Mystery Lover’s Gift Guide
I chose the items in this gift guide with you in mind, drawing on universal themes from both the Detective Emilia Cruz series and the Galliano Club thrillers.
Whether you’ve been a longtime fan or have just discovered the books, you’ll find perfect gifts for everyone on your list inspired by unforgettable characters, settings, and plot twists as well as the writing life.
Happy gifting (and reading)!
DETECTIVE EMILIA CRUZ SERIES
2nd EDITION PAPERBACKS
Join the first female police detective in Acapulco as she tackles cartels, corruption and Mexican machismo. A 2-time winner of the Outstanding Series award from CrimeMasters of America!
WILLIAMS-SONOMA MARGARITA GIFT SET
Emilia’s second favorite thing to order at the Pasodoble Bar in Acapulco is a classic margarita! This set includes 2 Organic Margarita mixers, one of each flavor; 24 fl. oz. total (each makes approx. 6 margaritas); and 2 Rim Salts, one of each flavor; 5.7 oz. total. Add your own tequila.
AMICI “ACAPULCO” HANDMADE GLASS PITCHER
In the next Emilia Cruz mystery, the Pasodoble Bar might serve pitchers of margaritas and mojitos in beautiful handmade aqua and yellow pitchers like this! Amici is a maker of gorgeous Mexican glass vessels, including my favorite confetti glasses, but the colors of its Acapulco line are stunning. Water and sun 🙂
WILLIAMS SONOMA CHILI LIME RUB SEASONING
This is a wonderfully citrusy spicy spice mix you can use on anything to get a burst of Mexican flavors. We especially love it on pork and chicken. Combine with olive oil and chicken broth to make a marinade or just rub on as is. I buy several as stocking stuffers for the cooks in our family.
THE MEXICAN HOME KITCHEN: Traditional Home-Style Recipes That Capture the Flavors and Memories of Mexico
I’ve been following author Mely Martinez’s blog for some time and every recipe is a mouth-watering read. This cookbook is a real keepsake, the kind you pass down to the next generation.
SHE’S BIRDIE, THE ORIGINAL PERSONAL SAFETY ALARM
Detective Emilia Cruz knows how vulnerable a woman can be in a big city–or anywhere for that matter. The Birdie alarm has a siren and flashing strobe-light to create a diversion and to help deter an attack. Small and lightweight, a portion of She’s Birdie profits are donated to support women’s safety, shelter and health.
RELAXATION PATCHES
The Good Patch Relax patches are an elegant and discreet way to unwind and decompress. Perfect for stressful days, as Detective Emilia Cruz often has! Just peel and stick on the inside of your wrist. Wear for up to 12 hours.
MOLESKINE 2024 PLANNER
This is the planner I get every year. It has the week on the left and a ruled page on the right to write notes, scribble ideas, etc. Not only is the format super useful but the paper is thick and ink does not bleed through.
LAMY Lx Rollerball Pen
I bought this metal pen in Italy years ago, struck by the heft and unique shape. It’s made in Germany and feels like an important piece of engineering. Lamy makes refill cartridges so you’ll never need to buy another cheap plastic disposable.
FRIDA KAHLO BOOKMARKS
Nothing says Mexico than Frida Kahlo’s exuberant art, self-portraits, and defiant words. This set of 36 paper bookmarks captures her spirit in a fun (and useful) stocking stuffer.
“LIVE IN THE NOW” NECKLACE FROM MAGNOLIA
Detective Emilia Cruz’s ethos in a necklace? Yes, please. I love this delicate pendant with a big message, from Magnolia, the lifestyle brand of Chip and Jo Gaines of Fixer Upper fame.
MADEWELL JEAN JACKET
Detective Emilia Cruz’s work “uniform” is skinny jeans, a black tee and a jacket like Madewell’s classic jean jacket to cover up her shoulder holster. I love Madewell’s denim jeans and jackets for the high quality of the fabric. Madewell partners with the Better Cotton Initiative to improve cotton farming globally.
GALLIANO CLUB HISTORICAL FICTION SERIES
Now in paperback, the award-winning saga pits an immigrant bartender against a trigger-happy Chicago bootlegger for control of the Galliano Club in New York during Prohibition. Everybody has secrets to keep, too. Trouble is always on tap, right until the stunning climax!
LIBRARY ROOM SPRAY FROM MAGNOLIA
Whether you’re building your own home library or channeling Luca Lombardo’s love of books in the Galliano Club, you’ll love the cozy notes of bergamot, clove, and firewood from Magnolia, the lifestyle brand of Chip and Jo Gaines of Fixer Upper fame.
BOOTLEG CARD GAME
I admit to having never seen a board or card game as artistically gorgeous as this one from the Mob Museum in Las Vegas. Players compete to build their stash, enlist the help of baddies like Al Capone, and unload their cargo. Win or lose it all, with a roll of the dice!
WILLIAMS SONOMA IPA CRAFT BEER KIT
Is someone you know a bootlegger at heart like the Galliano Club’s Benny Rotolo? They can learn to make their own craft beer with this set from Williams Sonoma. Includes the specialty equipment, instructions and ingredients for home-brewing, including enough grain, hops and yeast for the first batch.
RABBIT FREEZABLE BEER GLASSES
This set of two 12-oz. glasses from Williams Sonoma instantly chills your beer. Just place them in the freezer for an hour before pouring the Galliano Club’s favorite adult beverage. Made of double-walled borosilicate glass. Black silicone base acts as a built-in coaster and protects your hand from the cold.
MASTERING THE ART OF ITALIAN CUISINE
If you’re read the Galliano Club books, you’ve “experienced” some mouth-watering Italian food! This cookbook by Emmy-winning chef Lidia Bastianich offers everything you ever wanted to know and learn about Italian food and how to cook it. It’s a gorgeous keepsake volume, perfect for any foodie on your list.
ANCESTRY.COM GIFT MEMBERSHIP
Researching the Galliano Club really brought home the value of knowing a family’s past and its contribution to our present. Give the gift of a membership to Ancestry.com. Share the amazing things you can discover about where you came from.
BLACK RIFLE COFFEE SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE
“Gimme some of that electric coffee.” It’s one of my favorite lines from the Galliano Club books, referring to the newfangled percolator bartender Luca Lombardo uses to keep the coffee flowing. Black Rifle offers a subscription service so you never run out. Choose from a variety of coffee blends from this US veteran-owned and operated company.
VINTAGE FORD ORNAMENT
Every vintage car enthusiast needs a Ford on the tree! The Mob Museum offers this glittery glass ornament, a reminder of the Galliano Club and the 1920s when cars were called ‘flivvers” and Al Capone’s goons rode on running boards with Tommy guns.
KINDLE OASIS WITH 7” DISPLAY AND PAGE TURN BUTTONS
This is the Kindle that’s on my Christmas list, to replace my 13-year-old first generation Kindle. (Yes, I’m finally going to get a new Kindle!) This Kindle has actual buttons to turn pages and a very transportable size. Given the number of books I read every year, it’s the perfect go-to ereader.
STANLEY TUCCI X GREENPAN COOKWARE SET
Stanely Tucci, my vote to play Galliano Club owner Vito Spinelli in a Galliano Club movie, is not only a fine actor but an accomplished Italian chef and gourmand. He’s created a line of elegantly modern frying pans, sauce pans and pasta pots. This is jewelry for your kitchen, but practical and rugged, too.
THE TUCCI COOKBOOK
Family recipes from Stanley Tucci’s Italian heritage and family. If you’ve seen his TV series about discovering Italian food, you know he’s become quite an authority and well-regarded chef. Makes a great gift together with cookware from his new line at Williams Sonoma.
SPARTAN BRACELET, THE HERO CO
Designed to remind wearers of the indomitable spirit of the ancient Spartans, 20% of every purchase helps pair veterans with a service or shelter dog. This company’s bracelets are made from paracord or metal that evoke military traditions and history, all to help vets. Most bracelets are sized for man-sized wrists but this one is adjustable and should fit most.
CAMEO.COM PERSONALIZED VIDEO FROM A CELEBRITY
Cameo.com lets you connect with actors, musicians and others of note who will create a custom video message for you! It’s certainly a unique proposition. Have Stewart from Big Bang Theory (Kevin Sussman) or Data from Star Trek (Brent Spiner) or hundreds of other familiar faces record a custom video for you! How cool is that?
MYSTERY AHEAD BOOK READING JOURNAL $17.99
An around-the-world reading experience introduces you to more than 30 mystery series set in 7 different world regions, then provides space for you to review the books that took you there! The perfect gift for book club friends, senior groups, mystery lovers and armchair travelers!
APPLE WATCH
Detective Emilia Cruz should wear this watch because it’s a fitness tracker, mood sensor, and even can tell you your blood oxygen situation. Basically, it’s a health and wellness partner you wear on your wrist to help reduce stress by showing you key indicators. The neutral tone band goes with everything, too. Yes, Emilia needs this like yesterday 🙂
TRUE CRIME PUZZLE BOOK by JACK ROSEWOOD
This super stocking stuffer for true crime fans is loaded with crossword puzzles, word scrambles, matching word quizzes and more, all built around facts and figures about true crimes. I think Detective Emilia Cruz might have helped with some of the details!
BLINK VIDEO DOORBELL
Video doorbells have become a key part of home security now, with good reason. The Detective Emilia Cruz series draws on my experiences using video during my intel career, too. So if you don’t have a video doorbell system, this is the year to consider it. Or gift a video doorbell (and peace of mind!) to someone you know who could benefit from not opening their door to strangers or is worried about porch pirates.
