Carmen Amato Books in Order

As Mexico’s presidential election approaches, Eduardo Cortez Castillo uncovers collusion between a government official and a drug cartel. His investigation endangers a woman from a poorer background, whose hopes for their relationship face difficult choices.

After her lieutenant is murdered aboard his speedboat, Acapulco detective Emilia Cruz is unexpectedly placed in charge. Investigating his death draws her into counterfeiting, cartel violence and pressure from powerful figures within the police establishment.

Emilia Cruz narrowly survives an arson attack that appears aimed at Acapulco’s mayor. Assigned to investigate, she also pursues a missing neighborhood girl, whose disappearance leads her toward family secrets and a jailed woman withholding information.

Five short stories follow Emilia Cruz’s beginnings as Acapulco’s first female police detective. Investigations involving disappearances and extortion unfold alongside resistance from colleagues, corruption and the dangers of establishing herself in a force that resents her.

A religious relic and a murdered cruise ship passenger send Emilia Cruz into investigations involving kidnapping, drug smuggling and revenge. As the clues point toward further violence in Acapulco, she must navigate an increasingly dangerous case.

When her partner’s wife is killed, Emilia Cruz suspects a connection to a cop killer. Reassigned to an all-female patrol unit, she watches the investigation falter while searching for a way to uncover the truth.

Emilia Cruz joins a national task force investigating the disappearance of forty-three students. Inadequate records and political obstruction hamper the case, while an offer of money to abandon the inquiry exposes the dangers of continuing.

After her father’s apparent suicide, history professor Brodie Macbeth confronts unusual instructions in his will. Reading his inherited books brings threatening dreams, while the mystery of his death draws her toward secrets she does not understand.

Emilia Cruz and her partner discover a murdered man beside an altar to Santa Muerte. Retaliatory killings escalate across Acapulco, while alarming incidents involving those closest to Emilia make the investigation’s dangers feel increasingly personal.

Contributors share personal experiences of Mexico’s culture, landscapes and daily life, from hidden beaches to art and historic places. This collection combines recommendations with observations by people who have found inspiration and opportunity in the country.

Detective Emilia Cruz poses as an art teacher to investigate extortion at a school, where continuing threats put staff under pressure. Presented in English and Spanish, the illustrated story also offers material for language learning.

Drugs concealed as Christmas tree ornaments arrive at an Acapulco department store. Emilia Cruz and partner Franco Silvio go undercover to intercept their intended recipient, but the holiday operation soon demands improvisation as their plans unravel.

Recovering from a cartel ambush, Emilia Cruz faces her stepfather’s kidnapping and a Russian guest’s murder at her boyfriend’s hotel. The investigations lead toward further killings and fuel thieves targeting Mexico’s underground pipelines, putting her family at risk.

A taxi driver’s murder sends Emilia Cruz undercover behind the wheel of a cab. The assignment intersects with a drug lord’s plans for a film and brings her dangerously close to a man from her past.

Twenty-two contributors explore Mexican celebrations through personal travel essays, including Day of the Dead rituals, Independence Day and Christmas posadas. Their accounts examine traditions rooted in religion, community and family, offering perspectives shaped by lived experience.

After stopping a gang attack, Emilia Cruz finds a notebook she believes identifies corrupt police. An internal investigation threatens her career, while a disturbing discovery at the morgue draws her deeper into a web of false identities.

In 1926, the Galliano Club anchors an Italian immigrant community in upstate New York. An alley murder and a witness with secrets threaten its peace as a Chicago gangster targets the club for his bootlegging ambitions.

Three backstories introduce Ruth Cross, Luca Lombardo and Benny Rotolo before their arrival at an upstate New York club. Scandal, costly emigration and Chicago gang violence send them toward a shared destination during Prohibition.

Gangster Benny Rotolo uses blackmail to tighten his grip on the Galliano Club while Luca Lombardo struggles after an attempt on his life. Ruth Cross faces demands from a corrupt policeman, and their secrets become dangerous bargaining tools.

Hanna Gorski arrives in Lido searching for the man who killed her sister, while Luca Lombardo faces false charges. Benny Rotolo exploits his imprisonment to pursue the Galliano Club, drawing Hanna into a battle to uncover the truth.

Acapulco detective Emilia Cruz investigates the murder of the mayor’s sister under intense political pressure. A journey to Washington leaves her hunted by people posing as police, forcing her to consider help from an unlikely enemy.