2007: #51 – Darkly Dreaming Dexter (Jeff Lindsay)

Book #51 was Darkly Dreaming Dexter, the first in Jeff Lindsay’s Dexter series. The back of the book reads:

Meet Dexter, a polite wolf in sheep’s clothing…a monster who cringes at the site of blood…a serial killer whose one golden rule makes him immensely likable: he only kills bad people.

Dexter Morgan isn’t exactly the kind of man you’d bring home to Mom. Though he’s playful and has a wonderfully ironic sense of humor, Dexter’s one character flaw (his proclivity for murder) can be off-putting. But at heart Dexter is the perfect gentleman, supportive of his sister, Deb, a Miami cop, and interested only in doing away with people who really deserve his special visit. Dex is quite good-looking but totally indifferent to (and, frankly, a bit puzzled by) the attentions paid to him by women. Despite the fact that he can’t stand the sight of blood, he works as a blood-spatter analyst for the Miami police department, a job that allows him to keep tabs on the latest crimes and keep an eye open for his next quarry.

Dexter’s well-organized life is suddenly disrupted when a second, much more visible serial killer appears in Miami. Dex is intrigued, even delighted, by the fact that the other killer appears to have a style reminiscent of his own. Yet he can’t help but feel that the mysterious new arrival is not merely invading his turf, but reaching out to him as well. This new killer seems to be doing more than copying Dexter—he seems to be saying, “Come out and play.” Dexter’s secret life makes for a lonely existence…even a lovable monster can be intrigued by the prospect of finding a friend.

This book is a twist on your run-of-the-mill crime novel — the main character is a serial killer himself. Dexter is an interesting guy — he knows he’s a sociopath, and doesn’t consider himself “human”. Plus his father, a cop, teaches him all he needs to know about killing people without getting caught. His mostly emotionless yet intriguing narration is really what makes this book interesting.

Page count: 304 | Word count: 72,879

2006 – The Carnivorous Carnival (Lemony Snicket)
2005 – Three to Get Deadly (Janet Evanovich)