Treasure hunt launches for one-off gold edition of Thomas Harris thriller

A nationwide treasure hunt has launched on social media to find a “priceless” golden edition of the long-awaited new book by Hannibal Lecter creator Thomas Harris.

A series of clues posted on social media this week, starting at 9.30am Wednesday (15th May) will culminate in one fan finding an exclusive 'Gold Bullion' edition of Cari Mora (Cornerstone), the first book from Harris in 13 years. The thriller follows a battle for $25million in cartel gold bullion hidden in the Miami Beach mansion of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar. It will be published by William Heinemann in hardback, e-book and audio on Thursday (16th May) and in Arrow paperback in 2020.

The publisher revealed it would be a “priceless” version of the new book, signed by the “elusive” The Silence of the Lambs author, also including a rare illustration by him and containing pure gold. Penguin Random House has created the special version of Cari Mora which features one ounce of ethically-sourced 24 carat gold in its exclusive design.

“The edition, which is the only one of its kind produced and is taken from the first impression of the first printing, is signed by Harris and includes a rare signature illustration of an owl by the author - who has not given an interview since 1976,” PRH said.

The book will be found through a series of clues to its whereabouts, posted daily on the PRH website and social media. The book has been created by Penguin with London-based publisher Visual Editions and graphic design studio Atelier Dyakova. The hunt was launched on Tuesday night (14th May) at specialist London bookshop Goldsboro Books in central London.

Rebecca Ikin, marketing director of Penguin Random House, said: “A new novel from Thomas Harris is already really precious. Then you have the fact that Cari Mora opens so vividly with the premise of $25 million in cartel gold buried in Miami. We were captivated by the idea of echoing that hunt for fans and readers in the real world. The Gold Bullion edition that’s out there is the only one in existence, whoever finds it will truly have something to treasure for ever.”

David Headley, owner of Goldsboro Books and rare book collector, said: “A new book from the man who created Hannibal Lecter is a huge event in itself, particularly as this introduces an all-new baddy. Creating a national treasure hunt for, literally, a global one-off gold edition of Cari Mora is huge in the publishing world. As a rare book expert I’d say this edition is truly priceless - it’s one of a kind and has an incalculable value.  We often say a book is worth its weight in gold, and this one truly is."

To follow the hunt, fans are instructed to follow Penguin social media channels on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook follow the clues in the treasure hunt which will take them both online and offline – all of which will lead to the location of the prize. There will be several clues to be deciphered before the end of the week. The clues will be shared by @DeadGoodBooks, @penguinukbooks and @arrowpublishing using the hashtag #CariMora.