Review: Darkly Dreaming Dexter

Amazon  

Have you met Dexter Morgan? Surely you have watched the Showtime series based on his character, or even better, read the absurdly entertaining novels by Jeff Lindsay?

If you answered “no” to any of those questions, you have problems.

It’s time everyone met Dexter, a blood-spatter specialist who works for the Miami Police Department. He is good at his job. He has a girlfriend. His tries to take care of his sister (also in the Miami P.D.).

Dexter Morgan is also a serial killer.

DARKLY DREAMING DEXTER (Amazon) is the first novel in an on-going series by Jeff Lindsay. In this first novel we are introduced to Dexter as he takes us on an introductory ride to one of his kills. Don’t worry, Dexter only kills the scum of Miami. He kills the murderers, rapists, child molesters, and worse that escape punishment. A sympathetic serial killer. We love it, and so should you.

Now, if you actually watched the television series without reading the novels, this first book holds a few surprises. The supporting cast is quite differently portrayed and the attitudes of the characters are slightly different in the novel. The body count is higher as well. More importantly and interestingly, we get a more in-depth look into the mind of our DEARLY DEVOTE DEXTER (Amazon) — see what we did there? We took the title of book 2 in the series and used it in a sentence. Aren’t we clever? This first book has Dexter tracking down a serial killer whose “work” seems to call to him… whose work seems to be a personal message to Dexter.

DARKLY DREAMING DEXTER is wildly entertaining, and well worth the money of a purchase. Luckily, after this first book, the TV series (Amazon) and the books diverge quite radically, giving us more Dexter to enjoy.