She’s the first female detective and the last honest cop in Acapulco

Detective Emilia Cruz

“A thrilling series” – National Public Radio

2019 & 2020 Poison Cup award, Outstanding Series – CrimeMasters of America

2019 Silver Falchion Award, Best Short Story

In the Detective Emilia Cruz mystery series, you’ll go on a gripping journey through Mexico’s drug war through the eyes of the first female police detective in Acapulco. Based on author Carmen Amato’s own counterdrug experience as an intelligence officer with the CIA, it’s a place where loyalty is for sale and violence comes cheap.

The series is a 2-time winner of the Outstanding Series Award from CrimeMasters of America and a Silver Falchion Award from Killer Nashville. Kirkus Reviews said, “Danger and deception never more than a few pages away while NPR dubbed it “A thrilling series.” Huffpost featured Emilia’s origin story in Rita Wilson’s curated Fiction50 showcase.

Settle in for plot elements straight out of the headlines, an authentic dive into one of the most beautiful settings on earth, and an unforgettable female crime fighter.

Novels

Emilia Cruz mystery series,female police detective,police procedural series

Emilia investigates the death of a dirty cop in Detective Emilia Cruz Book 1.

Emilia Cruz mystery series,female police detective,police procedural series

Emilia hunts for a violent arsonist and a missing girl in Detective Emilia Cruz Book 2.

Emilia Cruz mystery series,female police detective,police procedural series

A rookie cop puts Emilia’s life in danger in Detective Emilia Cruz Book 3.

Emilia Cruz mystery series,female police detective,police procedural series

Emilia gambles it all to save her partner in Detective Emilia Cruz Book 4.

Emilia Cruz mystery series,female police detective,police procedural series

Emiia goes undercover as a worshipper of Santa Muerte, Mexico’s forbidden saint in Book #5.

Emilia Cruz mystery series,female police detective,police procedural series

Emilia confronts a mass disappearance that is Mexico’s most notorious true crime in Book #6.

Russian Mojito cover

Can Emilia deliver a dose of Mexican justice to a Russian killer in Book #7?

Narco Noir by Carmen Amato

Emilia plays both a taxi driver and a movie star in the undercover role of a lifetime in Book #8.

Barracuda Bay mystery novel

Emilia investigates the bizarre murder of the mayor’s sister in Book #9.

Short Reads & Collections

Emilia Cruz mystery series,female police detective,police procedural series

This prequel collection of short stories captures Emilia’s first years as a detective.

Feliz Navidad from Acapulco

Emilia and her partner go undercover in this very unexpected Christmas murder mystery novella.

The Listmaker of Acapulco

Emilia discovers a list that could be payments to dirty cops. Or is it something much more sinster?

Box Set cover of Emilia Cruz Books 1-6

The first 6 Emilia Cruz novels, plus exclusive bonus content. Kindle format only.

Spanish editions

The Artist

This bilingual edition of a prequel short story won the 2019 Silver Falchion award for Best Short Story/Collection.

Hecho en Acapulco

This bilingual edition of a prequel short story won the 2019 Silver Falchion award for Best Short Story/Collection.

The Artist

This bilingual edition of a prequel short story won the 2019 Silver Falchion award for Best Short Story/Collection.

Extras

Gallery

A gallery of photos of Acapulco, plus check out these posts about the setting for the series:

Why Acapulco is the perfect setting for a mystery series

Reshaping the Acapulco skyline in DIABLO NIGHTS

The hotels that inspired Kurt Rucker’s Palacio Real

Acapulco at night

Acapulco at night, seen from the east side of the bay.

 

Emilia Cruz mystery series,female police detective,police procedural series

Sinfonia del Mar amphitheater, the best place to watch Acapulco’s fabled sunsets
Credit: panza.rayada [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

 

Acapulco skyline in happier days

Skyscrapers along Acapulco’s main road a round the bay, the Costera Miguel Alemán Credit: Eneas De Troya from Mexico City, México (Acapulco) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

 

Cathedral in Acapulco

Catedral de Nuestra Señora de La Soledad Credit: Andrew in Raleigh [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

 

old fortress de San Diego

Fuerte de San Diego on the western side of Acapulco Bay Credit: Enrique Galindo (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

 

Caleta Beach

Caleta Beach Credit: Miguel Angel Alvarez Bernardo from Madrid, Spain (La playa de la caletilla por la mañana) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

 

Map of Acapulco

map of Acapulco

Courtesy maps-of-mexico.com

Get the Cookbook

Get a PDF copy of the Detective Emilia Cruz cookbook featuring recipes for Mexican dishes featured in the books.

CLICK HERE for the Cookbook page.

free Mexican food cookbook from the Detective Emilia Cruz series

Cover artist Matt Chase

Find out more about cover artist Matt Chase’s design inspiration and the signature look he’s created for the Detective Emilia Cruz mystery series.

Covers of the Detective Emilia Cruz mystery series

The Dreamcast

If Detective Emilia Cruz and company ever (finally) make it to the silver screen, I think it would be a cross between Hawaii 5-0 and Netflix’s Narcos.

Could this be the dreamcast? Let me know!

CLICK FOR MORE

From Silvio's point of view

As an experiment, here is the first major confrontation between Emilia and rival Franco Silvio, written from his point of view.

The scene takes place in the first book, CLIFF DIVER, which is all from Emilia’s point of view.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE SCENE

#EmiliaCruz updates

Carlota/Claudia: Fictional Mayor vs Madam El Presidente

Carlota/Claudia: Fictional Mayor vs Madam El Presidente

Carlota Montoya Perez, the fictional mayor of Acapulco in the Detective Emilia Cruz series, was “born” long before Claudia Sheinbaum became president of Mexico last year. (That’s her official presidential portrait.) Yet the two women, one fictional and one real, are...

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BARRACUDA BAY Needs You

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....

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She was Emilia Cruz. So was she.

She was Emilia Cruz. So was she.

The top question I get from readers? “Is Detective Emilia Cruz based on a real person?” Yes, sort of. Emilia is a composite of three different people. All contribute in unique ways to the character, including Emilia’s analytic skills, innate suspicion of others’...

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BARRACUDA BAY: Cover reveal and Release Date

BARRACUDA BAY: Cover reveal and Release Date

Drum roll, please! Graphic artist Matt Chase has created another signature piece of art for the next book in the Detective Emilia Cruz series, BARRACUDA BAY. Cover Reveal The background color was inspired by the cover for PACIFIC REAPER, which both Matt and I love,...

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Just another day in paradise

Just another day in paradise

Just another day in paradise, except for the dead police lieutenant in the bottom of a speedboat drifting in the still waters of Puerto Marques, the small bay-within-a-bay on the southeastern tip of Acapulco. That's really when the story gets rolling for Detective...

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