Manuel Ramos is an accomplished American Latino author, best known for his Chicano thrillers and mysteries. Born and raised in Florence, Colorado, he later moved to Denver to work as an attorney. Ramos retired from his legal career and turned his focus towards writing, becoming a prominent figure in the literary world. He is perhaps most famous for his Luis Montez series, which features a Denver lawyer and amateur sleuth as the lead protagonist.
Ramos has received numerous awards for his community and professional service, including the Spirit of Tlatelolco Award, the Chris Miranda Award by the Colorado Hispanic Bar Association, and the Jacob V. Schaetzel Award by the Colorado Bar Association. His works have also been recognized with various literary awards, such as the University of California's at Irvine Latino/Chicano Literary Award, the Colorado Author's League Top Hand Award, and the Colorado Book Award. In addition to his successful fiction career, Ramos has written a bestselling nonfiction work on landlord-tenant law in Colorado, which has been published in six editions.
As an author, Ramos has published eight novels, with five of them belonging to the Luis Montez series. His debut novel, "The Ballad of Rocky Ruiz," was a finalist for the Edgar® award from the Mystery Writers of America. Ramos' other notable works include "King of the Chicanos" and "Desperado: a Mile High Noir," which won the Best Mystery at the Colorado Book Awards. He is also a co-founder of and regular contributor to La Bloga, an online magazine about Latino literature, opinion, news, and culture. Ramos is married to the former director and founder of the KUVO radio station, Florence Hernandez-Ramos.