The Rocky Road to Ruin: An Ice Cream Shop Mystery (Ice Cream Shop Mysteries, 1)

Ice Cream Shop Mysteries Book 1 was a delightful read. The characters were interesting, the setting--perfect, and the plot intriguing. I loved the read!

Rocky Road to Ruin by Meri AllenBook #1: Ice Cream Shop MysteriesSource: PurchaseRating: 4/5 starsThe Bottom Line: I needed a new type of cozy in my life and until this book, I didn’t have a single ice cream shop in the mix of cozies I read. Now I do and I won’t be giving up on this new series anytime soon. Though I had a bit of a hard time buying into Riley’s job background, I found the rest of the read to be rather delightful. Riley and her best-friend, Caroline find themselves in quite a mess when folks keep turning up dead, the financial situation related to the family farm is in question, and the ability to keep the family-owned and operated ice cream shop open is sketchy, at best.Given her somewhat hard to buy into background, Riley is the perfect person to poke around into all the various piles of crap that seem to keep cropping up. Her inquiries lead her down some long-forgotten roads that will tie up not only the current murders but expose some truths long-buried and largely forgotten. In addition to the sleuthing, Riley has agreed to take over the running of the ice cream shop and this is where I found myself most excited about the read, all the ice cream. From the book of spells (recipe book!) to the wonderfully unique flavors and descriptions, I really felt a part of the environment and the crowd eager to get their hands on a scoop of their favorite flavor.Between the beautifully described setting (town, farm, community), the ice cream shop, and the characters, I think this cozy series is going to quickly make its way to the top of my favorites list. Riley and Caroline have a tough road ahead of them, but they are two strong and determined ladies with a great community around them eager to see them succeed. Onward and upward!

Great book, it kept me guessing until the last page! The small town setting and ice cream shop were so fun! I loved that it was a clean book free from language and innuendo! I will definitely be reading other books in the series!

4.5 starsI fell into this series because I received an arc for the third book coming out next month, and given my nature, I had to go back and start at book one…and I’m SO GLAD I did!The Rocky Road to Ruin is the first book in the Ice Cream Shop Mystery series by Meri Allen. This cozy mystery was a pleasure to read and so utterly engaging. It’s a complex, clever mystery and the heroine is sharp, intuitive, generous and kind. She is also an incredible friend and I was inspired by the friendship between Caroline and Riley, our main protagonist.Riley Rhodes is a travel blogger and CIA librarian who occasionally works in the field. After an embarrassing misstep in her last assignment, she has decided to head home to spend time with her best friend, Caroline, as she grieves her mother’s death. There is some contention and pressure over the estate, and as tempers begin to flare and emotions fly, a murder occurs. What seems straight-forward, is anything but.The mystery is intelligent, intriguing, and believable, and the atmosphere is tangibly descriptive. The ice cream shop business is interesting. The characters are a quirky, endearing crew, and their backstories and connections to one another are compelling.This isn’t a “silly” or fluffy cozy mystery, but rather an astute, gripping, well-written, soft-mystery with a charming group of characters set amidst a lovely east coast town. I eagerly look forward to the next in the series.

In The Rocky Road to Ruin by Meri Allen, Riley Rhodes returns to her New England childhood home to support her best friend, Caroline who has just lost her mother. After the funeral, the unthinkable happens when Caroline's brother was found dead in the family barn. Riley turns into a sleuth and a new cat named Rocky seems to subtly lead her down a rocky road to finally discover who did it. So many people are involved and the reader has to keep scrolling ahead to get to the bottom of things through all of the twists and turns!

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.

Love the small town setting in a small New England town. Where it is set in an ice cream shop. There is a murder and a couple of accidents. A mystery from the past as well. Riley investigates with several suspects emerge. The ending is very well handled.

New to me author & series. I enjoyed this first book in the series. A lot is going on but it’s all wrapped up in the end. I look forward to reading more.

enjoyed the ice cream making the ch aracters are intriquing and the story keeps readers on their toes murder is nasty business and riley should not be involved has a heart of gold for her friends