Diablo Nights
by Carmen Amato
Rights Sold
Description
Awards & Endorsements
Author(s)
Carmen Amato
Related Titles
| Publisher | Author Carmen Amato |
| Publication | Jun 27, 2014 |
| Format | EBook |
| ISBN | 978-0985325657 |
| Pages | 423 |
| Age | 18 - 99 |
| Price | $4.99 |
Diablo Nights
A religious relic lures Acapulco's first female police detective into a brutally dangerous arena of drug smuggling and corruption.
DIABLO NIGHTS is the 3rd book in the Detective Emilia Cruz which features the first female police detective in Acapulco as she confronts cartels, corruption and social inequality amid the hunt for Mexico's missing. The setting, characters, and connection to current events in Mexico make this a highly appealing series for international readers.
Author Carmen Amato learned a few things about danger, deception and resilience during a 30-year career with the CIA focusing on counterdrug and technical collection. Now those lessons play out on the page, especially in the Detective Emilia Cruz mystery series set in Acapulco. Starting with CLIFF DIVER, the series is a back-to-back winner of the Poison Cup Award for Outstanding Series from CrimeMasters of America.
Fans of police procedural murder mystery series by renowned authors such as Ian Rankin, Jo Nesbo, Ann Cleeves, and Peter May, as well as the Department Q novels and Don Winslow's cartel and border thrillers set in Mexico, also love Detective Emilia Cruz's complex plots, fast action, pulse-pounding suspense, and exotic location.
Reviews, Awards & Endorsements
"At first glance, this series is quite similar to the In Death books by J.D. Robb. Both feature a plucky female detective with a dark past who has a thirst for justice and a rich foreign lover who plays back-up on occasion. While I couldn’t help but make note of the similarities, Amato’s unique setting, realistic characters, and intriguing plot set her apart. She brings Mexico to life in Emilia’s world of glittering tourist destinations and dangerous back alleys, where luxury cruise ships and rich spring-breakers collide with drug cartels, vigilantes, and corrupt government officials."
Outstanding Series Award, 2019
Outstanding Series Award, 2020
Author
Carmen Amato
CIA veteran Carmen Amato is the author of the Detective Emilia Cruz mystery series pitting the first female police detective in Acapulco against Mexico's cartels, corruption, and social inequality amid the hunt for Mexico's missing. Starting with Cliff Diver, the series is a back-to-back winner of the Poison Cup Award for Outstanding Series from CrimeMasters of America. Optioned for television, National Public Radio hailed it as “A thrilling series.”
Carmen is also the author of the Galliano Club historical fiction thrillers inspired by her grandfather who was a deputy sheriff in New York during Prohibition. Murder at the Galliano Club won the 2023 Silver Falchion Award for Best Historical. Revenge at the Galliano Club, was a finalist for the same award in 2024.
Her standalone thrillers include The Hidden Light of Mexico City, which was longlisted for the 2020 Millennium Book Award.
A 30-year veteran of the CIA where she focused on technical collection and counterdrug issues, Carmen is a recipient of both the National Intelligence Award and the Career Intelligence Medal.
A judge for the BookLife Prize and Killer Nashville’s Claymore Award, her essays have appeared in Criminal Element, Publishers Weekly, and other national publications.
Originally from upstate New York, Carmen's experiences in Mexico and Central America ignited her writing career. After years of globetrotting, she currently resides in Tennessee.