#HiddenLight
“Enthralling political drama.” — literary fiction review
The lost chapter of THE HIDDEN LIGHT OF MEXICO CITY
My "Simplify" theme for 2019 led to some housekeeping and that in turn led to the discovery of a lost chapter of THE HIDDEN LIGHT OF MEXICO CITY. Backstory The novel was originally an 800 page (Not. Kidding.) all written from the point of view of the...
Itzel’s story, or how she came to be in a thriller
Many of the pivotal moments in my life have happened over a good meal. One time, however, the meal wasn’t even cooked. There was a thriving expatriate community in Mexico City when we lived there. Soon after arriving, I met Delia from South Carolina. Her...
Swimming lessons, or how he got into a thriller
I’ve always liked to be in the water, but by no stretch of the imagination can I call myself a strong swimmer. I didn’t take swimming lessons until I was in 5th grade, when I learned to do a passable crawl and a backstroke that always sent me into the next...
El Cid: A literary hero’s literary hero
Everybody has heard of Don Quixote. The image of the fictional tilter-at-windmills is everywhere in Mexico, which has long adopted Spanish literature and legends as its own. But when I went looking for the literary hero for my fictional Mexican hero in THE...
The Great Madonna Mistake
It took me five years to realize the mistake. The Madonna mistake. In THE HIDDEN LIGHT OF MEXICO CITY, Luz de Maria is a maid in Mexico City who returns home to the small town of Soledad de Doblado after losing her job. There she sees a news report that...
How to write a political thriller
One of the most often-asked questions for a mystery and thriller author is "Where does your inspiration come from?" Political thriller THE HIDDEN LIGHT OF MEXICO CITY had quite the auspicious beginning . . . Fateful dinner party We were invited to a dinner party at...
From Panama to Mexico and back again
Every thriller needs the big climax, right? But suspense needs to be built with action scenes that intrigue us. The mystery setting Remember how in THE KEY TO REBECCA, there's the big climax in the desert as the spy, Wolff, tries to get the radio he's left with the...
Matching Books with Museums in Mexico City
There you are, strolling through amazing exhibits and you know something’s missing. Like the backstory. Wish you'd known more before going? But there wasn't time. Besides, research before going to a museum sounds too much like work. So prep with a little fiction!...
The Hidden Lovers of San Miguel
In the political thriller THE HIDDEN LIGHT OF MEXICO CITY, Luz and Eddo briefly escape a political scheme to buy the Mexican presidency with drug money, and spend time away from the world in the lovely Mexican town of San Miguel de Allende. A 4-hour drive northwest...
Padre Ricardo and the Sacristy of Santa Clara
The Hidden Light of Mexico City contains a number of references from my own experiences in Mexico City. I've already written about the class struggle of simply standing in a line but also wanted to share a sadder, more compelling event that helped shape the book's...
Why Read a Book About Mexico Now
Reading about Mexico now is a mix of highs and lows. Fiction can't substitute for facts but it can lead us to become interested enough in an issue to find out what is really going on. That is the impact I hope The Hidden Light of Mexico City can have. The press...
A tale of Mexico: the school bus and the thriller
THE HIDDEN LIGHT OF MEXICO CITY is a political thriller, with characters based on many people I met in Mexico City. And a bus. The setting Let me set this up for you. Our house was at the start of the school bus route going home. My children had a 10 minute ride. In...
