Book Club Resources | Host an Emilia Cruz Book Club Night
Transform your next book club meeting into a high-stakes investigation with Detective Emilia Cruz!
This page is designed to help you create the right atmosphere for an exciting discussion that brings everyone into the investigation. From menu suggestions to a curated playlist, you’ll find everything you need to host an immersive literary event.
Step inside Emilia’s case files and bring the grit, heat, and mystery of Acapulco to your living room.
Serve up some munchies
What’s a book club discussion without a menu that takes you into the setting? Go beyond chips and salsa to create an authentic foodie experience.
Start with Emilia’s favorite agua de jamaica (hibiscus iced tea) and add from the downloadable Emilia Cruz Cookbook featuring 7 recipes from the series.
(Short on time? Try fish tacos with frozen breaded fish fillets and soft corn tortillas, topped with chopped avocado, tomato and lime wedges.)
Agua de Jamaica
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups dried hibiscus flowers
7 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups ice cubes
Directions
Place the hibiscus flowers in a saucepan with 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let settle for 30 minutes.
Strain the liquid into a pitcher (use a very fine sieve) and add sugar and 4 cups water. Adjust amount of water if mixture is too tart.
Add ice cube, chill for at least 2 hours and serve. For added fun, rim glasses with raw sugar crystals like a margarita glass rimmed with salt.
Background secrets
Want to dig deeper into the characters of the Emilia Cruz series? Here’s some background reading from the blog.
She was Emilia Cruz. So was she.
The Union Chief who inspired a character.
Create the atmosphere
Here are more suggestions to really embrace the Mexican Noir theme for your book club discussion!
DRESS CODE
Think tropical! Flowing linen, bright prints, sunglasses and straw hats. Whoever brings sunscreen gets a prize!
SET THE TABLE
Match paper plates and napkins to the book cover. Add an authentic touch with tall votive candles (look for them in dollar and grocery stores) featuring Catholic saints.
PLAYLIST
Set up a Spotify playlist to play in the background.
Emilia’s favorite group is Maná. Play one of their albums, such as Sueños Líquidos (Spanish for Liquid Dreams) or create a mix.
Here are some of the songs that played in the background as I wrote the books.
“Loco in Acapulco” by The Four Tops
“Whenever, Wherever” by Shakira
“Tu es mi religion” by Mana
“Just Another Day” by Jon Secada
“Games People Play” by The Alan Parsons Project