Cliff Diver An Emilia Cruz Novel Author:Carmen Amato When Acapulco detective Emilia Cruz dives into the murder of a dirty cop, she might hit the rocks instead of the water. CLIFF DIVER is the first novel in the series that takes you inside Mexico's drug wars with a fearless style and an unforgettable woman. — Imagine if you were the first and only female police detective in Acapulco, investigating... more » crime in a city both breathtaking and deadly. Mexican drug cartels battle for control and politicians are bought with blood money.
The detective squadroom reeks of machismo. The lieutenant is a dirty cop who has trapped you into silence.
Unexpectedly put in charge of the investigation when her lieutenant is found dead, Emilia uncovers the lieutenant's sordid sexual past as well as his involvement in a kidnapping and counterfeit money scheme.
Reputations are threatened by her discoveries and truth is for sale. Emilia becomes a pawn in an ugly game of checkmate and corruption played by Acapulco's ambitious mayor and the powerful police union.
Rival police detectives take aim at Emilia's investigation. Their ringleader is a prime suspect. Hotel manager Kurt Rucker has some helpful advice for Emilia but the heat between them is too hot to handle.
Feeling like one of Acapulco's famous cliff divers hoping not to crash on the rocks below, Emilia must choose between truth and survival. But no matter which choice, she won't be ready for the shock of the water.
And neither will you.
"Consistently exciting .. . A clever Mexican detective tale that will leave readers eager for the series' next installment." - Kirkus Reviews
MEET DETECTIVE EMILIA CRUZ
Emilia Cruz is the first and only female police detective in Acapulco. She's a good liar, a fast thinker, and a mean kickboxer in a squadroom that didn't want her and is still trying to break her. Even as she fights to get what she's earned as a cop, Emilia keeps a record of women who have gone missing--casualties of Mexico's drug violence--and is always searching for Las Perdidas,the Lost Ones.
The one thing Emilia doesn't know how to handle is gringo Kurt Rucker, the manager of a luxury hotel in Acapulco. A former US Marine, he has the confidence and leadership qualities she admires. A triathlete, he's calm under pressure and knows what he wants. But does Emilia?
THE TWO FACES OF ACAPULCO
There's the Acapulco that tourists know; the sweep of the most beautiful bay in the world, the majesty of the clear blue Pacific, candlelit nights on the beach, and luxury hi-rises. There's also the Acapulco that is a prize to be fought over by drug cartels--the city that is home to hookers and thieves, the streets where life is cheap and poverty is as pervasive as the wind off the ocean. Both of these versions of Acapulco claw at each other and force Emilia to survive between them. No investigation will be easy, no crime will be simple. Carmen Amato has taken the classic mystery and given it a contemporary Mexican twist. Grab a margarita and come on down to Acapulco . . . If you can take the heat. « less