Title: Darkly
Dreaming Dexter
Author: Jeff Lindsay
Series: Dexter
#1
Published: July
2005 by Orion (first published July 2004)
Length: 275 pages
Warnings: graphic gore
Source: bought
Other info: This
has been adapted into a fairly successful TV show. There are 7 books in the
series, with alliterative names (that makes me happy, for some reason)!
Summary : Dexter
Morgan isn't exactly the kind of man you'd bring home to your mum. At heart,
he's the perfect gentleman: he has a shy girlfriend, and seems to lead a quiet,
normal life bordering on the mundane. Despite the fact that he can't stand the
sight of blood, he works as a blood-spatter analyst for the Miami police.But
Dexter also has a secret hobby: he is an accomplished serial killer. So far,
he's killed 36 people and has never been caught because he knows exactly how to
hide the evidence. And while that may lead some people to assume he's not such
a nice guy, he tempers his insatiable hunger for brutality by only killing the
bad guys. However, Dexter's well-organised life is suddenly disrupted when a
second, much more visible serial killer appears in Miami. Intrigued that the
other killer favours a style similar to his own, Dexter soon realises that the
mysterious new arrival is not simply invading his turf but offering him a
direct invitation to 'come out and play'...
Review: Dexter
Morgan is a serial killer serial killer. He’s also a forensic scientist for the
Miami Police Departent and has a normal life outside of that. So one day,
there’s a nother serial killer going round Miami, and this one is different.
Instead of being one that Dexter can just take out quietly, this one wants to
play.
I watched a couple of episodes of Dexter before another show
took over my life, but I enjoyed what I saw, and will go back to it, because
it’s intriguing, and I like reading source material of films/books that have
been adapted, so I read this.
The most complex character is Dexter, a sociopath carrying a
Dark Passenger. In order to sate the Dark Passenger and also to keep to his
morals, Dexter follows the advice of his adoptive father, Harry, and only kills
those who deserve it. I’d like to see more of him. Serial killers really should
not be this likable.
Deb was my second favourite character. I like the fact that
she’s really driven, and fights against the men’s misogynistic views of her, even
when being put on the group of undercover police posing as hookers.
The mystery goes in lots of different directions, which I
enjoy. At the end, when the reveal happens, it’s just a big… wait? Where do you
come from? However, this does give us
some good backstory, and also gives Dexter an extra side to explore later.
Overall: Strength 3 to what I hope is the start of a
bloody good series.
I've had this full series for a while and the bf adores the TV show, so I really should be getting to read this one and the rest and then watch the show!
ReplyDeleteGreat revivew!