MYSTERY AUTHOR | CIA VETERAN
Carmen Amato
A former CIA intelligence officer, Amato brings authenticity and grit to every page.
A must-read for lovers of smart, character-driven crime fiction with a global edge. – Reader’s House
Signature Series
Detective Emilia Cruz
Narcos meets Hawaii 5-0 in this award-winning police series set in Acapulco.
With a fierce, unforgettable female cop who’s looking for Mexico’s missing.
Latest Release
BARRACUDA BAY
Political corruption sends Acapulco’s first female police detective on the run in Washington, DC.
Emilia’s investigation into the murder of the mayor’s sister is interrupted by a second, seemingly unrelated killing. Sent to inform the widow, Emilia becomes a fugitive, hunted by killer disguised as cops.
The only person who can help is a man Emilia once swore to kill . . . her brother.
“A thrilling series.” – NPR
Praise for DETECTIVE Emilia Cruz
Carmen Amato has created a character that deserves to be recognized as an equal alongside well known favorites by created by by Hammett, Larson and Padura. I can’t wait to spend more time with Detective Cruz. – Felix Contreras, host, ALTLatino, National Public Radio
Amato brings her characters to life with her vivid writing style and sets them on the streets of a Mexico steeped in Catholicism and corruption . . . Unique and gripping. – OnlineBookClub.org
Amato weaves an intricate assortment of themes into a vivid tapestry that depicts both the beauty and the ugliness of Acapulco . . . with danger and betrayal never more than a few pages away. -Kirkus Reviews
Explore
DETECTIVE EMILIA CRUZ SERIES
Emilia Cruz is the first female police detective in Acapulco, fighting drug cartels, official corruption and social inequality amid the hunt for Mexico’s missing.
2019, 2020 Outstanding Series Award, CrimeMasters of America
2019 Silver Falchion Award, Killer Nashville
GALLIANO CLUB TRILOGY
Lido, NY. 1926. At the height of Prohibition, an Italian immigrant and a trigger-happy Chicago bootlegger battle for control of the Galliano Club, where trouble is always on tap.
Based on tales told by my late grandfather, a Deputy Sheriff of Oneida County, NY in the 1920’s.
2023 Silver Falchion Award, Killer Nashville
STANDALONE THRILLERS
Contemporary thrillers featuring complex plots, unforgettable characters and layers of risk, power, and deception.
Longlist, 2020 Millennium Book Award
Latest Posts
How to Add a Book to Goodreads Lists
Goodreads is a great resource for readers. One part review platform, one part social sharing, all parts clunky and hard to navigate. Yet it is worth taking the time to navigate the platform because you’ll discover great new reads and reader friends. Putting books on…
BARRACUDA BAY Needs You
All books are born alone . . . without any reviews. Given that about 1% of readers actually take the time to write a review, those who do are truly rock stars. BARRACUDA BAY, the latest Detective Emilia Cruz novel, came out last week. The first reviews are in, too….
New Release! BARRACUDA BAY is the latest Detective Emilia Cruz mystery
The long-awaited continuation of the award-winning Detective Emilia Cruz mystery series is out now, taking you into the dizzying, dangerous world of money laundering and cross-border intrigue. BARRACUDA BAY is the 9th book with Emilia Cruz, the first female police…
Book Review: The 8th Detective by Alex Pavesi
This is a Russian nesting doll of a book, with multiple literary devices nested inside a wider puzzle. The pundits have called it a thriller, which is stretching the definition in my view, but it sure drips with intrigue and deception! The book has a mathematical…
She was Emilia Cruz. So was she.
The top question I get from readers? “Is Detective Emilia Cruz based on a real person?” Yes, sort of. Emilia is a composite of three different people. All contribute in unique ways to the character, including Emilia’s analytic skills, innate suspicion of others’…
My Author Year in Review: 2024 Edition
Phew! 2024 was quite a year. Here’s a swift recap: 2024 in review: New releases 1 Backlist glow-up: AWAKENING MACBETH, 2nd edition 2 Audiobooks: MADE IN ACAPULCO and THE LISTMAKER OF ACAPULCO 1 Box Set: THE COMPLETE GALLIANO CLUB SERIES 4 Large Print Editions:…