. As with most cozy mysteries this first book does contain it’s own mystery that is fully solved so it could be read as a standalone without a cliffhanger for the next book.

On the outside Riley Rhodes may seem like a mild mannered librarian who does a little travel blogging on the sides. However, Riley’s job as a librarian happens to be at the CIA and that last trip of hers was an assignment that went a bit off the rails so Riley is in need of a little time off.

When Riley’s long time friend Caroline let’s her know that Caroline’s mother passed Riley knows she needs to head to Penniman, Connecticut where she grew up for the funeral. Caroline and her brother, Mike, have inherited their family’s business and seem to be at odds over how to handle things. However, when Mike is found murdered Riley knows Caroline had nothing to do with it and she vows to help find the murderer all the while helping out in the beloved Udderly Delicious Ice Cream Shop.

Most that follow my reviews know that the cozies at the top of my favorites are ones that are overly humorous and quirky. The Rocky Road to Ruin wasn’t quite as humorous as I normally gravitate too however I did enjoy it regardless. This one had another like of mine with the protagonist having something in her background in the law enforcement area with working for the CIA so it wasn’t as big as a stretch as a lot for her to be crime solving. This one also had that lovely small town setting that I enjoy with a nice mystery to solve along the way so I will be interested in coming back for more of this series in the future.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Riley Rhodes returns to Penniman, Connecticut for her best friend’s mom’s (Buzzy) funeral. Riley is a librarian, food blogger and sometime CIA agent. Riley stays in Penniman to run Udderly Delicious, an ice cream shop started by Buzzy. Her friend Caroline loses her brother Mike to murder. Riley follows a myriad of clues and events to figure out who murdered Mike.

I was drawn in from the beginning. Riley is an interesting character and I wanted to see where the story would go. I love ice cream so it was no hardship to spend time in an ice cream shop and learning how ice cream is commercially made. I felt drawn into the story. I enjoyed reading it...but the ending left me feeling a bit hollow. Even though it involved murder and a host of difficulties, this mystery felt upbeat. The ending was not.

The book gets 4 stars for how good most of it was. The two issues subtracting a star - 1. So many characters that if they hadn't been mentioned for a while I had to think about who they were and what part they had in the story. 2. The way the mystery worked out left me feeling a bit down. I suppose many would say creating an emotional reaction is the mark of a good author. I agree it likely is, however, I like to feel like things have turned out right at the end of a cozy mystery. This one let me down. You may not agree and that’s totally okay.
I like Riley and I would definitely visit Udderly Delicious and Penniman again when the next book arrives.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book prior to publication.

Loved it. Eager for more. A delightful cozy mystery with lots of delicious ice cream flavors to savor. Cats, a dog, potential romance, good friends and more all add up to a terrific beginning. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley.

The Rocky Road to Ruin is the first book in the Ice Cream Shop Mysteries series and I'm already looking forward to the next book! Small-town charm, likable characters, ice cream, and mystery combine for a fun, enjoyable, and quick read. Set in Penniman, Connecticut, Riley Rhodes returns home to attend the funeral of her best friend's (Caroline) mother. Quickly, Riley, after leaving her job as a librarian with the CIA, finds herself agreeing to manage Caroline's family ice cream shop when Caroline's brother is murdered.

I enjoyed everything about this book. The charming setting including the description of the town and ice cream shop, characters, and mystery were all well done. If you like Cozy Mysteries, give this new series a try!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and St, Marin's press for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

THE ROCKY ROAD TO RUIN, the first book in the brand-new Ice Cream Shop Mysteries, by Meri Allen, is a delightful start to a delicious series! As the story unfolded, I greatly enjoyed that the protagonist, Riley Rhodes, isn’t your typical, stumble through an investigation, amateur sleuth. She’s not only a librarian with great researching skills, but she worked for the CIA until an overseas misfortune sidelined her. Heading home to support her best friend, Caroline, who’d lost her mother, Riley pitches in to run Caroline’s family ice cream shop. Ms. Allen has an admirable descriptive voice and I couldn’t help but want to visit the charming setting of Penniman, Connecticut. She not only captures the beauty of the location but also the yummy tastes and aromas of the Udderly Delicious Ice Cream Shop. The author has developed appealing characters – both human and animal alike – and I especially loved Sprinkles, the cat who rules the household. The quirky feline steals each scene she inhabits!

There are multiple mystery threads running throughout the book, from long ago to current day, and the author effortlessly weaves them together into a cohesive story. I was so charmed by the story, I decided to sit back and enjoy the read as it unfolded instead of playing armchair detective. Either way, the mysteries and subplots are well-paced and entertaining scenes will keep the reader intrigued with lots of suspects and well-placed clues. Cozy mystery fans will drool over this new series by Meri Allen, who also writes as Shari Randall.

There are so many mouthwatering mentions of udderly delicious frozen concoctions throughout the story and I was pleased to see that there are recipes at the back of the book.

I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Riley Rhodes works as a travel blogger and a librarian at the CIA. She returns to her hometown for the funeral of her best friend’s mother. Riley’s friend Caroline and Caroline’s brother Mike inherit the family farm and ice cream shop from their mother. Mike is working on a plan to sell and subdivide the farm. Something his mother didn’t want to happen. The night of the funeral, Riley discovers Mike’s body in an out building on the farm. The story line revolves around Mike’s murder, the possible development of the farm and the community that steps up to help Caroline run the ice cream shop.
The Rocky Road to Ruin is a cozy mystery. It is a quick read. I felt that there were too many characters in the book. I was constantly questioning what I had learned about a character when they appeared in the book again. For this reason, I give it four stars. It is a good cozy read.