Hat Dance (Detective Emilia Cruz Book 2)

Description

Emilia Cruz, Acapulco's first and only female police detective, will risk a dance with the devil to catch an arsonist and find a missing girl in HAT DANCE, the second book in the series that takes you inside Mexico's drug war with a fearless style and an unforgettable woman.Imagine if you were investigating crime in a city both deadly and breathtaking. Mexican drug cartels battle for control and politicians are bought with blood money. Your partner once vowed to destroy you. Your new lieutenant is a drunk. Your lover might leave Acapulco. And then the restaurant you just left blows up. Terrified by her nightmares of the restaurant fire and shaken by norteamericano hotel manager Kurt Rucker's possible move, Emilia 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.  As Acapulco screams for an end to the flames, the arsonist evades Emilia's sting operation. Meanwhile, the missing girl's trail leads to Acapulco's famous lucha libre fighters.  Inside the coliseum, the heat of the investigation ignites into an inferno. If Emilia's only chance to survive is to dance with the devil, will she take it? Would you? Emilia . . . is a force to be reckoned with . . . I loved Hat Dance just as much as Cliff Diver - MysterySequels.comMEET DETECTIVE EMILIA CRUZEmilia Cruz is the first and only female police detective in Acapulco. She's a good liar, a fastthinker, 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 LostOnes.  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 andknows what he wants. But does Emilia?  THE TWO FACES OFACAPULCOThere'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 betweenthem. 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.