Barracuda Bay by Carmen Amato immediately pulled me into a gripping story full of danger, political intrigue, and a heroine I won’t soon forget.
Detective Emilia Cruz is tough, smart, and refreshingly human. When she finds the body of a murdered woman—who turns out to be the sister of Acapulco’s mayor—she’s thrust into an investigation loaded with political pressure and deadly secrets. The case quickly spirals beyond a simple murder as Emilia uncovers ties to a secret government operation and becomes the target of a conspiracy within her own police department.
Things take an even more unexpected turn when Emilia is sent to Washington, DC and ends up on the run, hunted by people pretending to be law enforcement. Alone and out of options, she turns to a man she once swore she’d kill—raising the stakes and the tension in a big way.
Despite not having read the earlier books in the series, I had no trouble following the plot or connecting with the characters. Amato does an excellent job grounding readers in Emilia’s world while keeping the action moving. The story is fast-paced, but layered with emotion and moral complexity that made me care about what happened next.
If you enjoy thrillers with strong female leads, international stakes, and a plot that keeps you guessing, Barracuda Bay is a fantastic place to dive in. I’m already planning to go back and start the series from the beginning.
Highly recommended for fans of crime fiction and intelligent, high-octane storytelling.
More About Barracuda Bay (copied from Amazon)
Political corruption turns Acapulco’s first female police detective into a fugitive on the run . . . in Washington DC.
"A thrilling series" -- National Public Radio
In a derelict building for sale, Acapulco police detective Emilia Cruz stumbles on the body of a woman brutally shot to death. Incredibly, the victim was the sister of Acapulco’s ambitious mayor, who is running for re-election against an opponent with deep pockets.
Emilia’s investigation is immediately under pressure for a fast result. The victim’s ex-boyfriend has a suspiciously weak alibi but is the crime scene the key to finding the murderer? The building was once used for a secret Mexican government operation targeting a ruthless drug lord.
Meanwhile, there’s a conspiracy within the police department to force Emilia out.
Before Emilia can save her job or arrest her prime suspect, she’s sent on an errand of mercy to Washington, DC.
There she becomes a fugitive hunted by killers masquerading as cops. Alone, desperate and on the run, Emilia turns for help to a man she once vowed to murder.
He's her only chance to survive a deadly game of political intrigue on the wrong side of the border.
From Acapulco’s beaches to the streets of Washington, DC, the stakes couldn’t be higher in this electrifying, page-turning thriller.
More About Carmen Amato (also sourced from Amazon)
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.
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