Carmen Amato

Carmen Amato turns a 30 year career with the Central Intelligence Agency into fiction loaded with danger and deception. Beginning with Cliff Diver, the Detective Emilia Cruz police procedural mystery series pits the first female police detective in Acapulco against Mexico's cartels, corruption, and social inequality. Optioned for television, it’s a two-time winner of the Outstanding Series award from CrimeMasters of America as well as a Silver Falchion award from Killer Nashville. Standalone books include political espionage thriller The Hidden Light of Mexico City, which was longlisted for the 2020 Millennium Book Award. Her new Galliano Club historical fiction series was inspired by her grandfather, a deputy sheriff during Prohibition. 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. She is a recipient of both the National Intelligence Award and the Career Intelligence Medal. Carmen’s popular Mystery Ahead newsletter unlocks her top secrets with exclusive content and reviews. Check it out at https://carmenamato.net.