Really enjoyed this book. Great plot and engaging, believe characters. I was drawn right into the story. Would definitely recommend.

I really loved this book in a new to me author. The characters and location really and to the story. I can't wait to read the next one. This book keeps you guessing until the end.

This was an interesting book to read. I like the premise (I'm a fan of cozy mysteries), but the writing didn't really jive with me. It had good detail about the characters and the plot, but it felt a little too descriptive - almost like a third party or narrator watching things happen and explaining what was going on, despite the book being in first person. There did seem to be a lot of cliches in there as well, which I'm not the biggest fan of generally. However, it was an interesting read with a good premise and I did like the characters and the way they interacted with each other.

I requested this book not realizing that it was the third in the series. That being said, it is still enjoyable as a standalone, although would probably be even better if I had read the prior books for background. The characters are fun and entertaining, although they can be over-the-top at times. The thriller aspect of the story also takes forever....to get going...so you feel like giving up and then there it comes. So all in all, a decent book but not my favorite pacing style for a thriller although the characters somewhat make up for it.
#MurderwithCollardGreensandHotSauce #NetGalley #KensingtonBooks

This was a fun, cute cozy mystery! I love the theme throughout, and I will definitely be continuing with the series.

Soul Food and Soul Sisters mix murder with Suave Styling and Hair by Monique. Halia ( to her friends), owner of Sweet Tea southern comfort food at its best has a nose for a good mystery a side kick cousin Wavonne, who is as sassy and saucy as the house blend hot sauce. There is quite a variety of suspects each with unique personalities not unlike Ms. Monique Dupree, out beauty mogul victim. Local law enforcement does not take kindly to the caterer with a nose for clues and a great ability to create culinary diversions while eliciting tidbits of information. Too many secrets and not just in regards to Halia's recipes. The story took a little while for me to get into it but once the ground work was well laid I started to truly enjoy each every character from the stylist such n such Maurice to Halia's Momma who makes the best sweet treat. Of course Halia is new type of cozy character for me and I truly enjoy hearing the thoughts in her head especially when she is thinking about what Wavonne is going on and on about.

What a fun cozy mystery! This is the 3rd book in the Mahalia Watkins Soul Food series and the first book that I have read by A.L. Herbert. I am now excited to go back and read the precious 2 books in this series; however, you do not have to read in order to understand the characters or background. Murder with Collard Greens and Hot Sauce is not only a cozy mystery it is a funny, LOL, story full of great recipes, hilarious situations, and friendships. Halia owns a restaurant (Sweet Tea) where she believes that if your stomach is full then your soul is warmed. The character building and scene building was so wonderful that I felt like I was in the small town restaurant. My stomach was certainly desiring to be sitting in the restaurant full of delicious cakes! Latosha owns the local hair salon in town where Halia and her cousin, Wavonne, go to get their hair done. They find out about Monique who is coming to town with her luscious hair care products. Halia makes all sorts of treats to welcome Monique to town but things do not go as planned. After a murder, Halia and her no filter cousin Wavonne decide to investigate. Halia and Wavonne are rowdy and constantly prodding at each other. In this great mystery, you take several twists and turns before we find out who the murderer is and what the surprise ending is! A very delightful, fun and easy read.

I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review.

Halia Watkins serves up delicious soul food at her restaurant in Maryland. She can barely keep up with the number of customers she has from the beauty convention in town. Despite the influx of customers, when beauty mogul Monique Dupree is found dead Halia get pulled into the drama. With numerous suspects can Halia figure out the killer before she’s in harm's way?

This is the 3rd book in the series but my first. I was able to enjoy the mystery without any major issues however I think I would have understood the characters a little better had a read at least book one first. This book is full of humor and the characters have wonderful chemistry. The mystery is well plotted and has several twists and turns along the way. I recommend this book to cozy mystery and food lovers.

I voluntarily agreed to read a copy of this book supplied by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own and in no way have been influenced.

I’m quite partial to reading cozy mysteries and this book beckoned to me because of its unusual title.

“Murder with Collard Greens and Hot Sauce” is the third book in the series, but I had no difficulty following the story even though this was my first book by the author, A L Herbert. I could tell that some of the characters were having another outing but, whilst it may have been preferable, I didn’t feel there was any need to start from the first book.

One of my favourite things about cozies is that the setting is always given lots of attention as are the day-to-day lives of the characters and this book was no exception to that.

In “Murder with Collard Greens and Hot Sauce” the book was set in the world of hair care products and styling for black women.

The actual murder takes a while to happen, but it was worth the wait and I didn’t know the identity of the perpetrator which meant that the twist at the end was a huge surprise. As with most cozies, I enjoyed reading about the characters and their zany lives as much as the mystery.

If you love cozy mysteries with a fun group of characters, a slow-burn mystery and some mouthwatering food, I highly recommend this book.

I received a complimentary digital copy of Murder With Collard Greens and Hot Sauce at my own request from Kensington Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

A beauty conference, false friendships, murder, and sweet tra. I really liked this book. The story was strong and moved along with action the whole book.

This is a great series. This book was bittersweet for me. I bought the first two and shared them with my mother. She never got a chance to read this one. It’s a good book and another great entry. I would recommend it.

eh, this was a slow burn read. I liked Mahailia as she is a easy character to like. Add in her cousin Wavonne and you'll be chuckling throughout Murder with CG and HS.

However, the mystery part was so IMO drawn out that it just drained the story for me. Overall, this was a okay read.

Murder with Collard Greens and Hot Sauce is book three in the Mahalia Watkins Soul Food Mysteries by A. L. Herbert. I have read all three and love this series. Herbert does a great job of getting new readers up to speed if you haven't read the previous books.
Halia and her cousin, Wavonne are the main characters in this series and I love their relationship. Halia owns the soul food restaurant, Mahalia's Sweet Tea. Wavonne is younger and a bit of a free spirit that keeps Halia on her toes.
When a beauty mogul comes back to town for a convention is murdered, Halia and Wavonne are on the hunt for the murderer. There are plenty of suspects and you are guessing until the end.
There is not only the mystery, but some laugh out loud moments. As always, you have some yummy sounding recipes. What I really enjoy is the family love that comes through.
I was provided an ARC by Netgalley for an honest review.

Murder with Collard Greens and Hot Sauce is a charming and funny cosy mystery. I loved several of the characters, Halia included, and how Southern comfort food plays a role in this book. There's also a few recipes included in this cosy mystery. It's fair to say I got a bit hungry while reading and I am now keen on reading more books in this series.

Hailing from PG County Maryland! (Man…I love this author and this book). Halia, the Jessica Fletcher of PG County, and Wavonne, a cool mix of Porscha (Empire) and Lula (Janet Evanovich), have resumed their armchair detective work.

When the reigning coiffeur queen, Monique Dupree, is found dead, secrets sizzle and the glitz burns. There are definitely more suspects than tasty ingredients in all of Halia's recipes.

Herbert gives the perfect amount backstory on the frequent characters. Just enough to inform new readers, and refresh the memory of those who read her other two books.

I cannot wait patiently enough for more of Herbert's books!! I so want to personally thank her writing these cozy mysteries!

Halia is the proud owner of Sweet Tea- a food restaurant where customers leave with their stomachs full and souls warm. When she was asked to cater for a small event for beauty mogul and pop culture icon Monique Dupree, she jumped at the chance to promote and grow her food business. Things take a turn for the worse when Monique is found shot to death. Halia immediately tucks her apron aside and puts on her sleuthing hat to investigate who may have wanted the hair product entrepreneur. As Halia begins her investigation and more people are added to the list of possible suspects, Halia realises that that maybe not everyone is a fan of the pop culture icon.

First of all I loved how the recipes, which all sound incredibly delicious- I’m quite tempted to try out some of the recipes myself, are placed in-between some of the chapters. It really emphasised the theme of food and cookery in the novel. I also liked seeing Halia doing her job as a chef and running her business. It was hilarious seeing Halia use her skills of whipping up inciting foods to bribe people with to what she wants.

The characters all served a purpose in the novel, and I especially liked the batter between Halia and her cousin Wavonne. One minute they're rowdy and take turns jabbing at each other with light-hearted insults, then the next thing you know they're working together to solve a murder. The humour and wit that A.L Herbert managed to sprinkle throughout this novel is probably one of the best I’ve seen and really differentiates this series from others.

The mystery plot line was something that sort of fell flat to me. First of all the actual murder doesn't happen till about halfway into the book. This slow pacing almost convinced me to stop reading because the whole murder mystery was what I was reading the book for, so to not have the mystery start till a little later almost put me off. Almost.

However once the murder happened things picked up and I was back to devouring this books like an ice-cream on a hot summer’s day. The mystery was well-written and kept me intrigued from that point onwards.

I’d also like to note that the book does have a couple curse words- nothing too dramatic, but that aspect does deviate from typical cozy mysteries. I’m not complaining though.

I am so happy I found this series as it’s one of the few diverse cozy mysteries out there, so I’m definitely going to be recommending these books to everyone and their mother. I can’t wait to see what’s next for this series and will definitely keep my eye out for A.L. Herbert’s next works.

4 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing me with an advance reader’s copy of ‘Murder with Collard Greens and Hot Sauce’ by A.L. Herbert.

This review will be posted on my blog (linked) by April 9 2019

Entertaining, laugh out loud adventures of Halia Watkins and her wacky cousin Wavonne. Halia operates Sweet Tea and serves the best soul food around, but she also has a nose for solving crimes. She's at it again in Murder with Collard Greens and Hot Sauce.

I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley in return for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

What an entertaining book!! This was my first A. L. Herbert book and I have to say that it will not be my last! This book felt like "Jessica Fletcher meets Madea" which I loved! I chuckled often reading this book. This is definitely a cozy murder mystery worth reading. What made it even more fun was that the author included some of the recipes. As a foodie, that made my heart jump for joy! Mahalia Jackson, her cousin Wavonne, and Mom Celia are hilarious! If I had more than 2 hands, I would give this book more than 2 thumbs up!

Halia Watkins is so busy running her successful soul food restaurant, Mahalia’s Sweet Tea, she doesn’t even have time to think about doing her own hair. But that doesn’t stop her from catering a small event for Monique Dupree, the famous hair product entrepreneur. One hair expo, one massive house party, and a lot of fried food later, Monique is found dead and her husband is charged. However, Halia can’t help but think the police have the wrong man, and soon she’s caught up in an investigation of all things hair and glitz.

This is the third Mahalia Watkins Soul Food Mystery book, and somehow this series just keeps getting better and better. Author A.L. Herbert infuses this series with an unparalleled level of natural humor. His characters spar back and forth with each other, trading barbs and serving up playful cheek. It helps that they’re family, with Halia teaming up with her cousin Wavonne or mother. Even when a comment might start to cross a line, it’s always tamped down in a way that only a family can manage. One minute Wavonne needles Halia’s taste in clothes and the next they’re investigating a murder.

And it’s really the investigation that makes this book jell. Sure, these characters working in a restaurant makes for fun reading, but diving head-first into a murder mystery takes this everything over the edge. Halia is a smart woman, but that doesn’t stop her from utilizing some outlandish investigation techniques. Costumes, food bribery, and extensive snooping all make appearances. The fact that she’s totally unapologetic about nosing around makes this work.

The murder itself does not take place immediately. Rather, Herbert allows readers to get close to Monique, the victim, as Halia navigates the world of hair. This is refreshing because it solidifies Halia’s need to track down the killer— she has a tangible personal connection. With that, the final reveal was surprising but oh-so satisfying. Herbert knows how to weave a compelling mystery and tie up every single loose thread.

This book is just like the food at Mahalia’s Sweet Tea: delicious.

Murder with Collard Greens and Hot Sauce is the third book in the Mahalia Watkins Soul Food Mystery series by A.L. Herbert. We are back in Maryland for a beauty industry trade show. Business is booming at Mahalia's Sweet Tea restaurant. Customers are looking to satisfy their appetite after spending the day surrounded by beauty styles. Unfortunately, the moment fades when a beauty mogul/pop culture icon is found shot to death. The list of suspects is long! Mahalia and her trusty sidekick cousin, Wavonne, multi-task with solving the murder and keeping slow-cooked collard greens moving out of the kitchen. Hilariously, they are the black version of Daphne and Velma looking for clues.

I have waited on this third book for what seems like forever! So imagine my delight when I saw an advance reader's copy was available for my review. To get in the zone, I fried a couple pork chops, smothered rice in gravy and onions, with collard greens and hot sauce on the side. My meal was just as good as the novel, but not the best.

The first two books earned 5-heart ratings. I was hooked when I read Murder with Fried Chicken and Waffles. A strong follow-up was Murder with Macaroni and Cheese. So of course, I expected nothing short of page-turning in Murder with Collard Greens and Hot Sauce.

Instead, the book was not very well-paced for a mystery. The murder didn't happen until almost halfway in. It didn't leave much time for Halia and Wavonne to sleuth, especially with so many suspects thrown in the mix. Still at 80%, I was ready for any character to just admit it already! Yes, it was entertaining but I wish the focus was more on solving the murder and less on background info/events leading up to the climax.

Nevertheless, the Mahalia Watkins Soul Food series is recommended for readers that like a cozy foodie mystery. It is a good worthy read! As a bonus, there are recipes sprinkled throughout the novel for collard greens, Purple Rain iced tea, and smothered pork chops. One of these days I will try a recipe. But in the meantime, I will keep reading and using black haircare products!

LiteraryMarie