award-winning mystery
"Danger and betrayal never more than a few pages away." - Kirkus Reviews
"A thrilling series." - National Public Radio
"A fresh, character-driven approach to crime writing." - Frogs for Snakes
"Non-stop action and suspense." - Mystery Sequels
"Incredibly absorbing, impossible to put down." BookVue
LATEST RELEASE
THE LISTMAKER OF ACAPULCO
A Kindle Single novella
A secret list and a nine-fingered body drive Acapulco’s first female police detective to the edge in this exciting companion to the award-winning Detective Emilia Cruz mystery series.
Emilia stops a gang attack in an upscale neighborhood, only to become mired in a case full of false identities and criminal intrigue. Does a would-be killer’s black notebook contain a list of dirty cops? Why does one of the dead attackers have the grafted finger of another man?
More importantly, why is her police career suddenly hanging by a thread?
Detective Emilia Cruz Mystery Series
Emilia Cruz is the first female police detective in Acapulco. If the drug cartels don’t get her, another cop will.
Poison Cup award for Outstanding Series, 2019 & 2020, CrimeMasters of America; Silver Falchion Award for Story/Collection, 2019, Killer Nashville
Emilia investigates the death of a dirty cop in the explosive series debut.
As Acapulco burns, Emilia hunts for a violent arsonist and a missing girl in Book 2.
A religious relic, a cruise ship murder, and a rookie cop put Emilia’s life in danger in Book 3.
Emilia gambles it all to save her partner from a serial killer targeting cops in Book 4.
Emilia goes undercover as a devotee of Santa Muerte, Mexico’s forbidden saint, in Book 5.
Based on a true crime, Emilia grapples with a shocking mass kidnapping in Book 6.
Can Emilia deliver a dose of Mexican justice to a Russian killer in Book 7?
Emilia plays both a taxi driver and a movie star in the undercover role of a lifetime in Book 8.
Detective Emilia Cruz Short Reads
This prequel collection of short stories captures Emilia’s first years as a detective.
Emilia and her partner go undercover in this very unexpected Christmas murder mystery novella.
A black notebook and a man with nine fingers draw Emilia into a maze of mistaken identities and gang rivals
Standalone Thrillers
Expect Carmen’s signature blend of complex mystery, layers of deception, and high-wire action.
A drug cartel is poised to buy Mexico’s presidency and only one man stands in the way.
Romantic suspense with a supernatural twist pits a college professor and an Iraq War vet against eternal evil.
Galliano Club Thriller Series — coming soon
In 1926, it’s hard to get a beer, thanks to Prohibition. But in Lido, New York, there’s plenty of secrets, lies, and murder on tap at the Galliano Club.
Based on tales told by Carmen’s late grandfather, a former Deputy Sheriff of Oneida County, NY.
A dead body behind the Galliano Club sets off a chain reaction of crime and deception in this Prohibition-era thriller based on Carmen’s home town.
Barman Luca Lombardo and dancer Ruth Cross are caught in a web of blackmail ensnaring everyone connected to the Galliano Club.
Hanna Gorski is determined to discover who murdered her sister and deliver her own brand of justice. The Galliano Club will never be the same.
Current projects
- MURDER AT THE GALLIANO CLUB 95%
- BLACKMAIL AT THE GALLIANO CLUB 85%
- REVENGE AT THE GALLIANO CLUB 10%
- LIAR'S PARADISE: Detective Emilia Cruz Book 9 10%
WHAT’S NEW ON THE BLOG
Book Review: THE SEPTEMBER SOCIETY by Charles Finch
THE SEPTEMBER SOCIETY by Charles Finch THE SEPTEMBER SOCIETY is one of the early novels in the Charles Lenox historical mystery series, which is my new obsession. Imagine Victorian London through the eyes of an upper-class private detective, with great descriptions,...
Book Review: DEL RIO by Jane Rosenthal
DEL RIO by Jane Rosenthal Jane Rosenthal joins the small but vital community of authors using fiction to reveal the complexity and heartbreak of the US-Mexico relationship. DEL RIO confronts the issues of human trafficking and migrant labor and delivers a compelling...
Book review: ALL THE DEVILS ARE HERE by Louise Penny
ALL THE DEVILS ARE HERE by Louise Penny An entry in the Gamache mystery series that doesn't take place in Three Pines? What is the world coming to?? Paris. The premise Armand Gamache is once again head of Homicide for the Sureté de Quebec. He is on vacation in Paris...