MYSTERY AUTHOR | CIA VETERAN
Carmen Amato
Hello, I’m Carmen. I learned a few things about danger, deception and resilience during a 30-year career with the CIA. Now a mystery author, those lessons play out on the page, especially in the Detective Emilia Cruz mystery series set in Acapulco. All declassified, of course 🙂
“A must-read for lovers of smart, character-driven crime fiction with a global edge.” – Reader’s House
LATEST RELEASE
DRAGON CARTEL
Acapulco police detective Emilia Cruz is already stretched to the max hunting cartel assassin El Barracuda when she agrees to take on the case of a missing Customs inspector.
At the same time, the interrogation of a mysterious Chinese national turns a local crime into an international puzzle.
A missing inspector. A cartel assassin. And a conspiracy that links Mexico and the United States to China.
DRAGON CARTEL is the 10th mystery in the award-winning Detective Emilia Cruz series. Available now on all ebook platforms. Look for the paperback and audiobook editions later this summer.
SIGNATURE SERIES
Meet Detective Emilia Cruz, the first female police detective in Acapulco.
Think Narcos meets Hawaii 5-0, as she navgates cartels, corruption and social inequality while hunting for Mexico’s missing.
Explore
DETECTIVE EMILIA CRUZ SERIES
Emilia Cruz is the first female police detective in Acapulco, fighting drug cartels, official corruption and social inequality amid the hunt for Mexico’s missing.
2019, 2020 Outstanding Series Award, CrimeMasters of America
2019 Silver Falchion Award, Killer Nashville
GALLIANO CLUB TRILOGY
Lido, NY. 1926. At the height of Prohibition, an Italian immigrant and a trigger-happy Chicago bootlegger battle for control of the Galliano Club, where trouble is always on tap.
Based on tales told by my late grandfather, a Deputy Sheriff of Oneida County, NY in the 1920’s.
2023 Silver Falchion Award, Killer Nashville
STANDALONE THRILLERS
Contemporary thrillers featuring complex plots, unforgettable characters and layers of risk, power, and deception.
Longlist, 2020 Millennium Book Award
Latest Posts
DRAGON CARTEL, the next Detective Emilia Cruz mystery, coming 16 June
Get ready for the next Detective Emilia Cruz mystery set in Acapulco! DRAGON CARTEL releases 16 June 2026 in ebook format on all platforms. Look for the paperback edition on 30 June in all your favorite online bookstores. No date yet for the audiobook, but Leeann…
New Reader Hub! Crime fiction lovers, this is for you
If you’ve ever finished one of my books and wished you could see a map of the place? Find out more about the characters or even taste the cocktails served at the Pasodoble Bar . . . Well, now you can. Presenting the new Reader Hub here on carmenamato.net! What’s…
Introducing the Crime Fiction Files
For 7 years, mystery readers and I have connected under the banner of Mystery Ahead. That newsletter was a fantastic journey with so many readers cheering me on as I navigated the move from CIA intel officer to crime fiction author. But as my writing has evolved, even…
Speak Easy, Listen Hard: The Galliano Club Audio Experience
James Froemel is the reason why you should listen to the Galliano Club books on Audible. He’s the actor who narrates all 4 books, creating the drama of a small city in upstate New York during Prohibition. From the soft Italian accent of bartender Luca Lombardo…
Two Authors, Two Continents, One Obsession: Welcome to A2B Crime Conversations
What happens when an American former intelligence officer and a British bestselling author start talking shop? You get Amato2Berrick (A2B) Crime Conversations, a YouTube channel dedicated to the grit, research, and adrenaline of the crime fiction world. If you’ve been…
Seeing Strength as the Earth Shakes
The floor tilted. Pictures crashed to the floor. Beyond the French doors, water slopped out of the pool as if it was an overfilled bowl about to fall. Our maid Johanna stood there and screamed. As the house continued to tremble, I grabbed our passports and dragged the…