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
New Release! RUSSIAN MOJITO, Detective Emilia Cruz Book 7
IT'S NEW RELEASE DAY!RUSSIAN MOJITO, Detective Emilia Cruz Book 7 is out now and on sale for Kindle for $0.99!To promote the book, both PACIFIC REAPER and 43 MISSING are also on sale! It's a limited time event, so grab your copies now. RUSSIAN MOJITO is a...
Countdown to RUSSIAN MOJITO: Detective Emilia Cruz Book 7
Cue the drum roll!RUSSIAN MOJITO, Detective Emilia Cruz Book 7, will be available soon. Mark your calendar:23 May: Kindle pre-order6 June: Kindle release23 June: Paperback releaseAbout RUSSIAN MOJITORUSSIAN MOJITO takes up where 43 MISSING left off. Emilia...
The Ayotzinapa tragedy 4 years later
My most recent book, 43 MISSING: Detective Emilia Cruz Book 6, was inspired by the events of September 2014 when 43 students from a teacher's college in the town of Ayotzinapa, near Acapulco in Mexico's state of Guerrero, disappeared in the nearby town of...
Read the first chapter of 43 MISSING
For most authors, the final draft of a mystery novel is markedly different than the first. In fact, the first chapter of 43 MISSING was rewritten a dozen times. Nothing really clicked until the book was done. Then I went back and wrote it with a hint of premonition....
The real story behind 43 MISSING
43 MISSING, the latest Detective Emilia Cruz novel, is fiction but is based on a true, unsolved crime. A big, terrible, words-fail-me unsolved crime. 43 Missing In September 2014, forty-three students from the Ayotzinapa Normal School disappeared while in...
Gripping Audible Mystery Series Flies You to Acapulco
The first four books in the Detective Emilia Cruz series set in Acapulco are all available on Audible from Tantor Media! The books are narrated by the fabulous Johanna Parker, who also voiced the Sookie Stackhouse series. Johanna has really...
