Emilia Cruz Mysteries

Unexpectedly put in charge of the investigation when her lieutenant is found dead, Emilia Cruz 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.

Terrified by her nightmares of the restaurant fire and shaken by norteamericano hotel manager Kurt Rucker's possible move, Emilia Cruz must catch a violent firebomber and find a missing girl before the iconic beach city is destroyed. Neither investigation is easy, because the influence and impact of Mexico's drug war is everywhere, just like the salt breeze coming off the ocean. Emilia's police work is soon hijacked by savage political rivalries, a corrupt vice cop, and a woman in prison who knows more than she'll say.

When Emilia discovers a human finger, sold as a relic of a famous Mexican martyr, it seems to be evidence of a gruesome kidnapping. It also triggers memories of a painful episode Emilia won't share with gringo hotel manager Kurt Rucker. Struggling with her past, Emilia is plunged into danger as she uncovers how many times the finger was bought and sold before ending up in a posh store. Meanwhile, a rare type of heroin connects to a cruise ship murder, promising more drug war violence for Acapulco's already blood-soaked streets.

More than any other cop in Acapulco, Emilia Cruz has reason to be shaken by the execution-style murders of three law enforcement officers in as many weeks. When her partner Franco Silvio's wife is killed, it's obvious to Emilia that the murders are connected and she could be the cop killer's next target. She expects to join a task force to investigate but is reassigned instead. Her new police unit is a political time bomb championed by Acapulco's ambitious mayor and overseen by a shady union strongman. Corruption and paranoia rule the day.