Review: Cari Mora by Thomas Harris

Cari Mora is the caretaker of a house with a turbulent history. Abandoned save the remnants of the movies filmed within it, the house is victim to a history of wealth. Originally belonging to Pablo Escobar, and subsequently the plaything of rich directors, it is a shell of its former grandeur. Yet like an oyster, it hides at its heart a secret; not a pearl, but gold. Several million dollars’ worth, to be precise. Leading the hunt for this prize is Peter-Hans Schneider, a troubled treasure seeker with a fondness for butchering and selling young women. As he gets closer to his shiny prize, Hans-Peter can’t help but notice Cari, and begins seeking a buyer for both treasures.

The problem with creating a brilliant series is that readers tend to compare any subsequent writing to it; unfortunately, I think Cari Mora has certainly, and erroneously, fallen into this trap. While Harris’ latest offering lacks the dark panache and hubris of the Hannibal series, it presents a female lead wrapped tightly in a cloak of mysticism, silent suffering, and ambition. What sets Harris’ characters apart from the hordes of other villains and heroes is their refusal to play victim, clearly and masterfully demonstrated by Cari Mora. Despite a past wriggling with fetid bodies and scars, she refuses to bend to the wills of men such as Hans-Peter Schneider. A damsel in distress she is not.

My critique of this book has nothing to do with Harris’ other works – I refuse to dampen my enthusiasm for Cari because of my admiration for Lector – to do so is an injustice to both. My sole complaint about Cari Mora is that there is not more of it. At times, it felt as though Harris were sprinting through the narrative, denying the reader the chance to explore and savour this new creation. However, this rapid pace also makes the book alluring and easy to follow; it is a crafty demonstration of the best of both.

Can Cari Mora become a cult classic like Hannibal Lector? Perhaps, but that is not the question we should ask. In a world in which Mora exists, Lector does not. There is no basis for comparison for the two, and I beg readers to keep this in mind when you hold this book in your hands. I certainly hope to see more of Cari, as I have a sneaking suspicion that the glimpse afforded to us in this book is not all there is to her story.

Cari Mora by Thomas Harris is published by William Heinemann, an imprint of Penguin Random House.