Carmen Amato

Ex-CIA intelligence officer Carmen Amato is the award-winning author of 17 thriller novels that Kirkus Reviews described as “Danger and betrayal never more than a few pages away.” Beginning with Cliff Diver, her contemporary Detective Emilia Cruz series pits the first female police detective in Acapulco against Mexico's cartels, corruption, and social inequality. Optioned for television, it’s a 2-time winner of the Outstanding Series award from CrimeMasters of America and a 4-time finalist for the Silver Falchion award. Her standalone thrillers include The Hidden Light of Mexico City, which was longlisted for the 2020 Millennium Book Award. Most recently, Murder at the Galliano Club won the 2023 winner of the Silver Falchion Award for Best Historical. The Prohibition-era Galliano Club series was inspired by her grandfather’s experiences as a deputy sheriff in the 1920’s. Carmen is a recipient of both the National Intelligence Award and the Career Intelligence Medal. Originally from upstate New York, Carmen holds degrees from Le Moyne College and the University of Virginia, plus certificates from Institut Catholique, Paris, and Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. After years of globetrotting, she and her husband live in Tennessee with their German Shepherds, Hazel and Bear. Grab a free copy of the free Detective Emilia Cruz Starter Library at carmenamato .net.