She’s the first female detective
and the last honest cop in Acapulco
Detective Emilia Cruz Series
Experience the raw intensity of Mexico’s drug war through the Detective Emilia Cruz mystery series.
Created by former CIA officer Carmen Amato, this gripping police procedural follows Acapulco’s first female detective as she confronts cartels, corruption, and social inequality amid the hunt for Mexico’s missing. Inspired by Carmen’s own counterdrug expertise, the series delivers an authentic, insider look at international crime.
If you crave strong female leads, gritty realism, and ripped-from-the-headlines suspense, brace yourself for an unforgettable journey into the heart of Acapulco.
Explore the books then head over to the Acapulco Archive reader hub for the stories behind the stories.
“A thrilling series” – National Public Radio
2019 & 2020 Poison Cup award, Outstanding Series – CrimeMasters of America
2019 Silver Falchion Award, Best Short Story
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.
The Spanish edition of prequel short story collection, MADE IN ACAPULCO.
Spanish translation of CLIFF DIVER, the first novel in the Detective Emilia Cruz series.
#EmiliaCruz from the Blog
What if your dream job depended on this man?
If you only had one chance at your dream job, what if it hinged on this man’s help? In MADE IN ACAPULCO, the collection of short stories that traces Emilia’s Cruz’s path from beat cop to seasoned detective, no one wants Emilia to become Acapulco’s first female...
MADE IN ACAPULCO: Prequel to the Emilia Cruz Mystery Series Novels
The Emilia Cruz mystery series delivered another bit of entertainment to mystery lovers yesterday with the release for Kindle of MADE IN ACAPULCO, a collection of short stories that take place before the action in the full-length Emilia Cruz novels....
MADE IN ACAPULCO story collection is free for all
Fact may be stranger than fiction but in some cases they are deliberately similar. I routinely comb the news for inspiration for the Emilia Cruz mystery series so that "action torn from today's headlines" isn't just a tagline. Yes, readers will be entertained by...
Huffington Post Premieres Emilia Cruz Short Story
This week the very first Emilia Cruz story, "The Beast," was published by Huffington Post, in the website's Huff/Post 50 showcase of female fiction writers. Acapulco beat cop Emilia Cruz wants to become a detective. But will they break her before she gets to the...
Illustrating the Release of HAT DANCE with Drama and Dialogue
Great mystery novels need drama and dialogue. HAT DANCE, the latest Emilia Cruz novel, delivers both but sometimes words aren't enough. Sometimes it helps to have images as well. Here is a bit about the book, which is being released for Kindle...
The Girl on the Cutting Room Floor
Book editing is a ruthless business. How much of a book gets rewritten when an author comes back to an old manuscript?In the book editing case of HAT DANCE, the second Emilia Cruz novel coming 30 July, it looks like about 50% of what I wrote 18 months ago will hit the...