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Dragon Cartel: A Detective Emilia Cruz Novel
When Acapulco’s first female police detective takes on a missing persons case, she becomes the ultimate wild card in a shadow war between the US and China. The rules of engagement are unknown and the body count is rising.
Detective Emilia Cruz is already running on fumes. She’s actively hunting El Barracuda, a brutal cartel hitman leaving a blood-soaked trail across Acapulco. But when a Customs inspector vanishes from the city port, his desperate wife begs Emilia to bypass the red tape.
Emilia’s investigation immediately runs into roadblocks. Port security doesn’t want a city cop nosing around. The missing man’s co-workers are less than helpful.
The only clue to his disappearance is a list of commercial shipping containers.
During an operation to find El Barracuda, Emilia finds an identical list. Is there a connection between the cartel killer and the missing Customs inspector?
At the same time, the interrogation of a mysterious Chinese national turns a local crime into an international puzzle. The man has all the hallmarks of a spy, including multiple passports and encrypted communication devices.
A missing inspector. A cartel assassin. And a conspiracy that links Mexico and the United States to China.
In a beautiful city where life is cheap and secrets are a commodity, Emilia Cruz is about to find out that some lists are written in blood.
For readers of authentic crime fiction and detective series, this taut police procedural delivers a brilliant female sleuth who relies on raw determination to crack a crime hidden inside international commercial shipping routes.
If you love vivid characters and international crime fiction by Ian Rankin, Ann Cleeves and Don Winslow, don’t miss Detective Emilia Cruz. She’ll take you on a trip to Acapulco you’ll never forget.
Detective Emilia Cruz is already running on fumes. She’s actively hunting El Barracuda, a brutal cartel hitman leaving a blood-soaked trail across Acapulco. But when a Customs inspector vanishes from the city port, his desperate wife begs Emilia to bypass the red tape.
Emilia’s investigation immediately runs into roadblocks. Port security doesn’t want a city cop nosing around. The missing man’s co-workers are less than helpful.
The only clue to his disappearance is a list of commercial shipping containers.
During an operation to find El Barracuda, Emilia finds an identical list. Is there a connection between the cartel killer and the missing Customs inspector?
At the same time, the interrogation of a mysterious Chinese national turns a local crime into an international puzzle. The man has all the hallmarks of a spy, including multiple passports and encrypted communication devices.
A missing inspector. A cartel assassin. And a conspiracy that links Mexico and the United States to China.
In a beautiful city where life is cheap and secrets are a commodity, Emilia Cruz is about to find out that some lists are written in blood.
For readers of authentic crime fiction and detective series, this taut police procedural delivers a brilliant female sleuth who relies on raw determination to crack a crime hidden inside international commercial shipping routes.
If you love vivid characters and international crime fiction by Ian Rankin, Ann Cleeves and Don Winslow, don’t miss Detective Emilia Cruz. She’ll take you on a trip to Acapulco you’ll never forget.
376 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 14, 2026
About the author
Carmen Amato
37 books388 followersCarmen Amato is the author of the Detective Emilia Cryz mystery series pitting the first female police detective in Acapulco against Mexico's cartels, corruption, and social inequality. Starting with Cliff Diver, the series is a 2-time winner of the Outstanding Series award from CrimeMasters of America and was hailed by National Public Radio as “A thrilling series.”
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. She writes the popular Mystery Ahead newsletter on Substack with her top secrets, exclusive excerpts and book reviews: https://mysteryahead.substack.com.
Originally from upstate New York, after years of globe-trotting she and her husband enjoy life in Tennessee. https://carmenamato.net/links
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. She writes the popular Mystery Ahead newsletter on Substack with her top secrets, exclusive excerpts and book reviews: https://mysteryahead.substack.com.
Originally from upstate New York, after years of globe-trotting she and her husband enjoy life in Tennessee. https://carmenamato.net/links
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 7, 2026
I finished reading this book yesterday and I can't stop thinking about it. I really enjoyed the story, and the ending was so exciting and unexpected! Carmen Amato does a great job immersing the reader in the Mexican landscape and culture. I also enjoyed the character development. I've read two of her other books in this series and plan to go back and read the rest.
If you like mystery and suspense, this is a great option. Love me a strong female main character! (Hit him again, Emilia!)
If you like mystery and suspense, this is a great option. Love me a strong female main character! (Hit him again, Emilia!)
October 5, 2026
Carmen Amato’s Dragon Cartel: A Detective Emilia Cruz Novel plunges readers into Acapulco's dangerous underworld, where corruption, organized crime, and international intrigue collide.
Detective Emilia Cruz is already stretched to her limits as she hunts El Barracuda, a ruthless cartel hitman, whose violent trail has left the city reeling. When a Customs inspector disappears from the port, his desperate wife turns to Emilia for help, forcing the detective into an investigation that quickly becomes more complicated than a simple missing-person case. Port officials resist her questions, the inspector’s colleagues remain suspiciously uncooperative, and the only tangible clue is a list of commercial shipping containers. Then Emilia discovers an identical list during an operation targeting El Barracuda. Could the missing inspector and the cartel assassin be connected? As the investigation deepens, the interrogation of a mysterious Chinese national introduces multiple passports, encrypted communications, and the unsettling possibility of international espionage. What begins as a local crime soon expands into a dangerous conspiracy reaching from Mexico and the United States to China.
Emilia Cruz is a compelling central character, and Amato gives her the determination and resilience expected of an experienced detective as readers can see the toll her work takes on her. Emilia is not simply chasing criminals; she is navigating institutional resistance, personal danger, and a city where powerful interests can make the truth difficult to uncover. The supporting characters add further layers of suspicion, particularly those connected to the port and the enigmatic Chinese national whose secrets broaden the investigation. The novel explores themes of corruption, loyalty, greed, justice, and the consequences of treating human lives as expendable commodities. One of its strongest underlying ideas is that criminal enterprises rarely operate in isolation. Seemingly unrelated crimes can connect through money, power, and international networks, and uncovering the truth requires persistence and courage.
Amato’s writing is crisp and atmospheric, effectively capturing the contrast between Acapulco’s beauty and the darker forces operating beneath its surface. The setting feels integral to the story rather than merely providing a backdrop, while the criminal and international elements create an increasingly tense atmosphere. The pacing is deliberately driven by investigation, discovery, and escalating danger, with new clues continually raising questions rather than providing easy answers. The shipping container lists provide an intriguing thread that gradually connects the strands of the mystery. The combination of police procedural, cartel thriller, and international conspiracy gives the novel a broad scope without losing sight of its detective at the center.
Quill says: Carmen Amato successfully combines a missing-person mystery with cartel violence and espionage, creating a story in which every clue seems capable of leading Emilia deeper into danger. With its determined heroine, atmospheric setting, and steadily mounting tension, Dragon Cartel offers a suspenseful crime thriller that keeps the question of who can be trusted at the forefront.
Detective Emilia Cruz is already stretched to her limits as she hunts El Barracuda, a ruthless cartel hitman, whose violent trail has left the city reeling. When a Customs inspector disappears from the port, his desperate wife turns to Emilia for help, forcing the detective into an investigation that quickly becomes more complicated than a simple missing-person case. Port officials resist her questions, the inspector’s colleagues remain suspiciously uncooperative, and the only tangible clue is a list of commercial shipping containers. Then Emilia discovers an identical list during an operation targeting El Barracuda. Could the missing inspector and the cartel assassin be connected? As the investigation deepens, the interrogation of a mysterious Chinese national introduces multiple passports, encrypted communications, and the unsettling possibility of international espionage. What begins as a local crime soon expands into a dangerous conspiracy reaching from Mexico and the United States to China.
Emilia Cruz is a compelling central character, and Amato gives her the determination and resilience expected of an experienced detective as readers can see the toll her work takes on her. Emilia is not simply chasing criminals; she is navigating institutional resistance, personal danger, and a city where powerful interests can make the truth difficult to uncover. The supporting characters add further layers of suspicion, particularly those connected to the port and the enigmatic Chinese national whose secrets broaden the investigation. The novel explores themes of corruption, loyalty, greed, justice, and the consequences of treating human lives as expendable commodities. One of its strongest underlying ideas is that criminal enterprises rarely operate in isolation. Seemingly unrelated crimes can connect through money, power, and international networks, and uncovering the truth requires persistence and courage.
Amato’s writing is crisp and atmospheric, effectively capturing the contrast between Acapulco’s beauty and the darker forces operating beneath its surface. The setting feels integral to the story rather than merely providing a backdrop, while the criminal and international elements create an increasingly tense atmosphere. The pacing is deliberately driven by investigation, discovery, and escalating danger, with new clues continually raising questions rather than providing easy answers. The shipping container lists provide an intriguing thread that gradually connects the strands of the mystery. The combination of police procedural, cartel thriller, and international conspiracy gives the novel a broad scope without losing sight of its detective at the center.
Quill says: Carmen Amato successfully combines a missing-person mystery with cartel violence and espionage, creating a story in which every clue seems capable of leading Emilia deeper into danger. With its determined heroine, atmospheric setting, and steadily mounting tension, Dragon Cartel offers a suspenseful crime thriller that keeps the question of who can be trusted at the forefront.
August 11, 2026
The exciting conclusion (?) to the 10-book Emilia Cruz detective series with all the elements that hallmark this wonderful series...Emilia's personal challenges, fortitude, and ass-kicking; her love-hate relationship with partner/boss Silvio; resolution of some ongoing threads; terrifying life-and-death scenarios; shocking resolution to the book's mysteries; and portraits of various aspects of Mexican culture.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews