BARRACUDA BAY Needs You

All books are born alone . . . without any reviews.

Given that about 1% of readers actually take the time to write a review, those who do are truly rock stars.

BARRACUDA BAY, the latest Detective Emilia Cruz novel, came out last week. The first reviews are in, too.

Thanks to those early reviews, on Wednesday BARRACUDA BAY was #20 on Amazon’s VERY crowded list of Mystery Action Fiction titles, competing with authors like Lee Child and Steve Berry who always dominate that category. As of this writing it is #82 on Amazon’s International Mystery and Crime list, another highly competitive category stacked with authors like Louise Penny, Ann Cleeves, David Baldacci, etc.

One thing that always surprises me is how different aspects of a book resonate with different readers.

In his review of BARRACUDA BAY, thriller author David Bruns (THREAT AXIS, PROXY WAR, etc) had observations about place and plotting:

As with all of her books, Amato gives us two things in spades. First is an original plot, complex and full of rabbit holes to fall into. As a writer, there’s always a temptation to recycle a plot, especially one that worked well the first time around, but I have yet to see Amato pull that literary trick.

Second is her unerring sense of place. When you are in the barrio in Acapulco, you are IN the barrio. You see the facades of the buildings, feel the sticky heat, and smell the cologne of the guy sitting next to you.

Author, historian and educator Dr. Michael Hogan (ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND MEXICO, etc) focused on the authentic details:

The book is replete with authentic touches. We see the wedding cake facades of the coastal homes, as well as a classic edifice on the hillside by famous architect Luis Barragan. We hear the music of the popular group Maná and taste the delicious tapas from an upscale local restaurant. Unlike to so many books ostensibly set in Mexico with their misspelled words and fake background, Amato’s work bristles with authenticity. Her knowledge of the intricacies of police procedures, narcotics traffic, femicide, and US-Mexico relations also ring true, based Amato’s own experience in her former career as an intelligence officer.

Reviewer Carol F. pointed out the duality of the setting:

Let me set the scene: Emilia Cruz, the beleaguered and only female homicide detective in Acapulco, has a foot in both worlds – the glamour and four-star hospitality of a vacation playground, and the grit of its drug cartel activity, murders, mayhem, missing persons, dirty politicians and vengeful mobsters – all of which help shape this story.

Former police officer Rob H. focused on the law enforcement angle:

As a retired cop in the US, and a former resident of Mexico, I can tell you that every word Amato writes rings true. She knows the country, she knows corruption, and she knows human nature. She uses that knowledge to create novels that grab you and don’t let go through the last page . . . . Each novel is fresh and engaging – the throughline of the characters is there, but the plots vary as patrol shifts do in a big jurisdiction.

Every review is a little connection between me and the reviewer, and between all of us and the next reader. That’s how communities grow. I’m so proud to be sharing this experience with all of you!

Links

What’s your unique take on BARRACUDA BAY?

In case you haven’t posted your review yet, here are the links. I understand that you might not have accounts on all sales platforms but try to post in as many places as possible. Again, thank you so much for being part of the Detective Emilia Cruz worldwide team!

Amazon: https://geni.us/bbay2025

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/barracuda-bay-carmen-amato/1146877496

Books-a-Million: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Barracuda-Bay/Carmen-Amato/9798989140374

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/223520438-barracuda-bay

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/barracuda-bay-a-detective-emilia-cruz-novel-by-carmen-amato

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and helping to build that community.