Dexter is a serial killer, a killer who just can't help himself. He doesn't even see himself as human. But he does have something of a conscience and lives by the Code of Harry, his cop foster father, who understood his nature and sought to help Dexter control it somewhat when he was a teenager. Now a blood spatter analyst for Miami police, he's brought in on gruesome murder cases and a new serial killer in the city has Dexter feeling inspired, flattered and awestruck - and frightened that it's really him, doing the killings in his sleep.His sister Deborah is a cop trying to move her way up but reduced to posing as a hooker to catch curb crawlers, and what with Dexter's "hunches" about murderers, gets him to help her on the case. Yet he's ambivalent - he so admires this killer's work, does he really want to see it end? He'd rather play, and since the killer has been sending him messages through the way the dead bodies are displayed, he's drawn into a fascinating game with deadly consequences.I have to say, Dexter is one of the most engaging and interesting - and understandable, perverse as it may be - anti-heroes I've ever read. He's not right in the head and he knows it, he spends a great deal of effort pretending to be human, and ordinary, yet because he only goes after sick bastards like child-molesting priests and the like, you can't help but appreciate his vigilante efforts - though what he does to his victims is far from a quick and easy death.It's a combination of his macabre humour - this book is really quite funny - the characters and his observations of them, and his narrative voice: so effortless, so calm, seeing a perspective and an angle to people that non-sociopaths (is that the right word?) would not see so well. He thinks like a killer, yet still comes across as somewhat naive and innocent. He's not at all interested in sex or women, so his disguise as "boyfriend" shows this "innocence" well:And if her uncertain, limping tone of voice, unlike any I had ever heard her use before, was a surprise, imagine how astonished I was by her costume. I believe the thing was called a peignoir; or possibly it was a negligee, since it certainly was negligible as far as the amount of fabric used in its construction was concerned. Whatever the correct name, she was certainly wearing it. And as bizarre as the idea was, I believe the costume was aimed at me. (p.154)His childlike wonder and appreciation for the way the other killer is slicing up bodies and arranging them also gives him some kind of ... childlike quality. It's hard to find the right adjective for Dexter: he's a complicated character, because he's all grey, despite being very clearly a serial killer. There's no attempt to gloss over that, or excuse him. Yet was there ever a more fascinating and affable murderer? He's not even creepy - now that's an achievement! And because it's not in the least sexual, he's not creepy in that way either. On the contrary, even though you know he can't really function normally, you want him to be happy. He's a bit Batman-ish, in a nerdy way, the dark avenger or something silly like that. Regardless, he's likeable and even sympathetic; but more necessary to the reading experience: he's a wonderful narrator with a thing for alliteration - namely with the letter D; truly, he's very inventive.I don't like mass market crime books, I loathe Patricia Cornwall, John Grisham is exceedingly dull, and I couldn't even finish P.D. James' The Lighthouse because I was so bored - the problem with your typical crime book is the lack of characterisation. There's plenty of that here, in fact, it's all about the characters. There's still plot, though, and a mystery, which you can figure out somewhat before Dexter does, but it all hinges on the characters. I thought the Epilogue was too rushed, and the relationship resolution between Dexter and Deborah too pat, but they're minor quibbles. I'm keen to read the next book, Dearly Devoted Dexter, and there's a third coming out in September.
Version: UnabridgedPublisher: Recorded BooksNarrated by: Author Jeff LindsayDarkly Dreaming Dexter introduces Dexter Morgan serial killer of serial killers. To the outside world he is a charming, attractive normal guy with a respectable job with the forensic department. But Dexter (for anyone who hasn’t watched the tv show) is constantly battling his “dark passenger” who dreams of death and can only be assuaged by brutal murder and clinical dismemberment. He was adopted as a young boy by a policeman named Harry who saw Dexter’s darkness early on and was able to instill in him a strict code of rules to control his impulses and keep him safe. Now that Harry is dead, Dexter still hears Harry’s voice in his head and it almost always keeps him on track.Without boring you with an overlong plot rehash I’ll keep it neat and tidy. There’s a serial killer on the loose who is chopping up women and leaving their bloodless body parts for Dexter and company to find. Dexter is intrigued by the killer’s mastery and finesse and makes it his business to track down the guy. But wait! This killer seems to know Dexter’s deepest, darkest secret and begins taunting him. The plot relies heavily on Dexter’s ability to sense the other killer and Dexter’s “dreams” of the murders. Whether you buy it or not will depend entirely on just how far you are willing to suspend your disbelief. I went with it. I’m easy sometimes and I really like Dexter.I borrowed this audiobook from Overdrive and it was narrated by the author. While he does a decent job voicing Dexter’s calm, cool charm and wry sense of humor, he stumbles in a big way with Debra, Dexter’s put-upon stepsister who is desperately trying to get promoted and get off undercover “hooker duty” so she can do some actual police work. This Debra unpleasantly barks out every line with ear shattering impatience. As much as I enjoy her character because she is cranky and impatient, I cringed whenever she had something to say here. It wouldn’t have surprised me if she bit Dexter what with the way she was so overly snarly (she didn't). However, it’s not a guy reading a girl thing that I have a problem with here (for once) because Lindsay does LaGuerta’s voice in a smarmy, man-hungry and perfectly fitting way for the power hungry nitwit. Though a story filled with murder and mayhem it surprisingly doesn't dwell on the gory details. Instead it gets into Dexter’s head, explaining how he feels when he gives in to his dark passenger (really freaking good). This is something the show is just unable to do and it helps one understand how his mind works. I enjoyed this story and this intimate look into Dexter’s head and will continue the series. My only nitpick was Dexter’s bad habit of repeating himself. Yeah, yeah so he’s unemotional, not human, follows a strict code and is always in control. I get it. I don’t need to be continually banged over the noggin with those facts. It got tiresome and I felt like the only one he was trying to convince was himself because he was so often NOT in control for most of this book. But other than that complaint, the characters are great and the story zips along at a pace that never loses or bores the crap out of me.
What do You think about Darkly Dreaming Dexter (2006)?
For the most part, the basic plot of the book is stereotypical crime thriller: there's a serial killer on the loose who must be stopped before he can strike again (and, of course, each crime scene is more inventive than the last). However, what makes the book so enjoyable is that Dexter, the blood splatter expert trying to catch the killer, is also a serial killer--albeit, a kinder, gentler killer. Because Dexter's foster father (a former policeman) spotted the signs of Dexter's sociopathic behavior early on, he was able to mold Dexter into a vigilante who provides a service to society by offing the bad guys while simultaneously indulging his own need to kill. This inventive twist makes for interesting reading as Dexter doesn't feel emotion and feigns being a normal human being just to stay below the law enforcement radar. Because of this, Dexter's observations on human nature are often hilarious and it's fascinating to see how his mind works. If you're looking for something a little different, a few laughs, and are willing to overlook some plot/character weaknesses, Dexter is well worth the time.
—Amanda
What a surprise it was for me to find these amazing books that gave birth to one of my favourite TV shows. There are many guidance lines one can approach these novels, here I present you some:1) The mask. Dexter is not an ordinary person. Dexter is a full-time actor; he pretends all the time and is aware that he must subdue his true nature to a lighter version of himself, 24/7. As an incredibly clever person (one collateral effect many psychos have) he knows better than many of us what to do and how to do to cover himself with the unsuspicious robe of virtue - the very person who is the closest to him, his sister Debra, a dectetive, is absolutely clueless about his bloody hobbies. Dexter also is aways defying society to uncover what lies beneath his acting paper, dropping clues now and then: the name of his boat is Slice of Life, he works as a blood analyst, a perfect way to get more info about his potential victms and he dates a girl who is too afraid of men to get deeper in the couple intimacy. Makes you wonder, how many of your acquaintances are what they seem to be?2) The conscience. Now, unlike most of TV psychos, usually villains, Dexter does have a conscience. He confronts his victims by showing them their deeds before they´re eliminated (in the most clean and ritualistic way, always), he worries about the welfare of his family if he ever happen to be caught, he does what it takes to protect his girl from her abusive former husband. Dexter often gets out of his way to rescue the women of his life, Rita and Debra. Even when the stakes are too high, he puts other's interests before his own's and that's a first when we are talking about serial killers.3) The identity. Are we what we are supposed to be? How do we become who we are? What constitutes the most important influence over who we are, genetics or upbringing? Apparently, Dexter was supposed to be a murderer anyway, as his brother Brian is, after they both saw their mom being killed in a very harsh manner, which, added to his foster dad training, ended in a unescapable fate. Harry, noticing Dexter's tendencies on a very early age, found a way to leash his anger to kill by taming his murder instintic to 'proper' victims, only. But what would have happened if Dexter was not adopted by Harry? Would he become exactly what he is? Would he have buried his true nature scared of the risk of losing his dear life and become a happy citizen? Or would his tormented soul and skilful hands have destroyed many more lives, undistinticly? That we'll never know for sure.Well, in a few words, I recommend it to Showtime's Dexter fans. But read at your own risk, I warn you all!
—Carolina Morales
Dude. Best serial killer book I've read in a while. Funny, creepy, yet not horrifying in the way that American Psycho is. What can I say - I'm much more engaged by a book that is a rollicking good mystery combined with a creepy-funny narrative voice versus a meditation on American society in the 80s combined with a creepy-funny-creepy narrative voice. I'll admit I first picked up this book because I want to watch the Showtime series, and I'm a book-before-movie kinda gal. (Everyone at work is wa
—notyourmonkey
