Book review: Sherlock Holmes, twice as nice
A KNIFE IN THE FOG and DUST AND SHADOW are both sensational thrillers. The two books have a few things in common, including exceptional historical research, an investigative trio, and a...
The lost chapter of THE HIDDEN LIGHT OF MEXICO CITY
My "Simplify" theme for 2019 led to some housekeeping and that in turn led to the discovery of a lost chapter of THE HIDDEN LIGHT OF MEXICO CITY. Backstory The novel was originally an...
Open Letter to 2019
Dear 2019, With the benefit of having lived through your younger brother known as 2018, you will find me a bit changed. Older, wiser, and a bit more cunning. Love, Carmen From 2018,...
The mystery of the disappearing home office
As 2019 approaches, many of us (self included) look to see the progress made over the past year. For many of us (self included) it was a year of transition. We moved to a new...
Welcome to the opioid crisis
I spent 30 years with the CIA. My official resume says things like “distinguished record of solutions-driven leadership across multiple mission areas,” and “led program responsible for collection,...
Wounded warriors and the making of AWAKENING MACBETH
My great-uncle Nicky was the second-to-the-youngest of my grandfather’s five brothers. He was missing most of his right index finger. During WWII, while my grandfather turned out copper ship hulls...
The Ayotzinapa tragedy 4 years later
My most recent book, 43 MISSING: Detective Emilia Cruz Book 6, was inspired by the events of September 2014 when 43 students from a teacher's college in the town of Ayotzinapa, near...
7 Life-changing books to read right now
Fall is here. Our New Year’s resolutions petered out long ago and the holidays, with overspending and family drama, loom on the horizon. In this season between what-might-have-been and...
Meet WHEELS UP thriller author Jeanine Kitchel
Do opposites attract? Meet Jeanine Kitchel, author of WHEELS UP 1) Carmen Amato: Jeanine, we first met as collaborators putting together THE INSIDER’S GUIDE TO THE BEST OF MEXICO and now find...
10 Lessons from Killer Nashville
The Killer Nashville International Writer’s Conference was the first of its kind I’ve ever attended. I didn’t know quite what to expect but tried to put my best foot forward: Served on...
Heading to Killer Nashville
I'm heading to the Killer Nashville mystery writer's conference, where 43 MISSING, the 6th Detective Emilia Cruz novel, is a finalist for the Silver Falchion award for Best Procedural....
Department Q and The Keeper of Lost Causes
THE KEEPER OF LOST CAUSES, the first Department Q novel by Jussi Adler-Olsen, has toppled Jo Nesbo from the top of my Nordic Noir favorites list. And I didn’t even know I wanted to go to Denmark....
Author Bernard Schaffer debuts new cop series
Bernard Schaffer's new book THE THIEF OF ALL LIGHT is the debut of a tension-filled new police procedural series. This interview first appeared in the Mystery Ahead...
Book Review: FOOLS AND MORTALS by Bernard Cornwell
FOOLS AND MORTALS by Bernard Cornwell sets the standard for historical fiction with a touch of suspense and a healthy dose of Shakespeare. But before I gush about how good...
Book review: RED SPARROW by Jason Matthews
RED SPARROW by Jason Matthews is a gripping Cold War espionage thriller in the style of John le Carré’s thrillers. Except longer. SPARROW starts with a heart-pounding and...
Dan Petrosini and the Detective Frank Luca series
Dan Petrosini, mystery author and wine afficionado, was featured last month in the Mystery Ahead newsletter. His latest is THE SERENITY MURDER--just the name gives me the shivers. If you like police...
Season of change, complete with koi pond
It's the season of change. After years as professional nomads, we finally bought the Dream House. The move to a new state was a 60-day exercise in logistics and determination during which we sold...
Straight Shooting with Mystery Author Mike Faricy
I just finished THE OFFICE, the 17th entry in Mike Faricy's addictive Dev Haskell series and immediately scooped up his Dev Haskell boxed set. The books are like Pringle's chips--you...
Itzel’s story, or how she came to be in a thriller
Many of the pivotal moments in my life have happened over a good meal. One time, however, the meal wasn’t even cooked. There was a thriving expatriate community in Mexico City when we...
Swimming lessons, or how he got into a thriller
I’ve always liked to be in the water, but by no stretch of the imagination can I call myself a strong swimmer. I didn’t take swimming lessons until I was in 5th grade, when I learned to...
Mystery author Sandra Nikolai: Poisons, pressure, and everyday heroes
Canadian mystery author Sandra Nikolai writes the excellent Megan Scott/Michael Elliott series featuring a ghostwriter and an investigative journalist. Sandra and I have...
El Cid: A literary hero’s literary hero
Everybody has heard of Don Quixote. The image of the fictional tilter-at-windmills is everywhere in Mexico, which has long adopted Spanish literature and legends as its own. But when I...
The worst writing advice ever. Not kidding.
“But the novel is set in Mexico,” she said. “All the characters are Mexican.” “That’s right,” I replied. “Lives of the people fighting the drug cartels. And Mexico’s class structure.” More than 5...
The creative process according to Tolkien (and me)
Last week I sat down with fantasy author Vee James to talk about the creative process. He’s the author of NECCABASHAR, the tale of a young demon climbing the corporate ladder in Hell with hilarious...
Book Review: Blue Light Yokohama by Nicolás Obregón
BLUE LIGHT YOKOHAMA by Nicolás Obregón is a dense and layered police procedural set in contemporary Japan. The title is that of a song which keeps playing in the mind of the main...
5 Excellent Phrases to Sound Busy and Important
Some time ago, I took a break from mysteries and read BRIDGET JONES: MAD ABOUT THE BOY by Helen Fielding. It was time for some mind candy and Bridget Jones--books or movies--always delivers. The...
The Postman Always Rings Twice
THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE by James M. Cain is a noir classic from 1934. I stumbled on a copy in a used bookstore and realized I’d never read it. I didn’t know what I’d...