Detective Emilia Cruz mystery series
She's the first female police detective in AcapulcoInspired by my experience on the front lines of the drug war, Emilia faces drug cartels, official corruption and Mexico’s culture of machismo.
Hotel manager Kurt Rucker adds another dimension of danger to her life; her heart is at stake with him.
“A thrilling series” – National Public Radio
2019 & 2020 Poison Cup award, Outstanding Series – CrimeMasters of America
2019 Silver Falchion Award, Best Short Story
Detective Emilia Cruz novels
Detective Emilia Cruz Short Reads
Detective Emilia Cruz Extras
This bilingual edition of a prequel short story won the 2019 Silver Falchion award for Best Short Story/Collection.
Books 1-6 BOX SET: The first 6 Emilia Cruz novels, plus exclusive bonus content. Kindle format only.
The free cookbook with 7 recipes from the series! Crime + cooking = FUN.
Fun stuff
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!
Emilia Cruz's Acapulco
In this gallery page, you’ll see the Acapulco landmarks that appear in the series.
There’s the Acapulco of that tourists know and the Acapulco that seethes with cartel crime. Emilia must navigate life between the haves and have-nots, against the backdrop of the most beautiful bay in the world.
Cover artist Matt Chase
You’ve seen his work in national and international publications like The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. His covers for the series stand out in the sea of run-of-the-mill mystery covers.Find out about his process, color choices and the unique way we met.
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.
Map of Acapulco
Courtesy maps-of-mexico.com
#EmiliaCruz from the blog
At least you didn’t fall into a narco sinkhole
Imagine taking a nap on your sofa one afternoon, only to be awakened when the floor collapses, pitching you into a sinkhole. But it’s not a true sinkhole, it’s a tunnel built by drug cartel smugglers that runs under your house. This happened last week to a man in...
NEW EVIDENCE IN 43 MISSING TRUE CRIME
It only took 7 years, but the real truth behind Mexico’s most notorious true crime is finally coming out. 43 MISSING TRUE CRIME On 24 September 2014, students from the Ayotzinapa rural teacher’s college in the Mexican state of Guerrero—best known as home to the iconic...
Hard truths about the war on drugs from a retired US intel officer
Chris Reed, deputy editorial and opinion editor for the San Diego Union-Tribune, recently wrote a piece entitled “Add Mexico to Afghanistan, Iraq to list of nations U.S. has severely wronged.” I was surprised to find that the article centered on the views of Don...
Detective Emilia Cruz’s Origin Story
What is Detective Emilia Cruz's origin story? How was the mystery series invented? Well, it started with poinsettias. Many, many poinsettias. The following is from the Author's Note in the new edition of CLIFF DIVER, the first book in the Detective Emilia Cruz mystery...
My Fijian romance and other Unforgettable Taxi Tales
To get in the right mindset for NARCO NOIR, in which Detective Emilia Cruz goes undercover as a taxi driver to catch a killer, friends and I are sharing some outrageously memorable taxi rides. Which of these are you happy to have missed? Related: The True Story Behind...
Mexico, Women, Femicide, Fiction
“Women and glass are always in danger.” – Mexican proverb Imagine if Portland, Maine, or Greenville, South Carolina went missing, simply ebbing away like shadows in sunlight over the course of 14 years. The official count of people missing in Mexico since 2006 is...
