Hidden Place

"Intriguing and absorbing, story-telling of the highest order."-Irvine Welsh, author of "Trainspotting"

"Shiflett resists taming his characters, lets them burn in the brambles, in the heat of Mexico. They grow and they learn. We grow and we learn."-Carolyn Chute, author of "The Beans of Egypt, Maine"

"Hidden Place" is a coming-of-age story in which the irreverent voice of "Trainspotting" meets the tropical mystery of "The Beach." Set in Chicago and Mexico, the story focuses on six uncomfortably real characters. On a Mexican beach, a conflict between the local Indians and hippies from the U.S. escalates into a cycle of violence.

Shawn Shiflett was born and raised in Chicago. He is a tenured professor in fiction writing at Chicago's Columbia College. He lives in La Grange, Illinois, with his wife and two children.