Murder with Fried Chicken and Waffles
(Mahalia Watkins Soul Food Mystery)
New Cozy Series
Setting: Maryland
Kensington Books (February 24, 2015)
Trade Paperback: 320 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1617731747
E-Book ASIN: B00M4ASSJ4
Welcome to Mahalia’s Sweet Tea–the finest soul food restaurant in Prince George’s County, Maryland. In between preparing her famous cornbread and mashed potatoes so creamy “they’ll make you want to slap your Momma,” owner Halia Watkins is about to dip her spoon into a grisly mystery. . .
Halia Watkins has her hands full cooking, hosting, and keeping her boisterous young cousin, Wavonne, from getting too sassy with customers. Having fast-talking entrepreneur Marcus Rand turn up in her kitchen is annoying enough when he’s alive–but finding his dead body face-down on her ceramic tile after hours is much worse.
Marcus had his enemies, and the cast iron frying pan beside his corpse suggests that at last, his shady business deals went too far. Halia is desperate to keep Sweet Tea’s name out of the sordid spotlight but her efforts only make Wavonne a prime suspect. Now Halia will have to serve up the real villain–before the killer returns for a second helping. . .
Features delicious recipes from Mahalia’s Sweet Tea, including Sour Cream Corn Bread and Sweet Corn Casserole!
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Haila and Wavonne are absolutely laugh out loud funny. Wavonne reminded me of Lula from Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series but she is even funnier.
These two are in a fine mess when they find Marcus Rand, Haila’s silent partner, dead in Mahalia’s Sweet Tea. He is even more silent now. It looks like he has been hit upside the head with a cast iron frying pan. Haila panics when she thinks finding a dead body in her kitchen will mean the end of the Sweet Tea, so she decides to move the body. Wavonne is talked into helping her but she does something that soon will have her listed as the police’s prime suspect. Haila decides to find the real killer before her cousin ends up in the slammer and hilarity and drama ensues.
I was grabbed by the title of this book and was completely drawn in to the story. The characters are full of humor, the mystery is great and the recipes and food sound delicious! Mahalia’s Sweet Tea sounds like a perfect place to visit for some fine fresh home-made food the will warm your soul. Haila has great business sense that she puts to good use and she tries figure out who relieved the world of Marcus’ misery. Turns out there are plenty of suspects. Wavonne is a gem who doesn’t have a lot of ambition but heart is in the right place.
I can’t find out anything about this author but they are off to a fantastic start with this series. Set in a place near plenty of action I can’t wait to see what kind of mess Haila and Wavonne get into next.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”