Halloween festivities, a socialite wedding, and a major movie production has this small New England community teeming with excitement and many visitors. However, when the bride to be is found dead, the atmosphere drastically changes and there are plethora of potential suspects. Riley, a former CIA librarian turned ice cream shop owner, puts her sleuthing abilities to the test to help clear her best friends name.

This is the third book in the "Ice Cream Shop Mystery" series. Although I haven't read the previous books, I was able to keep up with this story. I will agree that having read the other books would have probably given me a better connection to the characters - there are references to incidences that previously happened which I was intrigued about. This story had way too many characters that it was difficult to keep track of everyone. The ending felt a bit rushed and packed full of convoluted messy drama. I did enjoy the setting of this cozy mystery - the sassy cat companions and the ice cream shop were the best part of the story.

I absolutely loved this series! Cozy mysteries with homemade ice cream?? Yes, please! Riley is once again caught up in a murder mystery when a movie set comes to town. At the same time, she is trying to get the ice cream shop ready to close for the winter. This is such a cute series, and I really wish there were more!

Loved the cozy Halloween vibes and the plot twists in this book had me on the edge of my seat! The murder method blew me away, will definitely look forward to continuing this series.

The series is a standard cozy mystery but with fun characters who I don't mind returning to book after book.

Sometimes a great book goes down smoother than ice cream on a hot summer day, but with Fatal Fudge Swirl you get the best of both worlds.

Author Meri Allen’s former CIA librarian, current ice cream shop manager, and occasional amateur sleuth, Riley Rhodes, is back for another mystery. As Halloween approaches, Riley is tasked by her friend, Mary Ann, with creating an ice cream cake for socialite Diantha’s wedding. However, after the bride-to-be is found murdered and suspicion falls on Mary Ann, it’s up to Riley to clear her name and find the murderer before anyone else chills out—permanently.

Allen has assembled a cozy sundae with all the toppings. Halloween celebrations. Beyond the elaborate wedding, Halloween festivities, and a murder, Fatal Fudge Swirl also features a romantic comedy being filmed locally, plenty of cat hijinks, and an interesting historical mystery that plays out alongside the action. If this book were a waffle cone, it might be ready to break under all these scoops. Yet Allen knows how to layer these ingredients, carefully pacing the mystery and doling out broader dramas in such a way that you’re always ready for one more bite. It’s completely satisfying without becoming overwhelming.

Really, though, it’s Allen’s mystery skills that provide the most flavor. As Riley explores the events surrounding Diantha’s death, it quickly becomes apparent that almost anyone—wedding guests, staff, and beyond—could be a suspect. Even though the abundance of characters and motives keeps the killer’s identity from being immediately obvious, Allen has no problem serving up several clever twists along the way. Come for the ice cream, but stay for the impeccably placed clues.

While this is the third book in the series, it works as a standalone novel. Much like a good scoop of vanilla, it’s perfect all by itself.

If I could give the first 2 chapters a 1 star rating I would. Why do you need to tell us every character ever created for this series in the first 2 chapters. Jeez - just slow it down! anyways, after that awful experience we finally get into the good part of the book but honeslty if I hadn't gotten this book on NetGalley, I woud've DNF'd it just for those first 2 chapters alone.

Fatal Fudge Swirl is book 3 in the Ice Cream Shop Mysteries series. This is a totally new-to-me series as I haven't read the first two books.

It wasn't too difficult to figure out who everyone was. However, I was a little confused through the first few chapters as we are introduced to a bunch of people in quick secession with little background information given.

In some ways, the main character Riley Rhodes reminded me of Hannah Swenson. If you enjoy Joanne Fluke's series, then you should definitely check out this series if you haven't already. It is a quick read if you want to go back and start with book 1.

I find it interesting that Riley was a CIA librarian before changing careers to own and run an ice cream shoppe. I read a WWII novel that featured librarians in the organization that preceded the CIA so I was somewhat aware that there were CIA librarians. But it is definitely a unique character trait.

The cast of characters is quite large and several characters have a motive so it is difficult to determine who the culprit is.

It is set during Halloween. As I'm a scaredy-cat I typically read cozy mysteries for Halloween - typically paranormal cozies. So if are looking for a Halloween cozy that isn't a paranormal cozy, then make sure this book is on your list for this fall.

As with any culinary cozy, there are plenty of descriptions of food. But I enjoyed the scenes with the cats the most and hope that they make an appearance in the rest of the series.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Monday - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2024/02/2-mysteries-to-cozy-up-with.html

Although I had high hopes for the book, it ended up being a letdown. I was disappointed and found it hard to stay engaged with the story, despite my initial excitement.

I really liked this book! All the mentions of ice had me craving a bowl. There were also some twists which I appreciate. And the method of murder? So, so smart. Overall I really liked this one a lot!

There is a lot going on in this story. There is a movie being filmed, a wedding being prepared. THe people of the litlle town are all excited for all these happenings, until someone is murdered.
THis was a fun book with a lot of twists and turns. It was a cozy read. i enjoyed it.

*I received a free copy of this novel from NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and St. Martin's Paperbacks for my honest review.*

This is a new to me cozy author and series. Riley is a former CIA librarian dropped back into her small New England hometown and managing the local Ice Cream shop. It was easy to drop into the series without reading the previous books, but there was a lot going on with a movie production and a wedding event happening and a lot of people to keep straight that I did have a little bit of trouble with that.

But the location and the characters who will be the same from book to book were quite enjoyable and I look forward to catching up on the series!

I loved this book, it gave me everything I wanted as a reader and more. I am a sucker for a cover and fell in love with the storyline and characters. Well written and kept me engaged :)

Penniman, Connecticut is the small town home of the Udderly Delicious Ice Cream Shop and its owner Riley Rhodes. Although the ice cream season might be slowing as Halloween events fill the social schedule. Added to the mix, the wealthy Diantha, owner of the local inn, is planning a grand Halloween-themed wedding and a film crew is working on filming a movie.

Riley is responsible for the wedding's ice-cream cake. The work gives her extra opportunities to drop in at the Inn to see her best friend, Mary Ann, whose ex happens to be the groom. But the wedding is off once Diantha is murdered. Riley steps up to help--both with work at the inn and for a little amateur detecting.

This was my first time reading a book in the Ice Cream Shop Mysteries series. This was a great stand-alone book. The characters are engaging and the plot was exciting--and even bolster with a small historical sub-plot along the way. I can certainly plan on returning to visit this town.

I have been provided with a review copy of Fatal Fudge Swirl from NetGalley for an impartial review. I was just drawn into this wonderful story and I just couldn’t get enough of it. It was just so easy to get lost in this great story. I just didn’t want it to end. I just lost myself in and I just couldn’t get enough of these interesting characters. I can’t wait to see what’s next from this author.

Pub date: 6/27/23
Genre: cozy mystery, book 3 in the Ice Cream Shop mysteries
Do I need to read book 1 first?: The books in this series one work well as standalone stories.
Quick summary: Riley Rhodes is selling tons of ice cream during Penniman's fall festivities, and she's debuting a spooky ice cream cake for a local wedding. But then the local inn owner is found dead, and Riley has to switch into sleuth mode.

I love a food-themed cozy mystery, and the town of Penniman is the perfect setting for a cozy fall read! I like the whimsy that Allen brings to this series - in this book, Sprinkles the cat becomes a feline actor, and shop employee Brandon continues to create off-the-wall ice cream confections. The mystery was also strong, with plenty of red herrings and a compelling conclusion. I'm looking forward to the continuation of the series!

Thank you to St. Martin's Paperbacks for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book in the Ice Cream Shop Mysteries that I've read, and it was a lot more difficult for me to read than Book 2. First, I truly love Allen's writing style. Riley is a unique, interesting character, and I enjoy being in her head. But the book here was a mess--it felt like Allen was desperate to hit a specific word count, so she just kept adding stuff.

It's too much. There are too many suspects, too many covers for Riley to be investigating (Is she delivering a case? Is she playing housekeeper? Is she a librarian reading archive footage? Or maybe she's accompanying a cat to a movie set? WWWWWHHHHHHHYYYYY? Just pick something! A couple of times the story goes off into convoluted family histories dating back to the 1700s, which might be interesting in another book but doesn't fit with everything else here. The victim is the bride in a wedding but also there's a moving being filmed on site, oh, and events going on at the boys' school that suddenly is enormous, takes up half the town, and is three minutes from everything else--but was never mentioned before. Riley focuses on things that appear to be meaningless based on the information to her, thereby drawing the reader's attention to clues that should be subtle. There's this one clue that she seizes on and talks about for like five pages, but no one would EVER have placed any significance on it the first time. It only matters with what she learns later, so it feels weird that she's going on and on about it. More than once, Riley sits back and thinks about every single character and whether they might have committed murder. (Except one guy. At one point, I was almost hoping it was him because he was the only person she never suspected.) Meanwhile, the budding relationship with the town vet is relegated to a couple of paragraphs about a cancelled date, and an interesting incident that might have shed some light on Riley's past and character is relegated to basically a footnote in the like the fifth-FIFTH!-chapter wrapping things up after the mystery is solved.

There was really enough plot here for two books. It hit a point where every time Riley stumbled on a new clue, I rolled my eyes.

Also, I don't understand why the publisher keeps slapping on titles with ice cream flavors that have nothing to do with the story. If they want to call it Fatal Fudge Swirl, cool, but then Fudge Swirl ice cream should be mentioned more than the pumpkin spice, and it's not. (She's got a fudge ripple that comes up like twice, but even that irritates me because it's not that hard to be consistent.) I realize this isn't the author's fault but it still irritates me.

Book 3 of the Ice Cream Shop Mystery was the perfect story to read this Fall. It takes place around Halloween so there is plenty of descriptions about spooky decor, cooler temps, costumes and intricately carved pumpkins. It was a great backdrop depicting a town enjoying the holiday fun. An added bonus is the stunning artwork on the cover. So cute!!

The mystery was incredibly captivating. Even though I adore the ice cream shop and enjoyed the scenes that took place there, I really loved how most of the storyline and case centered around a historical Inn. It was plausible to have Riley helping out at the booked lodging and the perfect way for her to snoop around for clues. I was able to piece together parts of the mystery but there were plenty of twists, secrets, red herrings and suspicious suspects that I was left guessing for the majority of the story.

There was a fun side story with a rom-com being filmed in town. Of course, Sprinkles, the cat, stole the spotlight in more ways than one when asked to join the cast of the show. I’m curious to see how the romance evolves between Riley and the local vet. I’m not quite sold on them having a true connection.

Book 4 was perfectly set up. Sounds like we are heading to Rome to participate in a gelato class! There’s also lots of suspicion already built up involving Riley’s ex, Paolo. Can’t wait to read more!!
I received an ARC from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Paperbacks - all opinions are my own.

I loved this Halloween themed cozy! Riley is asked to create a Halloween ice cream cake for a wedding. Unfortunately the bride is found murdered and Riley’s friend is a suspect.

What I liked:
*The Halloween setting & vibes
*Unique Murder method
*The movie crew that was also in town

Final thoughts: I really enjoyed this book and getting to know Riley and friends better. The movie crew added a great set of extra suspects along with some humor to the story.

This is my first Ice Cream Shop Mystery, but is was so good that I am going back for seconds and reading books 1 and 2. Riley is a former CIA librarian who lost her job and her heart at the same time, which lead her home to Penniman, and running the Udderly Delicious Ice Cream Shop. This time the mystery surrounds the Penniman Inn and the Collins family who have owned it for since before the Revolution (it is rumored that they may have had a traitor in the family and that George Washington stayed there).. A Halloween-eve to remember with the mysterious death of future bride Diantha Collins, Inn owner and mother to Hollywood child star Cooper Collins (now working behind the cameras) and extreme sports enthusiast Sam Collins. It is obvious that her groom, Dominque has no motive since they didn't even have the City Hall marriage license and a new will had not been prepared. Diantha's sons are the most likely to benefit. So was it for Riley's involvement stems from both professional (she provided the wedding ice cream cake) and personal because her friend Marianne is a likely suspect as the ex-wife of Dominique. Of course there is also Rob, the manager of the Inn who has carried a torch for the better part of his life. Oh there is also Riley's former girl scout leader Ruthie, if the family sells the property or decide to go with younger staff, Ruthie and her talentedly artistic granddaughter Lucretia, are out in the cold literally and figuratively. So was it a murder for (lost) love, revenge, or money. The cause of death was a unique one that I had not encountered helping to give the "locked room mystery" effect. The story has a great build up from the beginning to the end and the mystery was like an ice cream with multiple flavor profiles, there was something new with each sampling. Speaking of ice cream, or rather toppings, I am looking forward to making fudge sauce recipe located at the end of the story.

I really enjoyed reading this book and I will have to go back and read the rest of the series. I loved Riley's character and never heard of a CIA Librarian before and now I have to find out why she lost her job. The mystery I kind of new the reason why it happened but how it happened I never guessed. The major star of the book though was the cat Sprinkles. The cat had me laughing.