About Carmen Amato | CIA Veteran & Crime Fiction Author
I'm Carmen Amato. Author. Intelligence officer. Wife. Parent. Dog mom.
For thirty years I served as an intelligence officer with the CIA. My career took me literally around the world as I focused on counterdrug efforts and technical collection to counter national security threats.
Career highlights include running a surveillance platform, testing new technologies like "machine translation" and heading an intelligence collection program with responsibility across the Western Hemisphere.
I've been lucky enough to travel around the world, collecting the ideas, characters, and inspiration that infuse my books. I've survived 3 earthquakes (Mexico, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea), one train derailment (France), one persona non grata expulsion (Madagascar), and a scuba diving encounter with a lionfish (off the coast of Guam).
I once spoke French well enough to crash a Givenchy fashion show. Spanish came later and with more of a struggle.
Today, I use those lived experiences to write authentic crime fiction that bridges the gap between today’s headlines and page-turning suspense, especially for the Detective Emilia Cruz police series set in Acapulco.
Behind the Fiction
My signature series follows Detective Emilia Cruz through the dark underbelly of Mexico. These are fast-paced contemporary police procedurals set in Acapulco, inspired by my 30-year career in intelligence and extensive time living in Mexico and Central America. Drawing on real-world events and the war on drugs, the crime fiction series features complex characters, high-stakes drama, and a vivid setting.
Starting with CLIFF DIVER, Emilia is the first female police detective in Acapulco, confronting cartels, corruption and social inequality amid the hunt for Mexico's missing.
The Galliano Club historical fiction trilogy is a Prohibition-era saga that takes you to upstate New York in 1926. An Italian immigrant and a Chicago bootlegger fight for control of the Galliano Club in a blue-collar city based on my home town. My standalone thrillers including political thriller THE HIDDEN LIGHT OF MEXICO CITY, deliver characters who leap off the page and the same complex dynamics you’ll find in both series.
WHAT TO EXPECT
My crime fiction is defined by:
An insider's view: Forget the Hollywood tropes. I write what I know, informed by real research and my own experiences. Expect high stakes, hard choices and relationships with heat.
Cultural Immersion: My time living and working abroad allows me to create atmospheric settings, like the Acapulco of my Detective Emilia Cruz series, that feel like characters themselves.
Current Event Triggers: I'm a newshound and help my readers understand world events and crime through the lens of contemporary crime fiction.
For exclusive character dossiers, setting breakdowns, and deep dives into the real-life inspirations behind the novels, visit the
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You can also follow my Crime Conversations channel on YouTube where I'm joined by Jane Harvey-Berrick, author of the Cornish Crime Thriller series, as we examine contemporary crime trends and books in the genre that inspire us.
Media, Speaking, and Press
For podcast appearances, event bookings, interview requests, or downloadable high-resolution author headshots, visit the
GIVING BACK
As an author, giving back is part of my business model. Income from my books helps support Water.org, St. Jude's Research Hospital, and veteran and first responder organizations including Tunnel2Towers and the Gary Sinese Foundation.
When you buy a book, join the newsletter, and/or invite me on your blog or podcast, you are helping me help others.
The famous Furla bag
When I'm not writing, drinking coffee, or otherwise getting into trouble as a mystery author, I am a reluctantly recovering Furla handbag addict. My favorite black Furla handbag was purchased in the Rome airport because there are no seats and so travelers are forced to shop in designer boutiques while jazzed on coffee from the standup trattoria. I have similar valid excuses for how the other Furlas came to live in the closet as well.
Miscellaneous
Originally from upstate New York, I have a BA (cum laude) in history and political science from LeMoyne College and a Masters in International Relations from the University of Virginia, as well as certificates from Institut Catholique in Paris, France, and Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. My family tree includes a mayor, a Mensa genius, and the first homicide in the state of Connecticut with an automatic weapon. The perpetrator, my great-grandfather, eluded a state-wide manhunt after killing two people―one of whom was his wife. He was never brought to justice.
With my Career Intelligence Medal on the Great Seal in the CIA Headquarters lobby, shortly before Christmas, 2016