The talented Cristina Matta is the award-winning author of two gripping, uniquely structured mystery series that keep readers on the edge of their seats.
In her Cracked the Case series, Cristina brings an innovative twist to the mystery genre. Each book offers readers not just one conclusion but three possible endings. After finishing the story, readers are invited to choose their favorite ending, or better yet, submit their own! If their ending is selected, it could even be featured on Cristina’s website, making readers a part of the creative process. This series is a fun, interactive experience that brings humor, sarcasm, and thrilling plot twists to life.
Hello Cristina, welcome to BrandEducation! Please Tell us about yourself.
I miss the four seasons and Chicago style pizza but living in Florida has allowed me to write the Crack the Case series and meet some incredible people, so I am happy here. I love languages and have a Masters in Applied Linguistics, and I’m fluent in Spanish. I’ve traveled to many countries, and will continue to travel as much as I can. I miss my black labrador, Caper, who definitely was an adventure in her 15 years. I go on the largest roller coasters, but get sick on the tiny rides. My secret shame, but hey, they are real people, is watching Love Island, both UK and US versions.
I am trying to become a good sales person for my books… so I have been practicing using power words to generate attention and sell books.
Where are you from, and where do you live?
I am from the Chicago area, and moved to the west coast of Florida near Tampa four years ago.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I love traveling, amusement parks and zoos. When I’m not working my day job, I’m usually writing the next book or working on social media posts. I love spending time with family and friends, just hanging out, avoiding the mosquitos.
Can you tell us a little bit about your journey?
I’ve been a mystery reader my whole life starting with Nate the Great and the Trixie Belden mysteries, and moving up to Agatha Christie and Dick Francis. I always thought about writing one, but I only got serious about it after I survived an 8.1 magnitude earthquake in Peru. When I got back to Chicago, I wrote about my experience and sent it out to everyone I knew so I wouldn’t have to talk about it. I got a lot of positive feedback, so I tried publishing it, and over the next 3 years I turned it into a mystery novel. Tremor in the Hills has been through many iterations and edits, and the best version is coming out later this year. It features a young woman who is dealing with PTSD from an earthquake who gets embroiled in a murder and must fight corruption and fallout from the earthquake to find the murderer. It is book one in a 3 part series.
My story, and other women’s earthquake survival stories, are also out in a collection called Never Shaken: Tales of Survival. It’s out, but it needs work to be a good non-fiction book.
Pairs, the first in the Crack the Case series came about while I was trying to edit book 2 of the Peru/earthquake series. I had major writers block, so I decided to take paper and pen to a tiki bar on the Manatee River near the Gulf and try writing my thoughts down the old-fashioned way. As I was sipping my wine, I came up with the story for Pairs. My friend had shared with me some interesting profile pictures on a popular dating site. Some of them were so silly that I thought it would be fun to write a satire on modern day dating, and of course, it had to be a mystery. That book just won the Literary Titan book award.
If you had to describe yourself in 3 words, what would they be?
Friendly, Funny, Strong.
What inspires you?
The follies of life and trying not to take them too seriously. Every Crack the Case book has a theme that gently makes fun of something we all go through. With Pairs, it is relationships, Mishaps is about being clumsy, Wrecks is about crazy automobile accidents and Critters is about our relationship with animals. There are 3 more in the works for 2026 and 2027 with other themes.
Share something our audience wouldn’t know about you.
I have a good ear for languages and can repeat words from other languages well with just a small accent.
How did you get into writing or doing this work? It started off as a 1 book wonder that went nowhere, but I have decided to treat the 6 books I have as a small business since it seems that I cannot stop writing.
What do you want to promote?
I would like to have people read my books. Selling points: Have you ever read a book and felt let down by the ending? Not anymore. With Pairs and Mishaps, part of the Crack the Case series, you’re not just reading a story—you’re stepping into the role of co-creator. The author is handing over the reins and giving you the power to shape the ending the way you want. It’s dynamic literature at its finest—stories that grow with the reader and evolve over time. The topics are instantly relatable: from the chaos of online dating to the all-too-familiar missteps we’ve all experienced (or witnessed) in everyday life. Whether you see yourself in poor Susan from Pairs or you’ve had your own hilarious moment like those in Mishaps, these books are more than just stories—they’re experiences you get to finish your way. So why just read a book when you can crack the case and write the ending yourself?
Can you tell us what inspired your book/work and what is the story behind it?
The Crack the Case series is inspired by my observation of people, and my life in Florida. Tremor in the Hills was inspired by the 2007 earthquake in Pisco/Ica, Peru. I was in Ica when it hit.
Are you working on anything at the present you would like to share? Yes, absolutely! I am in the final editing stage of Wrecks and Critters from the Crack the Case books, and Tremor in the Hills. I am also writing book 5 of the Crack the Case series, and editing book 2 of the Tremor series. I write a blog every week about Detective Ned, and I am trying to build my TikTok / BookTok following by doing a kind of slam poetry based on Ned’s Notes.
What are your goals and aspirations? I would like to build my social media and blog following, sell lots of books, and really turn my book writing into a small business. With the Tremor in the Hills books, if I find success, I vowed to help earthquake survivors also, and I found the perfect organization to do that with: buildchange.org. I believe in their work to build earthquake resilient homes. I remember going back to Peru three years after the earthquake and people were still living in US AID tents. Build Change goes in and teaches people to build back in a way that is sustainable
Where can we find you online?
You can find me at: https://CrackTheCaseBooks.com – join the blog with your email, and click on “Shop Books” and
Instagram @cristina_matta_k