The book Memento Mori is one of those recommendations that immediately grabs your attention. If you want to learn the details of this wonderful story, you're in the right place.
César Pérez Gellida, author of the work.
Cesar Perez Gellida, author
César Pérez Gellida, born in Valladolid, Mexico in 1974. He has a degree in geography and history from the University of Valladolid and also has a master's degree in business management and marketing from the Valladolid Chamber of Commerce.
He has developed his professional career in various commercial management, marketing, and communication positions in companies related to the area of telecommunications and the audiovisual company. In 2011 he decides to move to Madrid with his family and dedicates himself fully to his writing career.
Memento Mori is the first in a large body of novels that won the Golden Grape Award for Literature in 2012. Much more information about his life and works can be found on his website.
Memento Mori, the argument book (Back cover)
It is September of the year 2010. On that particular Sunday morning, there was nothing to give the homicide inspector of the city of Valladolid, Ramiro Sancho, any omens. But the nightmare that would mark him for the rest of his life was just beginning.
The investigation of the homicide of a young Ecuadorian woman whose eyelids were mutilated and has verses written on her body that would make anyone's hair stand on end; this is what occupies the first pages of the dark novel, narrated in a daring way with a cinematographic language.
However, César Pérez Gellida takes us down an unexpected path when he describes what happened from the perspective of the murderer, a self-centered sociopath who is influenced by current music and the most important works of universal literature.
The fast-paced unfolding of events culminates in the intervention of one of the most renowned experts on serial killers. This complex emotional triangle, along with the intrigue surrounding the killer's accomplice, transforms Memento Mori into an action-packed thriller with a powerful soundtrack.
The novel
The book Memento Mori is the first in a trilogy entitled "Verses, Songs, and Bits of Meat." And given the close proximity of publication between the first and second books, it appears that all three were written simultaneously.
Memento Mori begins with a prologue, something that is no longer common nowadays. In the prologue, we learn this (among other things):
«What he did not know is that he had just left his job to give himself body and soul to his literary passion; a decision as precious as it is risky».
Certainly the author is very brave, especially in these times, to leave your job to fulfill your dream, and even more so when you say that the dream is not only to be a writer, but to live from it.
Main characters of the book
What follows the prologue is a section that, much like in Agatha Christie's novels, introduces the characters who will appear in the book. We must commend how well they are conceived and developed, and the nuances we observe in them. Certainly, we may like some more than others, but it's safe to say that none will leave us indifferent. The characters in Memento Mori are:
- Ramiro Sancho (Police Inspector): He is in charge of the group of inspectors that investigate the first homicide, and those that follow. He is a divorced, red-haired guy, a fan of Rugby and proverbs. He will try to lock up a murderer that he knows very well, who is always one step ahead.
- Martina (Doctorate in Psycholinguistics): She is the police assistant on the profile of the murderer, in terms of the clues and poems left at the crime scene. Her first meeting with Ramiro Sancho is not very pleasant, but then things improve between them.
- Armando Lopategui "Carapocha" (Criminal psychologist, retired KGB and Stasi agent): Nicknamed "El Carapocha" by others due to the shape of his face, this rather peculiar psychologist, an expert on serial killers, arrives in Valladolid to collaborate with the police in the capture of this psychopath or sociopath. Sancho and he become instant friends.
- Augusto Ledesma (Expert in document copying and graphic designer, serial killer): Augusto was adopted as a child. He lacks empathy towards others. He is a recurring user of alcohol and cocaine, but ridiculously tries to balance it with an exercise routine and a balanced diet.
"In Augusto's list of needs, contact with other people was as expendable as it was unsatisfactory."
- Pylades (the pseudonym under which Orestes/Augustus hides): His true identity remains a mystery. He is the one truly responsible for Augustus becoming what he is.
«It was during that stage when he became aware that music could become as important to him as literature, but, above all, because it was then that Orestes contacted the person he needed to bring his work to fruition: Pílades» .
- Music: Although it seems incredible, music is a protagonist completely in memento mori, his presence is essential throughout the novel. Augusto is a lover of literature and music, and this is part of the soundtrack of his life (And of the book).
At the end of the novel there is a compilation of all the songs (21 in total) which is really fantastic. If we read the book while listening to the soundtrack, it is a total genius, since the soundtrack is perfectly chosen, and we will enter an incredible audiovisual experience.
Opinion about the Book
The book Memento Mori isn't written to reveal the killer, because we know who he is from the very beginning. We'll essentially learn everything about him, even closely following his every move. We'll witness his scheme to manipulate the police, holding the facts together to stay one step ahead. Augusto Ledesma, with all his different personalities, is a killer we should fear.
However, we have the privilege of seeing the story from two different angles: that of the murderer, and that of the investigator. Investigator Ramiro Sancho does not know who the murderer is (although we do). So we are discovering the story from his point of view, the one who wants to discover the identity and put the criminal behind bars, facing him from ignorance and uncertainty.
The victims have little in common, so the killer is not seen to have a clear motive; the only thing the victims have in common is the "signature" that Augustus leaves on them. In all the murders, he leaves, in an almost poetic way, verses of his authorship.
It makes it seem that both characters are playing chess, where one studies and premeditates the next step, so as not to compromise the game and thus win.
The book Memento Mori is narrated in the third person and is structured in chapters that relate to Bunbury. The narrator focuses on the events, characters, and settings, giving the reader a clear, almost cinematic, view of the novel.
César Pérez Gellida uses simple, fluent language, he also introduces some sayings (Ramiro Sancho's favourites), and many will make us smile. And although at certain times we will find some writings in Latin, this does not suppose any complication for the reader, because the translation of it is found in the footer.
The mystery surrounding Pylades' identity is extremely intriguing; we can speculate about it, but we don't truly discover it until the very end of the book. Although some scenes are somewhat predictable, the book remains captivating.
If you found this article interesting, don't forget to check out our related article, a summary of the book Blood of an Invincible Champion.
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