# Crime Fiction Files CIA veteran Carmen Amato takes you behind her high-stakes crime fiction, including the award-winning Detective Emilia Cruz police series set in Acapulco. Page: Feed: --- ## [eBay Assassins](https://carmenamato.substack.com/p/ebay-assassins) _2026-08-16 · Carmen Amato_ From CIA discoveries to cartel accounting, cold economics drive Mexico's 5th largest employer ## [The incredible odyssey of Brother Wang, Mexico’s Fentanyl King](https://carmenamato.substack.com/p/the-incredible-odyssey-of-brother) _2026-08-02 · Carmen Amato_ Proving yet again that truth is stranger than fiction ## [The Shadow War between the US and China is heating up](https://carmenamato.substack.com/p/the-shadow-war-between-the-us-and) _2026-07-19 · Carmen Amato_ A real fortune cookie would tell you what you need to know ## [Shake your family tree until the secrets fall out](https://carmenamato.substack.com/p/shake-your-family-tree-until-the) _2026-07-05 · Carmen Amato_ High-Stakes Fiction and a Personal Loss ## [The search for Nancy Guthrie crosses the border](https://carmenamato.substack.com/p/the-search-for-nancy-guthrie-crosses) _2026-06-21 · Carmen Amato_ And enters the world of Detective Emilia Cruz ## [Enter the DRAGON. I think Bruce would approve.](https://carmenamato.substack.com/p/enter-the-dragon-i-think-bruce-lee) _2026-06-16 · Carmen Amato_ Today is the official release of DRAGON CARTEL, the new Detective Emilia Cruz mystery ## [The Final Countdown to DRAGON CARTEL is ON](https://carmenamato.substack.com/p/the-final-countdown-to-dragon-cartel) _2026-06-06 · Carmen Amato_ China opens a new front in its shadow war with the US and Detective Emilia Cruz is there for it ## [Witches, Noir, and Sticky Notes: My Week in Salem](https://carmenamato.substack.com/p/witches-noir-and-sticky-notes-my) _2026-05-24 · Carmen Amato_ Keynoting a Hispanic Noir conference, chatting with Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and discovering Argentina's disappeared ## [Are Mexican Politicians in the Sinaloa Cartel’s Pocket?](https://carmenamato.substack.com/p/are-mexican-politicians-in-the-sinaloa) _2026-05-10 · Carmen Amato_ The U.S. indictment of ruling party officials reads like a high-stakes thriller ## [Add 2 more to the 100,000 killed by drugs this year](https://carmenamato.substack.com/p/add-2-more-to-the-100000-killed-by) _2026-04-26 · Carmen Amato_ A CIA veteran's take on officers killed in Mexico in the line of duty ## [8.1% APY Plus Free Stock (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/jY8VnxnIPxKu) _2026-04-26 · **Sponsored**_ Claim 8.1% APY and up to $1,030 in SK hynix and Nvidia stock. ## [Your Guide to the Ghosts that Haunt my Crime Fiction](https://carmenamato.substack.com/p/your-guide-to-the-ghosts-that-haunt) _2026-04-12 · Carmen Amato_ Mexico’s disappeared, the UN and numbers that tell the story ## [Why Your Gas Price is a Geopolitical Crime Scene](https://carmenamato.substack.com/p/why-your-gas-price-is-a-geopolitical) _2026-03-29 · Carmen Amato_ Fueling Crime Fiction PLUS Cover Reveal & Release date for DRAGON CARTEL! ## [Inside the Crime Fiction Files](https://carmenamato.substack.com/p/inside-the-crime-fiction-files) _2026-03-27 · Carmen Amato_ Your declassified access to the IRL secrets fueling high-stakes crime fiction. ## [Q: Why Didn't "Hugs not Bullets" Work?](https://carmenamato.substack.com/p/cross-border-ammo-and-arms-hugs-not-bullets) _2026-03-15 · Carmen Amato_ A: Because ants ruined the picnic. ## [Did I Write Omar García Harfuch Into Existence?](https://carmenamato.substack.com/p/did-i-write-omar-garcia-harfuch-into) _2026-03-01 · Carmen Amato_ The surreal experience of discovering that your fictional protagonist’s resume belongs to Mexico's Batman ## [Recipe for a Chinese Dragon](https://carmenamato.substack.com/p/mystery-ahead-recipe-for-a-chinese) _2026-02-15 · Carmen Amato_ "Patience is a bitter plant, but its fruit is sweet." ## [Is Ryan Wedding a Crime Fiction Character?](https://carmenamato.substack.com/p/mystery-ahead-is-ryan-wedding-a-crime) _2026-02-01 · Carmen Amato_ A true story with more twists than a LeCarre spy thriller ## [The Venezuelan Backstory Nobody Told You](https://carmenamato.substack.com/p/the-venezuelan-backstory-nobody-told) _2026-01-18 · Carmen Amato_ Chavez, Maduro, and the roots of crime fiction ## [I’ll trade my top productivity secrets for yours. Deal?](https://carmenamato.substack.com/p/mystery-ahead-productivity-secrets) _2026-01-04 · Carmen Amato_ Let’s Organize the Creative Chaos Together in 2026 ## [Retro Grid Dungeon Crawler (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/58PW9ZnJCER5) _2026-01-04 · **Sponsored**_ Retro grid movement with first-person combat, loot and skill-tree progression. ## [How I Met the Saint of Death and Wrote a Mystery About It](https://carmenamato.substack.com/p/santa-muerte-inspired-pacific-reaper-mystery) _2026-01-02 · Carmen Amato_ Listen to an excerpt from PACIFIC REAPER