CARMEN AMATO
Mystery author | ex-CIA intel officer
Award-winning crime fiction loaded with danger and deception.
Personal experiences occasionally thicken the plot.
– Library –
Detective Emilia Cruz Mystery Series
The first female police detective in Acapulco takes on cartels, corruption and Mexican machismo.
Poison Cup award for Outstanding Series, 2019 & 2020, CrimeMasters of America; Silver Falchion Award for Story/Collection, 2019, Killer Nashville
Galliano Club Thriller Series
Lido, NY. 1926. At the height of Prohibition, trouble is always on tap at the Galliano Club.
Based on tales told by Carmen’s late grandfather, a former Deputy Sheriff of Oneida County, NY.
Standalone Thrillers
Your ticket to layers of deception, high-wire action, and relationships with heat.
- EXTRAS -
FREE STARTER LIBRARY
2 novellas and Who's Who guide to the Detective Emilia Cruz series.
FAQs
CIA career, writing process, and more.
Odds and Ends
"Lost" scenes, locator maps, dreamcasts, photos, etc.
About Carmen
After 30 years with the Central Intelligence Agency, I write crime fiction loaded with danger and deception.
My family tree includes a deputy sheriff, a mayor, a Mensa genius, and a murderer who escaped a manhunt--never to be seen again.
I've survived one train derailment, three earthquakes, 19 international moves, and an encounter with a lionfish off the coast of Guam. I have also mastered the most efficient way to kill a scorpion.
I love to hear from fellow readers. Feel free to drop me a line at carmen@carmenamato.net and join the Mystery Ahead newsletter. I'll share 3 insider secrets from CIA days when you do.
– Shop Talk –
Winning an Award, Losing My Mother
Murder at the Galliano Club, the first novel in the Galliano Club historical fiction thriller series won the Silver Falchion Award for Best Historical at the 2023 Killer Nashville International...
A Different Point of View
She Said, He Said A CLIFF DIVER scene from Franco Silvio’s Point of View The Detective Emilia Cruz series is written from Emilia's point of view as the first female police detective in Acapulco....
Book Review: THE TWYFORD CODE by Janice Hallett
At first, I was skeptical of a book made entirely of audio transcripts. No, let me back up. At first, I assumed that the audio transcripts were a clever introduction and then the rest of the book...