🎯 Where Should I Start?
ⓘ About Carmen Amato
Carmen is originally from upstate New York, and her experiences in Central America and Mexico launched her fiction writing career. Previously the head of a US national intelligence tradecraft school, she additionally headed up an intelligence collection program with responsibility all across the Western Hemisphere. Carmen’s a recipient of both the Career Intelligence Medal and the National Intelligence Award. Carmen holds a BA (cum laude) in history and political science from LeMoyne College and a Masters in International Relations from the University of Virginia, along with certificates of completion from Institute Catholique in Paris, France, as well as Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. While writing, she is fairly organized.
All Book Series by Carmen Amato
Revenge at the Galliano Club
Latest in the series · book 4 of 4 · published 2023
The Insider’s Guide to the Best of Mexico
Series opener · book 1 of 2 · published 2017
Insider's Guide to the Best of Mexican Holidays
Latest in the series · book 2 of 2 · published 2021
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Carmen Amato?
Carmen is originally from upstate New York, and her experiences in Central America and Mexico launched her fiction writing career. Previously the head of a US national intelligence tradecraft school, she additionally headed up an intelligence collection program with responsibility all across the Western Hemisphere. Carmen’s a recipient of both the Career Intelligence Medal and the National Intelligence Award.
Which Carmen Amato series should I start with?
The best place to start is the Emilia Cruz Mysteries series, the earliest of Carmen Amato's multi-book series: it opens with Cliff Diver (2013) and runs to 12 books across 2013–2025, ending with Barracuda Bay (2025). Carmen Amato's other series stand alone, so they can be read in any order.
How many books has Carmen Amato written?
Carmen Amato has 21 books catalogued in this guide, published between 2011 and 2025. 16 of them belong to 2 named series — the largest being the Emilia Cruz Mysteries series with 12 books — and 5 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.
In what order should Carmen Amato's series be read?
Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. Carmen Amato's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are Emilia Cruz Mysteries (2013–2025, 12 books) and Galliano Club Thrillers (2022–2023, 4 books).
How are Carmen Amato's books organised into series?
This guide splits Carmen Amato's 21 books into 2 named series and 5 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: Emilia Cruz Mysteries (12 books, 2013–2025); Galliano Club Thrillers (4 books, 2022–2023).