Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay
Nov. 23rd, 2009 10:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
quippeThe Blurb On The Back:
Dexter Morgan appears to be the perfect gentleman. He leads a normal, quiet life working as a forensic officer for the Miami Police. He has a nice, shy girlfriend and is liked by her young children. But Dexter has a secret hobby. He’s an accomplished serial killer. So far he’s killed dozens of people and has never been caught, because he knows exactly how to dispose of the evidence. And there are those who would rather he wasn’t killed at all, because Dexter is a serial killer with a difference. He only kills the city’s bad guys. Then Dexter’s well-organised life is thrown into chaos. Another serial killer is invading his territory – and he wants Dexter to come out and play ...
Dexter Morgan will be familiar to anyone who has seen the TV series, DEXTER (which is adapted from this series). For newcomers, he’s a blood-splatter analyst for the Miami Police who applies Harry’s Code (a moral code developed by his foster father) rein in the instincts of his Dark Passenger so that he only kills murderers who have escaped justice. To disguise his true nature, he’s cultivated an aura of normalcy – his girlfriend is a woman with two children but doesn’t want sex due to the brutality she suffered from her ex boyfriend and to his colleagues he’s a friendly soul who brings in pastries. Life is going well until a new serial killer hits town – one who dismembers his victims and leaves them wrapped in small parcels, but who never leaves a trace of blood. Dexter’s fascination with the case grows when the killer begins to leave messages for him, messages that suggest he knows what Dexter really is. Soon he finds himself caught between helping his sister, Debs, and her police colleagues catch the killer and wanting to help his achieve his vision and soon he’s faced with a deadly choice that could change his life forever.
The pacing is tight, with Lindsay keeping the events rocketing alone. More to the point, it’s darkly entertaining with Dexter’s narration laced with self-mocking irony and twisted observations on the mystery and the people around him. Some of the humour is spectacularly dark, which may well put some readers off. It’s because Dexter’s voice is so vivid that the supporting cast pale in comparison. Of those worth noting, the most striking are LaGuerta, an untalented detective who’s risen through the ranks through her political instincts; Debs, Dexter’s foul-mouthed foster-sister who is determined to be a detective but who lacks the political skills to work the system to her advantage and Masouka, Dexter’s fellow lab rat who doesn’t quite fit in.
Fans of the tv show will be disappointed that Doakes, Angel and Rita don’t feature more but there are some crucial differences in the plot that should hold their interest. I’m looking forward to reading more in the series.
The Verdict:
This isn’t the TV show and that’s part of the reason why it’s such an entertaining read – the other reason being the truly devilish sense of humour that runs through Dexter’s narration.
Dexter Morgan appears to be the perfect gentleman. He leads a normal, quiet life working as a forensic officer for the Miami Police. He has a nice, shy girlfriend and is liked by her young children. But Dexter has a secret hobby. He’s an accomplished serial killer. So far he’s killed dozens of people and has never been caught, because he knows exactly how to dispose of the evidence. And there are those who would rather he wasn’t killed at all, because Dexter is a serial killer with a difference. He only kills the city’s bad guys. Then Dexter’s well-organised life is thrown into chaos. Another serial killer is invading his territory – and he wants Dexter to come out and play ...
Dexter Morgan will be familiar to anyone who has seen the TV series, DEXTER (which is adapted from this series). For newcomers, he’s a blood-splatter analyst for the Miami Police who applies Harry’s Code (a moral code developed by his foster father) rein in the instincts of his Dark Passenger so that he only kills murderers who have escaped justice. To disguise his true nature, he’s cultivated an aura of normalcy – his girlfriend is a woman with two children but doesn’t want sex due to the brutality she suffered from her ex boyfriend and to his colleagues he’s a friendly soul who brings in pastries. Life is going well until a new serial killer hits town – one who dismembers his victims and leaves them wrapped in small parcels, but who never leaves a trace of blood. Dexter’s fascination with the case grows when the killer begins to leave messages for him, messages that suggest he knows what Dexter really is. Soon he finds himself caught between helping his sister, Debs, and her police colleagues catch the killer and wanting to help his achieve his vision and soon he’s faced with a deadly choice that could change his life forever.
The pacing is tight, with Lindsay keeping the events rocketing alone. More to the point, it’s darkly entertaining with Dexter’s narration laced with self-mocking irony and twisted observations on the mystery and the people around him. Some of the humour is spectacularly dark, which may well put some readers off. It’s because Dexter’s voice is so vivid that the supporting cast pale in comparison. Of those worth noting, the most striking are LaGuerta, an untalented detective who’s risen through the ranks through her political instincts; Debs, Dexter’s foul-mouthed foster-sister who is determined to be a detective but who lacks the political skills to work the system to her advantage and Masouka, Dexter’s fellow lab rat who doesn’t quite fit in.
Fans of the tv show will be disappointed that Doakes, Angel and Rita don’t feature more but there are some crucial differences in the plot that should hold their interest. I’m looking forward to reading more in the series.
The Verdict:
This isn’t the TV show and that’s part of the reason why it’s such an entertaining read – the other reason being the truly devilish sense of humour that runs through Dexter’s narration.
