latest Detective Emilia Cruz mystery

Barracuda Bay A Detective Emilia Cruz novel

BARRACUDA BAY

Political corruption turns Acapulco’s first female police detective into a fugitive on the run . . . in Washington DC.

When the sister of the mayor of Acapulco is murdered, Detective Emilia Cruz quickly narrows down the field of suspects. But before she can make an arrest, Emilia is sent on an errand of mercy to Washington, DC, where she witnesses a second murder.

Frightened, alone, and hunted by killers masquerading as cops, Emilia turns for help to a man she once vowed to murder.

Her brother.

Mystery Author

Carmen Amato

There’s a piece of my 30-year CIA career in everything I write.

In the Detective Emilia Cruz mystery series, you'll go on a gripping journey through Mexico's drug war. Based on my own counterdrug experience, it's a place where loyalty is for sale but violence comes cheap.

There’s more action and drama in my standalone contemporary thrillers and the historical Galliano Club series, inspired by my grandfather who was a deputy sheriff in New York during Prohibition.

Thanks for being on this journey with me!

mystery author Carmen Amato

I spy mystery ahead

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If you’re an armchair sleuth happiest when solving a mystery in far-flung parts of the world, I invite you to join the Mystery Ahead community. Top secrets, exclusive excerpts and book reviews delivered to your inbox every other Sunday.

Praise for Detective Emilia Cruz

Read the Reviews

5 gold stars

 

Carmen Amato has created a character that deserves to be recognized as an equal alongside well known favorites by created by by Hammett, Larson and Padura. I can’t wait to spend more time with Detective Cruz. – Felix Contreras, host, ALTLatino, National Public Radio

5 gold stars

 

Astounding . . . a haunting page-turner . . . The tragedy of decent members of society caught in the crossfire stayed with me long after I finished the book.  – Nightstand Book Reviews

 

 

5 gold stars

 

The story is full of nonstop action and suspense, but what really got to me in this book is the range of strong emotions I’ve felt while reading it . . . Emilia is a character that is close to my heart. – MysterySequels

5 gold stars

 

Amato brings her characters to life with her vivid writing style and sets them on the streets of a Mexico steeped in Catholicism and corruption . . . Unique and gripping. – OnlineBookClub.org

 

5 gold stars

 

A real page-turner . . . Detective Cruz is a fully fleshed out character. Tough, but not above shedding a few tears, she bears the scars of a violent past while handling being the first and only female detective in Acapulco. – BookLife Prize

5 gold stars

 

Amato weaves a vivid tapestry that depicts both the beauty and ugliness of Acapulco. Her attention to clothing, food, and other details of the cityscape bring life to her characters . . . with danger and betrayal never more than a few pages away. – Kirkus Reviews

Danger and Deception

Books by Carmen

Detective Emilia Cruz,Carmen Amato,mystery author,author news

DETECTIVE EMILIA CRUZ SERIES

Emilia Cruz is the first female police detective in Acapulco, fighting drug cartels, official corruption and Mexican machismo.

2019, 2020 Outstanding Series award, CrimeMasters of America

2019 Silver Falchion Award, Killer Nashville

CLIFF DIVER | HAT DANCE | DIABLO NIGHTS

KING PESO | PACIFIC REAPER | 43 MISSING

RUSSIAN MOJITO | NARCO NOIR |BARRACUDA BAY

MADE IN ACAPULCO

Murder at the Galliano Club

GALLIANO CLUB SERIES

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

ROAD TO THE GALLIANO CLUB

MURDER AT THE GALLIANO CLUB

BLACKMAIL AT THE GALLIANO CLUB

REVENGE AT THE GALLIANO CLUB

The Hidden Light of Mexico City thriller cover

STANDALONE THRILLERS

Contemporary thrillers featuring complex plots, unforgettable characters and layers of risk, power, and deception.

Longlist, 2020 Millennium Book Award

Progress report

Working on

  • DRAGON CARTEL: Detective Emilia Cruz #10 12% 12%
  • MOSCOW SYNDROME (contribution) 95% 95%

Events

Coming Up

10 May, Plenty Bookstore, Cookeville, TN with Jeffrey Phillips

7-8 June Franklin Book Festival, Franklin, TN

21-24 August, Killer Nashville Writer's Conference, Franklin, TN

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