cover image Murder with Fried Chicken and Waffles: A Mahalia Watkins Soul Food Mystery

Murder with Fried Chicken and Waffles: A Mahalia Watkins Soul Food Mystery

A.L. Herbert. Kensington, $15 trade paper (288p) ISBN 978-1-61773-174-7

Foodies will welcome Herbert’s amusing debut, the first in a new cozy series complete with recipes. Mahalia “Halia” Watkins, inspired by love for her grandmother’s cooking, has opened a classy restaurant, Mahalia’s Sweet Tea, in Maryland’s Prince George’s County. One evening at Sweet Tea, Halia’s silent business partner, smarmy Marcus Rand, offers to lock up after dining with some clients. Halia leaves with her outspoken cousin and employee, Wavonne. When Wavonne realizes she’s forgotten her purse, the women return to Sweet Tea, where they find Marcus lying dead on the floor. Nearby is the murder weapon: a frying pan, which Halia decides to wash, fearful of bad publicity. Halia and Wavonne make a few more mistakes en route to unmasking Marcus’s killer. The authentic local history seamlessly woven into the story sets the book apart from most light mysteries. Agent: Deborah Schneider, Gelfman Schneider/ICM Partners. (Mar.)