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Searching... McMinnville Public Library | Lindsay, J. | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
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. Introducing one of the most witty and original narrators in years, Jeff Lindsay'sDarkly Dreaming Dexteris a fresh, surprising, and brilliantly executed novel that is sure to receive wide acclaim.
Author Notes
Jeff Lindsay was born Jeffry P. Freundlich on July 14, 1952 in Miami, Florida. He graduated from Middlebury College in Vermont in 1975. He is best known for his novels about sociopathetic vigilante Dexter Morgan. The first book in the Dexter series, Darkly Dreaming Dexter, was published in 2004 and was the basis of the Showtime TV series Dexter. His other works include Tropical Depression: A Novel of Suspense, Dream Land: A Novel of the UFO Coverup, Time Blender and Dreamchild.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (4)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Miami blood spatter specialist Dexter Morgan is not your average monster. He occasionally gives in to the impulse to kill in order to satisfy the Dark Passenger inside his brain, but he's much more well-adjusted than the label "serial killer" implies. He has a girlfriend, a sense of humor and, thanks to the loving tutelage of his cop foster father, he dismembers only other serial killers. But his self-control is sorely tested when he agrees to help his sister, a vice cop, solve a string of murders so bizarre, and yet so familiar, that he seriously starts to wonder if he is committing them in his sleep. Voiceover artist Landrum does a superb job conveying Dexter's witty first-person narration; he seems to embody "quirky, funny, happy-go-lucky, dead-inside Dexter." With his nimble vocal chords, he also has no trouble giving voice to the story's female characters and affecting an authentic-sounding Cuban accent for the incompetent homicide detective assigned to the case. Perhaps Landrum's finest feat, however, is the chill-inducing voice he adopts for Dexter's Dark Passenger, which underscores Dexter's transformations from charming neighborhood killer into inhuman predator. Refreshingly original and expertly narrated, this audiobook should be required listening for all thriller aficionados. Simultaneous release with the Doubleday hardcover (Forecasts, Apr. 19). (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
A witty, grisly debut about the secret adventures of a Florida sociopath who murders only bad guys. Dexter Morgan makes his living off the blood of the dead--literally. A "blood-splatter analyst" for the Miami Police Department, Dexter works only on the messiest cases, nearly all homicides and quite a few the work of serial killers. It takes one to know one, too, for Dexter has a very deep and well-guarded secret: He's been bumping people off for years. Dexter knew from an early age that he was somehow different, and his father, Detective Harry Morgan, had picked up enough abnormal psychology on the job to recognize the signs. Harry tried to help Dexter out by suggesting that the boy might want to make a virtue of necessity by concentrating his murderous energies on the truly wicked people of the world--and Dexter agreed, beginning with the hospice nurse who was systematically overdosing Harry with morphine. From that day forward, Dexter (and his ghostly imaginary friend, the Dark Passenger) have done well by doing bad, disposing of a long line of pedophiles, killers, sadists, and thugs. A consummate professional, Dexter has never left a shred of incriminating evidence behind, but lately he's begun to worry. A copycat killer is on the loose, leaving a string of victims strewn about the dark byways of Miami bearing the trademarks of Dexter's handiwork in an obvious attempt to lure him out of hiding. Dexter can play his hand close to his chest, but unfortunately for him one of the cops assigned to the new cases is his sister Deborah, who knows nothing of Dexter's extracurricular activities. Part of Dexter wants to come of the cold and play with this new guy on the block, but he feels an obligation to keep his sister from being implicated. It's not just thieves, after all: There's honor among murderers, too. Cheap fun: a guilty pleasure few monster-addicts will be able to resist. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
After finishing this debut novel, readers will have only one thing to say: wow! This is a mystery about the efforts of the Miami police to capture a serial killer who cuts up the bodies of his victims. One police officer, Deborah Morgan, is hoping that her participation in the investigation will help her make the leap from Vice to Homicide. Meanwhile, her adopted brother, Dexter, a blood-spatter expert who works for the police department, feeds her information about the case that he hopes will help her. Oh, and did we say that Dexter narrates the novel? And did we mention that Dexter is also a serial killer? (But not the serial killer his sister is trying to catch.) Dexter, a likable fellow on the surface, firmly in touch with his own inhumanity, is one of the genre's most original, compelling characters to appear in years. He makes a fascinating narrator, appealing, articulate, and ghoulish all at the same time. He is probably not the type of guy you could build a series around, but, oh boy, does he make an impression. Long after readers finish this gripping novel, they will still be thinking (or dreaming) about Dexter. --David Pitt Copyright 2004 Booklist
Library Journal Review
Dorothy Parker once wrote, "If I had a shiny gun/ I could have a world of fun/ Speeding bullets through the brains/ Of the folks that cause me pains." If that make you grin, you'll love Lindsay's new twist on the slasher novel. Dexter Morgan is a blood-spatter expert for the Miami Police with an uncanny knack for criminal profiling. Is he tormented by some dark affinity with the evil that men do? Not a bit. He's a very accomplished serial killer himself. Dexter's pragmatic foster dad recognized the boy's homicidal tendencies and channeled them toward a cautious and constructive vigilantism. Helping solve crimes by day and tidily filleting the worst kind of predators by moonlight, our friendly neighborhood sociopath is doing well until a new killer, who has perfected Dexter's modus operandi, surfaces. Dexter finds his carefully balanced double life rocked by strange new feelings of rivalry and kinship. With his charming, morbid wit and compelling candor, Dexter is a less pompous Lestat. Indeed, Lindsay brings the same refreshing ebullience to serial killers that Anne Rice once brought to vampires. A macabre gem that will appeal to more than just the Thomas Harris crowd; highly recommended.-David Wright, Seattle P.L. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.