Darkly Dreaming Dexter: The GRIPPING thriller that's inspired the Showtime series DEXTER: ORIGINAL SIN and DEXTER: RESURRECTION

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.

Darkly Dreaming Dexter is the first of a sequence of books about Miami serial killer Dexter Morgan, upon which the US series "Dexter" is based. I have seen the first season of Dexter and read the book on that basis. This isn't something I generally like doing (in this order) because if you see someone else's interpretation of a novel before you read it, it is liable to stick with you and effect your feelings about the book during the reading. This happened with Darkly Dreaming Dexter which is why I always try to read the book first. I really enjoyed the first season of Dexter and so I thought I'd enjoy it equally in written form, I've often wished that The Wire or Breaking Bad textually rich series original to the small screen had novelisations so suited are they to a literary form that they are visual novels. Dexter Morgan isn't any old serial killer hiding in the shadows, Dexter is the adopted son of a cop, who works in the forensic department of the local police, he has a girlfriend, named Rita, a sister named Debra, also a cop in the same force, and a Code, the Code given to him by his father Harry, who recognised that Dexter had a dark desire in him, a Dark Passenger, which couldn't be tamed, but might be controlled. Harry, a jaded cop who has seen too many people get away with murder, or be too lightly sentenced, instills in Dexter that he can kill, but he must only ever kill bad people. So that's the premise, and it's a good, original, one. The writing quality is solidly good, I particularly liked the opening paragraphs beginning with : Moon. Glorious Moon. Full fat, reddish, moon, the night as light as day, the moonlight flooding down across the land, and bringing joy, joy, joy. Bringing too the full throated call of the tropical night, the soft and wild voice of the wind roaring through the hairs on your arm, the hollow wail of starlight, the teeth grinding bellow of the moonlight off the water. Dexter may be a killer, but his voice is often a poetic one. What is amusing and perhaps disturbing is that there is a feature on the Kindle which shows which sections of the novel have been most highlighted. All Darkly, Dreaming Dexter's most highlighted are insights into the disconnect from normality experienced by the sociopath, so clearly there is a readership out there identifying with the character! I liked some of these asides, also used as voice over "If I had feelings I'd have them for Deb". Somehow Dexter does have feelings, he just doesn't realise it himself To begin with the novel more or less follows the series, but a huge deviation occurs at the midway point when, though the outcome is roughly the same, the road it takes to that outcome massively differs from on screen. Having had both versions, dare I say it that the series brought us to the conclusion in a much more believable way. I dare say I will read the rest of the Dexter novels in time as I did enjoy it and it was well written 8/10

Sharp, witty and full of purpose, Dexter Morgan is a Miami-based blood spatter analyst, with a foster sister in the police force, a sweet, damaged but undaunted girlfriend, and all the charm of a classic movie icon dipped in Dior. He’s also (spoiler) a murderer. But he only kills bad people, so it’s hard not to root for him. His conscience, as well as the code of ethics gifted him by late foster father, Harry, dictates who needs to die. Whereupon, Dexter allows his ‘dark passenger’, the murderous, hack-happy side of himself, to take over. I love the TV series and this was my first foray into the books. How I loved it. Dexter is an endlessly fascinating character, meticulous, a student of human behaviour, he isn’t cold but he isn’t quite human either. And he’s funny. My, he’s funny. “There is something strange and disarming about looking at a homicide scene in the bright daylight of the Miami sun. It makes the most grotesque killings look antiseptic, staged. Like you’re in a new and daring section of Disney World. Dahmer Land. Come ride the refrigerator. Please hurl your lunch in the designated containers only.” 10% in, Chapter Three, Darkly Dreaming Dexter (Dexter #1) by Jeff Lindsay With a new serial killer in town, Dexter can’t help but marvel at the bloodlessness of the bodies the Miami police find, and it’s hard for him to believe that the murderer isn’t trying to communicate with him directly. Not to challenge or threaten him, it’s more like the killer is inviting him out to play. But with his dreamscape taking him to new and confusing places, is the killer with the precision cuts and the bloodless bodies Dexter himself? A dark, deadly delight. I must read the rest.

Not only is Dexter a blood spatter analyst and adopted son of a policeman, but a psychopath and serial killer. He has a code of 'ethics' surrounding how he chooses his victims, and his thoughts and responses are quite often humorous. I found it was Dexter himself that kept me interested, especially the delving into his past, apart from that, I didn't find the overall plot for this first book terribly exciting, it was somewhat monotonous, however still an enjoyable read. I found the writing style to be very basic. That could be a plus for a lot of people, especially if they are just getting into reading, but for me, a little too basic. I have been reading horror/thrillers since I was nine years old, and to be honest, bar the level of some of the uglier, gorier content, the ease of reading and style reminded me of my childhood reading days. I flew through this book in a few hours, it in fact felt rather short. Throughout I was constantly feeling that the content needed fleshed out. I found use of description and character development lacking. I mused that maybe the lack of depth could be deliberate, as it is written from the viewpoint of a psychopath, whose perceptions and overall experiences of life may be rather 2D. Overall an enjoyable read, however I haven't rushed to buy the second in the series just yet. Maybe the books get a little more sophisticated as time goes on. I think I will be saving the purchase of subsequent books in the series for when I specifically want a very easy, uncomplicated read.

Dexter is a forensic blood splatter analyst for the Miami Police, who is secretly a sociopath. Dexter’s adoptive father, a policeman named Harry, realised very early that Dexter was a sociopath, but he didn’t discourage him. Instead, there is Harry’s Code he must apply, and Dexter must only kill criminals who are not convicted—the bad guys. It’s hinted that they die slowly and agonisingly. Through Dexter’s memories, we in fact learn that as Harry lay in hospital bed dying, he told his adoptive son that the nurse in charge was killing patients, and he gave Dexter ‘his blessing’ to kill her. That was Dexter’s first victim. Dexter does his best to pretend that he is just an ordinary person, so no suspicion falls on him. There are two women in his life. His sister, Deborah, is a cop trying to go up in the ranks. Dexter also has a girlfriend—Rita, who is a single mother and used to be abused by her former partner. Therefore, she is not interested in sex. She thinks Dexter is a gentleman and a very understanding person. But, in fact, he is not interested in sex at all, so the situation is perfect for him. Deborah and Rita don’t know about Dexter’s dark side. A serial killer then starts killing his victims in a way that intrigues Dexter, and he also starts leaving him messages hinting that he knows Dexter’s dark side. Soon he starts wondering if that person is himself, if somehow he is that serial killer and simply forgets what he’s been doing. Jeff Lindsay does a great job in this, as I started questioning myself if that was the case. It kept me wondering and confused. The story quickly became so addictive, and I couldn’t read it faster enough. Although there is a lot of telling instead of showing, in this case, I liked it, as it allowed me to understand the character’s personality and his peculiar observations. His sarcasm and wits are refreshing. This is a serial killer I was rooting for, and the writing is good. I particularly liked the fact that he knows that he is not right in the head.

This episode sees Dexter in awe of a new killer in Miami. He is trying to aid sister Deborah advance in her police career, by guiding her with his affinity hunches on the new maniac! Well paced, witty, and ultimately just a good fun adventure into Dexter's weird world.

Oh I did love this. I wanted to watch the tv show, but I haven't seen it yet, so I consoled myself with Book 1, and I'm glad I did because it's brilliant. Dexter has a unique, funny voice for a serial killer. His chidlhood trauma is hinted at throughout the book and revealed at the end. It has left him with a hunger to kill and a strange relationship with blood. Despite this, or because of it, he becomes a blood splatter analyst for the Miami police, helping to find killers. But Dexter has his own way of dealing with those who he believes have committed serious crimes. He was adpoted as a child and his father Harry, knew exactly what his son was and tried to steer him away from killing the innocent and only killing the guilty. Like a vigilante, Dexter uses Harry's code as his conscience, otherwise he'd kill just for the hell of it. Dexter often says he has no feelings, and yet he doesn't want to disappoint Harry, who is now dead, and he loves children. Probably because he has a child like quality himself. He know's he's not normal and has taught himself to blend in. Most humans are fooled by his mimickery of normal, but dogs can sniff him out instantly! In this book, another serial killer gets his attention. He is supposed to help the police and his sister Deb, a cop, catch this serial killer, but Dexter secretly admires his work and when he is given coded messages by the suspect, he loves the challenge and is not convined he wants to catch the killer. I loved the writing style and the plot and the characters, especially the crazy, funny monster that I should at least fear but I can't help wanting him to win. I can''t wait to read book 2.

First, a couple of confessions. I don't read for pleasure (at least, I didn't) and I watched the TV series before reading the book! Ah, I feel better now. Now that I have confessed I feel much better, onto the review! I chose this to be my first book of pleasure in hopefully a long list of pleasureful books. I've never been fond of reading, always found books tiresomely long and for little pay off. Why read for days when you can watch the movie or TV series in a matter of hours, right? Darkly Dreaming Dexter has been a wonderful insertion into my reading world. For me, it felt like watching the TV series (and I know, better to read the book first but here I am) but what I loved most were Dexter's internal thoughts, his ramblings and distractions so perfectly written to be clear in concept. The twisting, turning and involving plot is wonderful. The characters are beautifully detailed and although maturely and intelligently written (if I can say such things) it is simple to follow and doesn't detract with overly long and complex dialogue. Short, sharp chapters and concise writing allow you to flow through the chapters, hurtling along until you reach the climatic chapters. Read if you are a fan of Dexter (the series), read if you like crime-thrillers and read if you yourself have a Dark Passenger tugging at your soul to misbehave...

Sooo goddd

"Darkly Dreaming Dexter" ist der brillante Auftaktroman, der uns den forensischen Analytiker und moralischen Serienmörder Dexter Morgan vorstellt. Der Roman ist packend, voller schwarzem Humor und erzählt aus Dexters unvergleichlich zynischer Perspektive. Er muss einen anderen Serienmörder, den "Ice Truck Killer", jagen, der eine unheimliche Verbindung zu Dexters eigener Vergangenheit zu haben scheint. Die Mischung aus mörderischer Spannung und Dexters trockenem Witz ist perfekt. Ein origineller, unvergesslicher Thriller, der die Regeln des Genres neu definiert hat!

Excelente libro que mezcla el suspenso y la comedia en usa sola obra. La narrativa te brinda una visión más profunda de la planteada en la serie de TV.

I never knew there were books and now here I am addicted . Great writing and a more in depth look into Dexter's psyche

Great book can’t get enough of it