The Rocky Road to Ruin review

This is the first book in a brand new series, Ice Cream Shop Mysteries by Meri Allen who I thought was a newcomer, but I was super happy to find out on Facebook that she’s none other than Shari Randall, another one of my favorite authors who wrote the Lobster Shack series which I absolutely loved. I’ve found I can always rely on her for some awesome and interesting characters no matter which persona she writes under. I felt so at home reading Rocky Road, and now I can’t wait for the next book!

My Goodreads review:

The Rocky Road to Ruin by Meri Allen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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.

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