'Cari Mora' by Thomas Harris Is A Carefully Crafted And Historically Rooted Thriller
“Monsters know when they are recognized, just as bores do”
After a 13-year hiatus, Thomas Harris, the world-renowned author best known for his series of thriller novels involving the famous cannibal Hannibal Lecter, has unleashed his latest novel entitled “Cari Mora” on his eager fans. Harris’ newest novel is a departure from the series that made him famous, but what has not changed is his poignant style that helps the readers immerse themselves into the high-tension world that “Cari Mora” encapsulates.
“Cari Mora” follows the titular protagonist Caridad “Cari” Mora, a Columbian refugee that lives in Miami Beach. Cari finds herself in a precarious position as her status as a temporary protected refugee means that at any time ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) may revoke the very status that keeps her in the US and have her deported back to the horrors she escaped from. Cari works a variety of jobs ranging from wildlife rehabilitation to caretaking in order to eke out a living. She intermingles with a community full of people with similar backgrounds. One of her odd jobs has landed her as the caretaker of a house once owned by the infamous Pablo Escobar. Unbeknownst to Cari, a secret cache of gold worth millions is hidden under the property and rival groups are moving in to claim the gold for themselves. Cari Mora will find herself caught between the two rival gangs and face dangers that the already tough as nails young woman will have to overcome to survive. Both groups will prove relentless in their attempts, pulling Cari and those that she cares about into the conflict that comes to a jaw-dropping ending.
Thomas Harris does a remarkably thorough job crafting a compelling story with historical roots that help to propel the plot forward in exciting ways. A quick history lesson on the aftermath of Pablo Escobar’s death would easily allow the scenario presented in Cari Mora to be completely plausible. Both rival groups have stakes in the game as one group is comprised of former members of Escobar’s cartel and the other a rival group led by the enigmatic Hans-Peter Schneider. Schneider’s background hints towards a family connection to Nazis as he was born in Paraguay to German parents that fled Germany after World War 2.
Schneider’s sadistic and sociopathic personality is well suited for the villain’s main pursuit as a human trafficker, though at times this reviewer will admit that the character seems almost absurd in his over-the-top displays of sadism and violence. Throw in his Alopecia condition (he’s completely hairless), and you have a villain that seems well suited as a Bond villain or straight out of an action film from the 80s. Despite the various other antagonists in the novel, Schneider is arguably the main villain as his fixation on Cari Mora fuels much of the conflict for Cari throughout the novel. He becomes almost enamored with Cari upon their first encounter. Cari’s keen intuition helps her to see him instantly as the monster he has become but does not fully prepare her for what he has in store for her.
Cari’s past is fundamental to how she deals with Schneider and the rival gangs. Important details and flashbacks are interwoven throughout the novel in pivotal moments throughout, offering glimpses into the events that made her the survivor she is today. Cari’s background as a child soldier in FARC, a guerrilla army involved in an ongoing war with the Columbian government, has tempered her resolve in a way that makes Cari’s struggles all the more harrowing. As a former child soldier, Cari’s ability to stand toe-to-toe with the various henchmen that Schneider sends against her does make the more action-packed scenes in the novel a bit easier to digest.
For those expecting something more methodical as Harris’ previous novels may find this was off-putting. This reviewer’s advice is to abandon your preconceived notions of what one should expect from a Thomas Harris novel and allow for a fresh perspective. “Cari Mora” is a fantastic novel and character study of a survivor that has faced a horrific past that prepared her to face the very real monsters of tomorrow.
Thomas Harris is the author of six novels and may be best known for his character Hannibal Lecter. All of his books have been made into films, including most notably the multiple Oscar winner, The Silence of The Lambs. Harris began his writing career covering crime in the United States and Mexico and was a reporter and editor at the Associated Press in New York.
Read more within the Library of Lamentations on Monsters, Madness and Magic here: Wardens of the Weird: A Deep Dive Into The Dark Corner Issue # 1