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. Inspired by ex-CIA author Carmen Amato’s own counterdrug experiences.
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.”
Brace yourself for danger from the headlines and an unforgettable female cop.
Novels
Emilia investigates the death of a dirty cop in Detective Emilia Cruz Book 1.
Emilia hunts for a violent arsonist and a missing girl in Detective Emilia Cruz Book 2.
A rookie cop puts Emilia’s life in danger in Detective Emilia Cruz Book 3.
Emilia gambles it all to save her partner in Detective Emilia Cruz Book 4.
Emiia goes undercover as a worshipper of Santa Muerte, Mexico’s forbidden saint in Book #5.
Emilia confronts a mass disappearance that is Mexico’s most notorious true crime in Book #6.
Can Emilia deliver a dose of Mexican justice to a Russian killer in Book #7?
Emilia plays both a taxi driver and a movie star in the undercover role of a lifetime in Book #8.
Emilia investigates the bizarre murder of the mayor’s sister in Book #9.
Short Reads & Collections
This prequel collection of short stories captures Emilia’s first years as a detective.
Emilia and her partner go undercover in this very unexpected Christmas murder mystery novella.
Emilia discovers a list that could be payments to dirty cops. Or is it something much more sinster?
The first 6 Emilia Cruz novels, plus exclusive bonus content. Kindle format only.
Spanish editions
This bilingual edition of a prequel short story won the 2019 Silver Falchion award for Best Short Story/Collection.
This bilingual edition of a prequel short story won the 2019 Silver Falchion award for Best Short Story/Collection.
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, seen from the east side of the bay.
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
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
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
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 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
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.
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.
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!
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.
#EmiliaCruz updates
An Excellent Liar
Big lies, white, lies, pretty little lies--Acapulco Detective Emilia Cruz is an expert at all of them. But in the Emilia Cruz police procedural mystery series, she hardly ever lies to the people she cares about. Hardly ever. Meet the main character blog tour Emilia's...
Reshaping the Acapulco Skyline
Acapulco has alot to offer: beautiful beaches, water sports, cliff divers, iconic skyscrapers, swimming with the dolphins. Get off the beaten path and you can add gun violence, murder, cops, and drug seizures. All that's missing is a skycraper that looks like a...
DIABLO NIGHTS Cover Reveal and Kindle Release
The third installment of the Emilia Cruz mystery series, featuring the first and only female police detective in Acapulco, is out on Kindle! The paperback version will be available in August. And finally--the Cover Reveal! The final cover, shown here, is a slight...
From Book to Beach: Favorite Hotels in Mexico
Planning a trip to Mexico? Wondering where to stay? Readers often ask if the Palacio Réal, the hotel in Acapulco that Kurt Rucker manages in the Emilia Cruz mystery novels, is real. The answer is well, sort of. The luxurious Palacio Réal is a composite of my three...
A Counterfeit Money Mystery
Have you seen the new US 100 dollar bill? Compared it to the old bill of the same denomination? Money and Mystery The changes in the $100 bill drive the plot of "The Cliff," a short story from MADE IN ACAPULCO: The Emilia Cruz Stories. "The Cliff" later became the...
Padre Pro, the Catholic Martyr Who Inspired a Mystery
The long road that has become DIABLO NIGHTS, the 3th Emilia Cruz mystery novel, started nearly 4 years ago, in Rome, Italy. I'd had my tour of the Vatican and was now on the hunt for gifts and souvenirs. A large Catholic gift and bookstore looked promising.Historic...