Murder with Macaroni and Cheese

July 4, 2016
Sweet-tart and wickedly wholesome as the heroine’s fresh citrus margaritas, Herbert’s second book follows the surefire recipe of the series opener, 2015’s Murder with Fried Chicken and Waffles. The menu’s sure to include mayhem when 40-something Halia Watkins, proprietor of Mahalia’s Sweet Tea in Maryland’s Prince George’s County, agrees to cater her high school reunion, despite nightmare memories of organizer Raynell Rollins. Now a rich realtor, Raynell has a fatal fall post-reunion. The cops call the death accidental, but folks with motive to kill abound. Cue bighearted Halia to suss out the murderer, “helped” by her hilarious trash-talking young cousin, Wavonne, who mainly sleuths Raynell’s closets for designer duds. Herbert's African-American cast and culture offer refreshing spins on the default white tropes of cozy fiction. Instead of a jumble sale at the rectory, there’s a high-end charity auction at the Rebirth megachurch. Diet-busting recipes punctuate the action. Agent: Deborah Schneider, Gelfman Schneider/ICM Partners.

November 1, 2016

This cozy sequel to Murder with Fried Chicken and Waffles (2015) has Halia (short for Mahalia) and her wisecracking sidekick Wavonne back in action as they try to solve the murder of "mean girl" Raynell at their high school reunion. Caterer Halia serves up her famous macaroni and cheese with a heaping side order of wit. Funny and smart, with delicious recipes. (African American Fiction and More, 8/26/16)

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from August 1, 2016
Mahalia Halia Watkins gets pulled into catering her high-school reunion, in between serving luscious food at her popular soul-food eatery in Prince George's County, Maryland. When Halia goes to collect the check after the event, she discovers manipulative queen bee Raynell dead. Knowing how many enemies the woman had from the past to the present, Halia starts asking questions. Raynell's best friend is the First Lady at a local church, and Halia and her colorful and insightful cousin Wavonne attend a lavish service to learn more about Raynell's life. The cracks in Raynell's facadehigh-profile marriage, showcase home filled with artsoon show through, but Herbert does a good job of hiding the killer amid smartly placed red herrings and surprising plot twists. Readers will be equally entranced by both the layered mystery and the mouth-watering food descriptions. A successful African American amateur sleuth makes a very welcome addition to the cozy genre, and the humor Herbert brings to the tale only adds icing to what is a delicious cake.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)