cliff diver

Cliff Diver

Imagine being told that you cannot drive a car with out of state plates unless the owners are in it. Such started the day of Detective Emilia Cruz and hotel manager Kurt Rucker. When this was managed the next thing she had to deal with was the resentment, rudeness and definite harassment of the other detectives in her unit. But that would soon change and get worse when called to a crime scene and realizing that the Chief of Detectives was the gory victim. Managing the timeline of the murder Emilia learns that the maid said the lieutenant came home at nine that evening  and left at ten. No keys no identification, no gun nothing. No medal keys  wallet of police creds. Odd to say; the least. Even more was learned that half to dh cops in her unit were in and still are in the pocket of a cartel or gang. Paid to make investigations go away. Paid to lose evide3nce,r records and witnesses. The other half of her department was negotiating with federales to tell or tattle on fellow officers. The third half influence and projection and arrange for fake money to be delivered to kidnappers and mules.

When they realize that Lieutenant Fausto Inocente was the victim things take on an unusual turn as each detective including the highest ranking one at the time Silvio want the top spot to run with the investigation but the head of the Police Union wants Emilia and promotes her to lieutenant against her better wishes or judgment and at times you wonder why she does not stick up for her own abilities and put these guys in their places. Even her partner Rico resents her, but she had not choice but to take on the job.

With the murder board in place Email was able to create her own pattern for the murder. Maria Theresa and Doctora Change were having an affair. She did not deny it. The assistant to the head of the union was always there and you wonder what role he played. A child was kidnapped, and the money used to pay the ransom was counterfeit where is the real money? The mayor was down her throat and wanted the case to solve even before is started. Needing certain information, she had to hope she would be allowed to pen and close entries so why did Silvio and the late Innocent have that and not her. Report of possible counterfeited Estados Unidos currency manage of the become Back near the wharf. She did not trust Silvio and you wonder just what his role is in all of this. Morelos de Gama says the man whose son was kidnapped, and Bruno Inocente was the late Fausto’s brother and his greatest to email were real and his wanting to cover up the kidnapping of the son of a man who bough a company for this family was paramount.

Relationships and trust are at the heart of this novel as Emilia must choose her opponents and her allies and that won’t be easy as someone is hiding in plain sight. Others are after money and Lt. Inocente paid the price but was it for the ransom, was it because of his affairs or was there something deeper and more deadly? As events unfold and Emilia gets embroiled in politics, the mayor and her agenda and realizing where her loyalties should lie, what will the outcome be when she realizes and learns the truth? What about the water company and the man who owns it? What about the truth behind the kidnapping and the money? The ransom was paid in counterfeit bills and when She and her partner Rico were honored she received an envelope with counterfeit bills. What did she do with it?
An intricate plot with many different subplots. Email found the day of Lt. Inocente’s death and compared every call made from the Costa Esmeralda land line or his home to her lists of every number collected during the investigation and a startling revelation was made. The final scenes you won’t believe but first she needs to find out whether Silvio was his accomplice in all that happened with the money and the kidnappers/ What about the man from Pinkerton was he partners with Inocente and who double crossed who? Email realized that the head of the place policeman’s  union Obregon was trying to take her spirits down and then the case of officers, Ruiz, Gomez who made the mistake of his life, Fuentes, and others were supposed to support her but will they in the end? Speculations rise and a harsh reality becomes known as Emilia uncovers the truth behind the death of this man, but will she expose the person, or will it be buried beneath the waters?

Strongminded, loyal and honest are some of her traits but the author brings to light the fact that her mother Sophia has dementia and has memory and reality issues and a man named Ernesto Cruz comes out of nowhere and she thinks its her missing or in reality her dead husband and this adds some concern for the reader as to why Emilia allows him to stay and the truth behind why he chose Sophia over his own wife.

Lies, betrayals, survival, deceptions, corrupt police, and a truth that will destroy someone if it comes out. Emilia Cruz as the potential to lead this precinct but because she’s not a man will they give her another chance at the top role? Where will she be next? What is next for her unit and who will remain only author Carmen Armato knows the answers. Added in what about her relationship that is comes out with Kurt Rucker the hotel manager will that become a storyline, and will she finally realize the fun of being a CLIVE DIVER?

Fran Lewis: Just reviews