Dexter's Final Cut

A Novel

By: Jeff Lindsay

Narrated by: Jeff Lindsay

Lights. Camera. Murder. Take a wild ride through Hollywood with “the first serial killer who unabashedly solicits our love” (Entertainment Weekly)—the character that inspired the latest Showtime hit series Dexter: Resurrection.

“Gory? Yes. Appalling? Absolutely! Funny? Amazingly so!”—Los Angeles Times

Mega-star Robert Chase is famous for losing himself in his characters. When he and a group of fellow actors descend on the Miami Police Department for “research,” Chase becomes fixated on Dexter Morgan, the blood spatter analyst with a sweet tooth and seemingly average life.

Chase shadows Dexter’s every move, trying to learn what makes him tick. However, Dexter’s favorite pastime of hunting down the worst killers who’ve escaped legal prosecution—and introducing them to his special brand of justice—presents, well, a bit of a problem. It’s a secret best kept out of the spotlight if Dexter wants to stay out of the electric chair, but even Dexter isn’t immune to the call of fame. . . .

Look for all of Jeff Lindsay’s deliciously twisted Dexter novels:
DARKLY DREAMING DEXTER • DEARLY DEVOTED DEXTER • DEXTER IN THE DARK • DEXTER BY DESIGN • DEXTER IS DELICIOUS • DOUBLE DEXTER • DEXTER’S FINAL CUT • DEXTER IS DEAD

Critic reviews

Killer Acclaim for Jeff Lindsay's DEXTER novels:

"Lindsay just keeps getting better. His stories are wonderfully fresh." --USA Today

"One of the most likable vigilante serial killers in recent thriller literature."--The New Yorker

"Gory? Yes. Appalling? Absolutely! Funny? Amazingly so!"--Los Angeles Times

"Totally captivating. . . . Totally original. The characters are beautifully drawn, particularly Dexter, who is tremendously likable, his hobby notwithstanding."--St. Petersburg Times

"Maybe the first serial killer who unabashedly solicits our love."—Entertainment Weekly

"The real appeal of this macabre tour-de-force is Dexter's sardonic voice, so snappy and smart, and yet so full of self-loathing that we hate ourselves for laughing."—The New York Times Book Review

"It's like very little else you've read. Imagine if Hannibal Lecter starred in CSI: Miami instead of David Caruso, and you're halfway there.”—Time

"Just when you think (hope?) that the tired and rarely credible device of the serial killer next door has hit a wall, along comes a writer like Jeff Lindsay to prove you wrong." –Chicago Tribune

"An entertaining, funny series that draws us in and makes us root, almost against our will, for a ruthless, yet appealing killer." --The South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Good read

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Yes, Dexter is always fun to read

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

No

What about Jeff Lindsay’s performance did you like?

Jeff Lindsay did a really good job of showing that even though Dexter is the hero he is not a nice guy.

Do you think Dexter's Final Cut needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Yes, it left you hanging

The book that made me dislike Dexter :(

The story was fine. My only dislike was Dexter was willing to throw away everything for a Hollywood actress. It just seemed like something Dexter wouldn’t do. I hope the last book will be able redeem one of my favorite characters.

My least favorite in the series.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the Dexter series; however, I found this one to be predictable, so I finished it more out of obligation than desire. I'm not sure if this is the correct term, but the story seemed to follow a formula or pattern present in past Dexter books. That being said, I'm still going to get Dexter is Dead because I am a loyal fan and hope hope he really mixes things up for the final book.

eh

worst of the whole series. very predictable
still enjoyed the other books to get to this one

hated the ending

really wanted a better outcome, was my favorite Dexter book until last 2.5 hours, then it went a whole different direction.

I liked it

Dexter is completely different compared to the show. heck there is loads different with most characters

Sluggish First and Second Thirds

Takes a while to get really good, then drags on after the mid-point. Overall good, though. The Ending is very good.

The emotional sociopath who's now all talk...

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Considering it is a book about a sociopathic serial killer, I would like to hear more than 10 minutes of murder & mayhem.

What do you think your next listen will be?

Thankfully, NOT a Dexter book as I believe this is the last one in the series. At least I hope it is because I simply MUST listen to them when they come out, despite the fact that the last 3 have been terribly ridiculous.

Which scene was your favorite?

Whether they admit it or not, anyone listening to Dexter books listen because they like seeing life through the eyes of a psychopathic serial killer. Therefore, the scenes when Dexter is on the prowl are always the best.

Do you think Dexter's Final Cut needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

PLEASE NO!!!

Any additional comments?

Thanks for the first 2 Dexter books, Jeff, but please STOP already! Maybe take up narrating if you've run out of ideas because your performances are GREAT!

Saves the Series

I was all but done with the series, but the second half of this book is awesome. I'll admit the book has some flaws and weird choices, that has always been true with the book series... But this book shakes things up near the end and makes me look forward to the next book.

Read this one!

Not enough d-based alliteration for my liking

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Yes, but only those familiar with the Dexter portrayed by Jeff Lindsay throughout his books.It must be noted that the Dexter from the books & Dexter from the Tv Show is very different. Dexter from the books goes on very different adventures and his personality is a little different, also the book's progression is quite different, there's a lot of focus on himself rather than the action at hand. Also, because there's so much bullshit that Dexter is constantly rambling on about himself, and the kind of smooth way that Jeff Lindsay performs the narration, it's quite easy to kind of just tune out and not really listen....whilst also actually listening.I would recommend it to those that have trouble falling asleep. I feel asleep listening to this book on 2 separate plane journeys, and yet was still kind of listening as i slept, when i woke up i hadn't really missed THAT much of the story. So yes, it's not Dexter from the TV show, so those that are expecting that will be disappointed; yet those that love the Dexter Books, then of course they are still going to read/ listen to this. And, those that might want a peaceful slumber might also go for it.

What does Jeff Lindsay bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I READ the past 6 books previously, this is the first Dexter book i listened to, was interesting to hear that the author of the book was doing the actual narration. He has a very smooth, but sleepy voice. However, of course he reads the book like i guess he originally meant for it to be read. This might be bad like for myself when i actually READ the book i guess i misconstrued the inflection in the writing so that the thoughts Dexter had presented itself as dark sarcasm. But when read by Jeff Lindsay, apparently how he meant it to be read, you hear that it may not be sarcasm after all. Dexter becomes a character that is convinced he is not complicated (character) yet intelligent whilst in reality you hear that he might only just be reaching the cusp of someone that is intelligent.I think it was better when i thought he was being darkly sarcastic. Instead he genuinely seems to take ages to figure things out, and says dumb things like ' because i had gone to college i knew that 50 was more than 20' That being said, Jeff Lindsay is a pretty good narrator, but he's probably more suited to narrating other people's books rather than his own.

Do you think Dexter's Final Cut needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Yes, this book needs a follow-up book. I will of course finish off the Dexter series regardless for my own sense of closure or sense of accomplishment or whatever, but... the previous books were stand-alone stories. I don't know if this one is meant to be a stand-alone story , or if the 8th and final book finishes the 7th book's story arc. But, if the 7th book is a stand-alone story, then it has some problems, & in which case its more pointless than originally thought. That's because several curious things are built up, like another character's 'dark passenger' just like Dexter's but that doesn't seem to lead anywhere where it was a curious development and could have led somewhere much more interesting. -Also the conclusion of the book....well it wasn't an adequate conclusion, thats for sure. I'm hoping the 8th book concludes this story arc, because otherwise this story really is much worse than I thought.

Any additional comments?

I bought the book because I've enjoyed reading the different story arc that Jeff Lindsay provides with the Book as compared to the Tv Show. I'm a big Dexter fan, so was going to listen to this book regardless of how bad the reviews were. There are 2 reviews with a title called 'Dexter Doesn't Deliver' & 'Should be renamed 'Dexter is a D-bag' ' ; i thought these titles were kind of funny and made me get the book to see if it really was as bad as they say. To be fair, it's not that bad, although it's definitely not as good as his previous books. And I feel as if Dexter in this book does a little bit too much self-reflection.Anyone buying this book as their 1st Dexter book is an idiot. Start from the beginning, get some perspective for character development, that should be obvious. The original books talk a lot about Dexter's 'Dark Passenger' for which in my favourite book of the series 'Dexter in the Dark' he discovers that his dark passenger is a true entity in itself. I would highly recommend this book by the way; but this 7th book seems to forget that, as in 1 of the other reviews... 'his dark passenger seems to be sleeping most of the time'. This is 1 of the things that made the book series very different, yet interesting from the tv show, yet if he's just doing self reflection but not reflecting on his Dark Passenger...then it feels lacking, and kind of boring.

There are too many very high quality audio novels out at the moment for this to get any higher rating in my opinion. As it is, i think this is already a generous rating for this book.