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Cliff Diver An Emilia Cruz Novel Carmen Amato 9781482308044 Books

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Cliff Diver An Emilia Cruz Novel Carmen Amato 9781482308044 Books

I love these books and I've read three of them. Of course, I love Mexico too and Emilia is not only a good cop but the book portrays what it must be like to be a woman cop in Mexico.


Tags : Cliff Diver: An Emilia Cruz Novel [Carmen Amato] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. <div><div><b>Imagine if you were the first and only female police detective in Acapulco. Mexican drug cartels battle for control. Politicians are bought with blood money.</b><br /> <br />The detective squadroom reeks of machismo</i>. <br /> <br />The lieutenant is a dirty cop who has trapped you into silence.<br /> <br />When Detective Emilia Cruz is put in charge of the investigation into her lieutenant's murder,Carmen Amato,Cliff Diver: An Emilia Cruz Novel,CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform,1482308045,Mystery & Detective - Police Procedural,FICTION Mystery & Detective Police Procedural,Fiction,Fiction - General,Fiction Hispanic & Latino,Fiction : Mystery & Detective - Police Procedural,FictionMystery & Detective - Police Procedural,Hispanic & Latino,HispanicLatino American,MysterySuspense,PRINT ON DEMAND

Cliff Diver An Emilia Cruz Novel Carmen Amato 9781482308044 Books Reviews

I was actually floored by Carmen Amato's books - the entire Emilia Cruz trio as well as The Hidden Light of Mexico City.
Amato paints a frightening although not unexpected picture of corruption and organized crime, focusing on a few honest cops (this is actually the theme of all four books) and their efforts to clean up the bits of the mess they had access to.
Her characters are well drawn and 3-dimensional whether as a reader you like them or not.
Emilia is delightful. She's a tough police detective who is forced to spend half her time either fighting her own colleagues or trying to figure out her next step in a police-and-other-authority power game.
I enjoyed Cliff Diver, the first Emilia Cruz book, so much that I instantly bought all the others, and loved them, too.
As a retired journalist who spent a fair amount of time covering stories in Mexico and Central America, I am often overly critical of novels written by U.S. authors who - after spending a week in Cozumel or along the Pacific coast of Honduras - think they can write mysteries set in those countries.
That's especially true, in my experience, when it comes to Mexico.
The simple fact is, most U.S. authors know little - or nothing - about Mexico, its history and culture, and they especially know almost nothing about how its criminal justice system works. As a result, their narratives - almost without fail - paint Mexican police as either corrupt or incompetent.
Neither stereotype is correct, just as it is incorrect to conclude that all U.S. cops are violent, racist bullies based upon the actions of a few.
Given my innate distrust of U.S. authors attempting to write murder mysteries set in Mexico, I picked up Carmen Amato's "Cliff Diver" with a certain degree of skepticism.
Turns out that skepticism was completely unwarranted.
In plain point of fact, "Cliff Diver" is a tightly written novel with believable - and authentic - characters written by an author who clearly understands the people and culture of Mexico in general and Acapulco in particular.
The story centers around the murder of a corrupt police lieutenant and the subsequent efforts to track down his killer by members of the homicide squad he once commanded. Just as often happens in the United States with many high-profile cases, the investigation is hampered by political interference and demands that it be solved quickly. It is also hampered, in this case, by the fact the police union has stepped in and promoted the most junior detective on the squad - and its only woman - to the position of acting lieutenant in charge of leading the investigation.
As you can imagine, that does not sit well with the more experienced male detectives on the squad.
The result is a wonderful story full of twists, turns, and red herrings that will keep readers guessing about the killer's identity and the reason for the dead lieutenant's murder.
In Detective Emilia Cruz, Amato has created a terrific heroine. Driven to "do the right thing" even when that seems almost impossible, Cruz did not seek the acting lieutenant's position. In fact, when it is offered to her she tries to turn it down knowing (a) that she lacks experience and (b) the effect her appointment will have on the other members of the squad. Once it is made clear to her that she must accept the temporary promotion, she sets about the difficult task of trying to bring the killer to justice despite the animosity of her colleagues.
Amato has a strong narrative voice and the ability to flesh out secondary characters making them more than the literary equivalent of mannequins. That's not easy to do and her ability to give life and depth to the secondary characters in "Cliff Diver" make this novel a real joy to read. She also has a nice touch when describing the scenes in this book, providing just enough detail to put readers in the moment without overdoing it. That is another major plus in my book.
The verdict This is an excellent bit of storytelling by a writer who truly understands not only the people and culture of Mexico but also has a wonderful command of the storyteller's art.
Emilia Cruz, a junior detective in the Acapulco, Mexico police force is put in charge of a major investigation into the death of Lt. Inocente of the Acapulco homicide team. It is obvious to her there’s more to his death than catching the perpetrator and soon she is drawn into a nasty situation that threatens her life and livelihood.

Good setting in Acapulco captures its high-flying attitude and grandiose plans (Olympics) vs. hotels and people with a shady past, as well as kidnappings, counterfeit dollars, murder and bribery. Some wonderful characters Emilia’s mother and her boyfriend, the knife sharpener; Lt. Inocente’s stuck up wife; and the features and foibles of fellow cops. Romantic angle seems forced and unlikely given the social and working differences. A scruffy, smart-ass cop and a grand hotel manager with an international background? But Emilia is portrayed as a challenge to this man of the world. Adds a nice touch.

Realistic depiction of Emilia surrounded by macho detectives, and an attempted rape scene is one of the best I’ve read. Fantastic and believable twist at end reminded me of a true crime many years ago in Acapulco.

An entertaining page turner for Mexicophiles.
I love these books and I've read three of them. Of course, I love Mexico too and Emilia is not only a good cop but the book portrays what it must be like to be a woman cop in Mexico.