Most of my days in Willow Bluff, Georgia start the same way: My ginger kitten, Biscuits, is sitting on my stomach screaming hangry meows at me. Gravy, my gray fluffball, is squeaking like one of those dog toys. Together, they make an alarm clock no human being could ever sleep through.
By 5:00 a.m. both are circling my feet like blood-thirsty sharks with murder mittens. I feed them, which gives me enough time to have that much needed cup of coffee and slip out of the door.
Outside, the streets are quiet. Willow Bluff is just waking up. The lights are flickering on at Sweet Bread Bakery and The Breakfast Bowl. A garbage truck is rumbling down the street and, just like always, I can hear Mr. Higgins yelling after it, “Wait, I had another bag!”
Honeybee’s Hideaway (fondly referred to as Honeybee’s) officially opens at 7 a.m., but if you ask the regulars, that’s just a suggestion.
By 6:30 a.m. someone is already tugging at the door and using their own version of sign language to ask for a cup of coffee.
Most mornings my best friend from high school, Tameka “Tee” Grayson comes barging in full of caffeine and sass with an idea for her podcast, Garden Street Chronicles. Other times she’s practically bursting to tell me the latest gossip she overheard, while pretending not to listen.
My waitress, Madison “Maddie” Jones, is a high school student with a wise old soul. She’s thoughtful, smart and great at her job. I know she has great business aspirations. And why shouldn’t she? But, if any was ever going to get my vote to take over Honeybee’s when I’m old and gray, it would be her.
Then there’s my mother, Norah. I took over the diner when she was no longer able to. She still comes to the diner, helps me in the kitchen and manages to supervise without technically supervising anything. I’m still trying to figure out how she pulls that off.
By lunchtime, Honeybee’s is buzzing with conversation, chaos, and coffee. It’s a symphony of silverware clinking on plates, hushed gossip and knee-slapping laughter.
No matter how chaotic the day gets, I manage to serve up a little comfort, with a side of soul food.
By the end of the day, my feet hurt, my apron is covered in breakfast, lunch and dinner, and all I want to do is get home to Biscuits and Gravy.
Still, there is something comforting about the whole process and I look forward to doing it all over again the next morning.
I don’t know. Maybe it’s the food. Maybe it’s the people. Or, maybe it’s the fact that in Willow Bluff, no matter how messy life gets, there is always someone willing to pull up a chair, pour you a cup of coffee and remind you that you are home.
MURDER WITH A SIDE OF SHRIMP AND GRITS
Series: A Honeybee Diner Mystery, Book 1
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release: May 2026
Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Purchase Link
Welcome to Honeybee’s diner, where the scent of butter and garlic wraps itself around you, and Jessie Haynes’ homestyle cooking feeds the souls of the good people of Willow Bluff. Until someone puts murder on the menu!
Y’all are invited to slip into one of the diner’s well-worn red booths that have cradled folks from every corner of Willow Bluff. Honeybee’s food is as renowned to the townspeople as Jessie’s unruly curls—so when the mayor turns blue after a bite of her specialty shrimp and grits, she finds herself in seriously hot water…
Suddenly, all eyes are on Jessie. For fifty years her family has fed Willow Bluff, and Jessie won’t let one mouthful shatter the legacy of her grandmother’s secret recipes. The mayor’s peanut allergy was talk of the town, so when traces are found in his food, Jessie must fight to clear her name.
An empty peanut packet in the diner’s pantry has Jessie hot on the heels of the murderer when another case of food tampering occurs at a nearby bakery. Someone is dishing out delicious death sentences—and the culprit could be closer to home than she thinks. How many locals will get served before Jessie can crack the case? Her investigation must be a recipe for success or Honeybee’s will be toast…
Meet the author
Skylar Warren was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. After graduating from Chicago State University, she moved to New York City. She is a member of International Thriller Writers, Crime Writers’ Association and Crime Writers of Color. Skylar’s debut novel, Murder With A Side Of Shrimp And Grits, is the first in the Honeybee’s Diner Mysteries series. The second book, Murder With A Side Of Red Velvet Cake, will be published in October 2026, and is available for pre-order on Amazon.