A twice-monthly update from ex-CIA mystery author Carmen Amato. Find books and more at carmenamato.net/links.
Iâve had a complicated love affair with Mexico for about 25 years. I love the architecture, food, art, poetry, textiles, celebrations, family emphasis, and genuine kindness of so many people.
Other things, not so much.
#topsecret
Once upon a time in Mexico, I had in my possession a check signed by a NATO ambassador that I had to cash at Banamex bank.
The livelihoods of those waiting in line with me were easy to identify because they all wore uniforms. In Mexico, nannies wear pink, maids wear navy or gray, painters suit up in streaked whites and others doing honest labor wear blue boiler suits like in the vintage UK comedy show Last of the Summer Wine.
The looooong line moved at a glacial pace. My fellow time-servers were stoic and resigned and silent.
A young man in a GQ-worthy suit came into the bank. He assessed the queue, consulted a chunky designer watch, and slid into line behind the 3rd person from the front.
Everyone behind him obediently shuffled backwards, making me stumble back, too.
I blew out my breath in a loud huff of disapproval. Everyone else resumed being stoic and resigned and silent.
When I finally got to the teller and handed over the endorsed check, she ran it through a little machine, stamping it with red ink to invalidate the check. When I asked why, I got a flimsy excuse and was told to âCome back in 15 minutes,â a phrase that I now know is Mexico City shorthand for âGo away.â
My huff had broken an unwritten rule. Elites get to do what they want.
The scene ended up in my political thriller THE HIDDEN LIGHT OF MEXICO CITY, with dreadful ramifications for the heroine, Luz de Maria.
Itâs now 15 minutes later
Last month, that stoic resignation crumbled.
Protestors took to the streets and plazas of Mexican cities last month, incensed by the public murder on 1 November of Carlos Manzo, the outspoken anti-crime mayor of Uruapan, the state of MichoacĂĄnâs second-largest city.
Manzoâs murder was the straw that broke the camelâs back after years of rising homicide rates, missing persons tallies, discoveries of mass graves, revelations of officials accepting astronomical bribes, and the murder of local officials who try to counter cartels and corruption.
In Mexico City, the protests turned ugly. Protesters filled the huge Zocalo plaza and the historic streets near the National Palace, raging against high-level assassinations, cartel violence and corruption. 100 police officers were injured.
The organizers call themselves âGeneration Z Mexico.â To them, the federal government is unable or unwilling to confront organized crime. As a result, regular citizens live in a perpetual state of fear.
Still cutting in line
Not that I expected her to start negotiations, but Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum responded to the protests with the same amount of empathy as that young man in the bank.
In a 17 November press conference, Sheinbaum said, âDo you think that they are going to weaken us, that they are going to weaken the president because of what they shout . . . Do you think that those screams and swear words are going to do something to me?â
No, I donât, Madame Presidente.
This isnât about showing weakness, but having the strength to confront what is going very wrong in your country.
Start addressing the reasons for discontent before something worse happens in the next 15 minutes.
Featured image from Vintage Lenses via Pexels
A gift of current events
While there are no violent protests in political thriller THE HIDDEN LIGHT OF MEXICO CITY, the book takes you inside the same issues that Generation Z is protesting.
Social divides, official corruption, and the influence of drug cartels are woven together in a story that Literary Fiction Review called âEnthralling political drama.â
THE HIDDEN LIGHT OF MEXICO CITY was Longlisted for the 2020 Millennium Book Award and makes an exciting gift for someone who loves to mix crime thrillers with current events.
For the ultimate gift, combine THE HIDDEN LIGHT OF MEXICO CITY with MEXICO CITY COCKTAILS, a book that is a gorgeous âtourâ of the city via favorite adult beverages.
(Throw in a margarita mix and a shaker and you have officially won Christmas.)
#excerpt
The audiobook version of PACIFIC REAPER: A Detective Emilia Cruz Novel is out now, narrated by Leanne Maksin.
Iâm grateful to Audible listener and reviewer Becky S. who wrote âAn exciting plot, wonderful characters. Very well written . . . Leanne Maksin presents this Acapulco murder mystery so well. Her Hispanic accent and proper pronunciation bring authenticity to this story. She brings feels and angst to the action. 5 stars for her as well.â
Hereâs Leanne voicing a scene in which Emilia encounters a killer in a dingy hostel near Acapulcoâs Coyuca Lagoon, where Sylvester Stallone filmed Rambo:
Thatâs all for this edition of Mystery Ahead. Thank you for spending this time with me.
Until next time, Carmen
PS: A percentage of my book sales go to support veterans and first responder organizations. When you buy a book, invite me on a podcast or recommend this newsletter, you help me help others. Thank you.
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MY BACKSTORYâ I learned a few things about danger, deception and resilience during a 30-year career with the CIA focusing on counterdrug and technical collection. Now a mystery author, those lessons play out on the page, especially in the Detective Emilia Cruz mystery series set in Acapulco. Starting with Cliff Diver, the series is a back-to-back winner of the Poison Cup Award for Outstanding Series from CrimeMasters of America. Iâve also written historical and political thrillers, essays about the craft of crime fiction, and live with a very large white dog named Bear.
In case you missed earlier newsletters:
Carmen, I love Mexico, too, one of my favorite places I've ever spent time, so the thing I especially like about your books and posts like this are glimpses of things you'd never see or understand as a tourist or short-term student.
It truly is a love-hate relationship imho. So much to love, but a lot can either get on your nerves or make you go crazy. The adage 'patience is a virtue' was written for Mexico, I believe ): PS the cocktail book looks great!! And so great Pacific Reaper is on Audible.