Darkly Dreaming Dexter

Publisher's Summary

The Basis for the Showtime® Original Series Starring Michael C. Hall

Meet Dexter Morgan, a polite wolf in sheep’s clothing. He’s handsome and charming, but something in his past has made him abide by a different set of rules. He’s a serial killer whose one golden rule makes him immensely likeable: he only kills bad people. And his job as a blood splatter expert for the Miami police department puts him in the perfect position to identify his victims. But when a series of brutal murders bearing a striking similarity to his own style start turning up, Dexter is caught between being flattered and being frightened - of himself or some other fiend.

©2005 Jeff Lindsay (P)2012 Random House

Critic Reviews

"A macabre tour-de-force." ( The New York Times Book Review)

“A dark comedy with a creative twist.” ( The Miami Herald)

“Dark and devious..Daring and unexpectedly comedic.” ( USA Today)

I love the show, like the book

I got this book because I was about to embark on a long run and needed something mindless to listen to. Since I'd already seen Season 1, I thought this would be a good choice. It was! It was quite similar to the show as one would expect, since the show was based upon the book, however the end was not at all the same. I've seen all of the seasons on TV, but I am still left wanting to listen to the next book.

I was not expecting that to happen one bit, so I'm pleasantly surprised. If you liked the show, you'll like the book!

30 of 30 people found this review helpful

Insightful

If you could sum up Darkly Dreaming Dexter in three words, what would they be?

Smart, Ruthless, Cold.

What other book might you compare Darkly Dreaming Dexter to and why?

The Silence of the Lambs.

What about Jeff Lindsay’s performance did you like?

Amazing performance by the author,really insightful for the listeners.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes.

Any additional comments?

After listening to this audiobook I realized how well made the series is.

11 of 11 people found this review helpful

Excellent Thriller

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would defiantly recommend this book to a friend and have done so since listening to it.

Who was your favorite character and why?

It's a no brainer, Dexter is by far my favorite Character in this book. I love the way he thinks and process people and events. I love how he is viewing the world as a outsider trying to fit in.

Have you listened to any of Jeff Lindsay’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No this was my first audio book by Jeff Lindsay, and I love how the author is the one reading this.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

In fact it was one I listen to in one sitting. It wasn't a very long book and I listen to it durring a 8 hour road trip this month.

Any additional comments?

I would warn fans of the Dexter TV show that this book is simular, yet very very different then this show. Which would cause some to dislike the book altogether. So if you are looking to expand upon the show, this isn't for you. It's it's own set of stories and I for one can't wait to continue.

18 of 19 people found this review helpful

This was fun because it was different.

Dexter is a psycopath. He likes to kill people and feels no guilt. His sister is a cop. Dexter is a great help to cops investigating killers, because Dexter thinks like them. One fun scene was Dexter saying the killer likes a cold room (pause) and narrow. His sister asks “why narrow?” Dexter doesn’t know but it just feels right. Then he says narrow like a refrigerator truck. And that’s their first clue. In another scene Dexter is thinking about the killer taunting Dexter saying do you want to play? Normal people would run. Dexter eagerly smiles and thinks “Yes I do.”

Dexter’s foster father imprinted upon him a golden rule - never kill the good guys, only bad guys. So in that way Dexter is one of the good guys. (But he does kill and mutilate people in this story.) This is the first book in the series. It’s a crime mystery with some suspense. There’s a happy ending for the good guys. I liked it.

I did not like the major crisis at the end because I didn’t know what happened. I had to guess. There were no details about how someone died, how someone was wounded, and how someone got away. I almost gave this 3 stars because of that.

I have not seen the TV series.

NARRATOR:
Sadly I did not like the author narrating this. He was ok as Dexter, but he was annoying when he did two females, the sister and the lead detective. He used a weird, nasal, unpleasant voice for women.

Genre: crime mystery suspense

20 of 22 people found this review helpful

Highly Recommended for Any Dexter Fan

Any additional comments?

To start this off, I am a big fan of watching movies and t.v. shows that were based off of books first, and then going back and reading/listening to them. This is for two reasons: First, I can listen or read at a quicker pace and with less stress of missing key points because I already know the general story line. Secondly, when you read first, the movie/show usually disappoints. But if you watch first, the book still has something new and exciting to add. After watching the first season of Dexter(the TV show), I decided to check out the books that began the hit show. This book was just different enough to keep me interested, but similar enough that I understood how everything fit together. Overall, the story was pretty fantastic.
When I listen to books, I like to listen for "deal breakers." These could range from a terrible narration, unnecessary plot elements, or even just a boring story. To be completely honest, there were none in this book. The only possible downside is that the author narrated his own book. This usually isn't as good as a professional narrator even though the author knows how he wants the book to be read. In this instance, Dexter's voice was probably the only one that was distinguishable. Deb and Masuoka sound the same, Laguerta and Batista sound the same, and everyone else is just a blur. But as long as you pay attention, you will have no trouble understanding what is happening.

Overall: Great plot twists, no dragging monologues, and most importantly: it's America's favorite serial killer!

12 of 13 people found this review helpful

simply awe inspiring

I just loved this gripping tale and the characters involved. Jeff Lindsay is almost poet like in the way he describes every little detail of what is going on, and that is what I found most enjoyable.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Peculiar - Which May Be a Good Thing?

Such a novel twist for a narrative protagonist drives this strange thing. OK, it gets slow when Jeff Lindsay allows Dexter too many and often tedious internal monologues. Still, I wanted to find out how Lindsay was going to make all of his pretzel curves come together. He did, and reads them well.

Lindsay has the chops to bring his own characters to spooky life. I liked him as the reader and since he has aural talent, well, who could better know the author's intended moods, quirks, and dramatic goo than the guy who imagined them all?

But, now that I've experienced the, uh, peculiar nature of Dexter's relationship with human reality - I fear that this quirk of his may not be strong enough to support additional storylines. But I'll read the reviews of future Dexter adventures and maybe... Well, we'll see.

8 of 9 people found this review helpful

Deeply Demented Diabolical Dexter

There is something creepy and disturbing about Jeff Lindsay. I wouldn't want him for a neighbor. But through his traumatized, sociopathic character he shows us a world askew. It might flop in other hands, but Lindsay has a diabolical sense of humor, and he knows how to raise the stakes to an excruciating level.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

the Dexter story that launched a franchise

The story is as enjoyable now as it was many years and many readings ago. the performance (reading) is a little flat.

even if you are a huge fan of the TV series there are surprises in store for you. although season one was based on this book there are some significant plot line changes for tv. from the second book on the books and tv show are completely independent stories.

so if you were wishing for more Dexter, but never read the books for fear it would be the same stories, dig in!

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Doesn't compare to the TV show.

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

I thoroughly enjoyed the TV show, however this is one of the few times the live version is better than the book. The book was not a waste of time, but it was a let down.

What did you like best about this story?

It was fun that it was very similar to season 1.

Did Jeff Lindsay do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

He did, however I found he made LaGuerta even more irritating.

Do you think Darkly Dreaming Dexter needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

It has 6 follow up books, I will definitely give the rest of the series a try, but I do so with a little less expectations.

6 of 7 people found this review helpful