I lived spy fiction. Now I write police procedurals.
The newest Detective Emilia Cruz thriller, DRAGON CARTEL, bridges the gap between the two.
Think police detective mystery meets spy novel . . . in Acapulco.
Emilia, the first female police detective in Acapulco, is up against Yan Jinping, an intel officer for China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS).
It’s a clash of fundamentally different operating systems, assets and skill sets.
BTW: Check out this review of Dragon Cartel by David Bruns, author of the Command and Control series on Substack: https://authordirectory.substack.com/p/book-review-dragon-cartel-by-carmen
What the cop brings to the party
In DRAGON CARTEL, Emilia’s assets include her local network and insider knowledge. She knows Acapulco inside and out.
Her network begins in the detectives squadroom but also extends to her snitches on the street, other cops like her cousin who runs the Evidence Locker, plus a DEA agents assigned to the US Consulate to help her find the assassin calling himself El Barracuda.
What the spy brings to the party
Yan’s assets include diplomatic protection and high-tech resources. He has access to deep Chinese pockets to buy local officials and make problems disappear. He’s bought everyone from senior military officials to drug-addled hobos living on the street. The money he spreads around buys silence, too.
The crucial difference
Yan knows the whole picture of what China is doing in Mexico. Small episodes of activity are all in support of a master plan.
Emilia experiences one unrelated event at a time. She has no reason to suspect they are connected or that a situation is developing that is completely outside her frame of reference.
DRAGON CARTEL is out now
You can find DRAGON CARTEL (ebook and paperback) in all your favorite online bookstores, including Amazon, Apple books, Kobo, Barnes & Noble and lending sites, too. Audiobook coming soon, too!
Featured image: Man in red shadows by Paco Alonso via pexels.com
Behind the Books
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