by Jeff Lindsay
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.
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.
Reviews-
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Starred review from April 19, 2004
A starred or boxed review indicates a book of outstanding quality. A review with a blue-tinted title indicates a book of unusual commercial interest that hasn't received a starred or boxed review.
DARKLY DREAMING DEXTER
Jeff Lindsay
. Doubleday
, $22.95 (304p) ISBN 0-385-51123-X
It's been years since there's been a thriller debut as original as this one by Lindsay, who takes a tired subgenre—the serial-killer novel—and makes it as fresh as dawn. Lindsay's premise alone is worthy: narrator Dexter Morgan, a blood-spatter specialist for the Miami cops, is also a serial killer. But all his life, Dexter has followed the rules set down by his cop foster father (who knew of Dexter's proclivities), to indulge his passion only by slaying other serial killers. What makes this novel zing, though, is the narration—humorous, self-deprecating, smart and sometimes lyrical, it's a macabre fun ride ("I thought about the nice clothes that I always wore. Well of course I did. I took pride in being the best-dressed monster in Dade County"). The story opens with Dexter at play, kidnapping and killing a priest who has murdered a number of children, then moves on to the main plot, a series of gruesome killings of prostitutes by an unknown madman. Dexter's foster sister is a Miami Vice Squad cop working on the killings, so Dexter decides to help her solve the case. This puts him in conflict with a dumb but ambitious female homicide detective as well as, soon enough, the killer himself, whose approach to serial killing mirrors Dexter's own, uncomfortably so. Might Dexter himself be the culprit? The answer feels a bit contrived, but will surprise most readers, and it's a minor flaw in a gripping, deliciously offbeat novel that announces the arrival of a notable new talent. Agent, Nicholas Ellison. (On sale July 27)
Forecast:
Strong reviews on this title will alert readers, as will clever jacket art, depicting a smiley face painted in blood. Expect healthy sales. -
Starred review from August 2, 2004
Audio reviews reflect PW
's assessment of the audio adaptation of a book and should be quoted only in reference to the audio version.
Fiction
DARKLY DREAMING DEXTER
Jeff Lindsay
, read by Nick Landrum. Recorded Books
, unabridged, seven CDs, 8.25 hrs., $22.99 ISBN 1-4025-8138-6
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). -
Anniston Star (Anniston, AL)
"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
"Maybe the first serial killer who unabashedly solicits our love." --Entertainment Weekly
"With chills like these, you can skip the air-conditioning." --Time
"One of the most likeable vigilante serial killers in recent thriller literature." --The New Yorker
"Demonology has a dastardly new darling." --The New York Times
"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. . . . So enjoyable." --Chicago Tribune
"Mordantly funny." --The New York Post
"A fresh, inventive slice of crime fiction that turns the axis of good and evil . . . upside down. A psychological thriller in the best sense of the genre." --The Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
"A memorable debut with a hero who really ought to be in a mental institution, but is too much fun to lock up." --The Rocky Mountain News (Denver, CO)
"Dexter's captivating, first-person account is a genuinely exciting read." --Time Out (NY)
"This ghoulish, fascinating tale . . . will grip readers and make a lasting impression." --The Philadelphia Inquirer
"Entertaining. . . . Dexter is a fascinating character, though he's not the kind of guy you'd like to invite to dinner." --Chicago Sun-Times
"Fun, terrifically fresh. . . . It's thrilling to watch Dexter struggle between everyday vanilla reality and the compelling, kaleidoscopic thrall of his own bloody fantasies." --Linda Marotta, Fangoria
"Totally captivating. . . . Totally original. The characters are beautifully drawn, particularly Dexter, who is tremendously likeable, his hobby not withstanding." --The St. Petersburg Times (FL)
"Lindsay gets high marks for originality, atmosphere, vibrant action scenes and having the brass to write this in the first place." --Tulsa World
"Jeff Lindsay sure does it right with Darkly Dreaming Dexter." --Cleveland Plain Dealer
"Newcomer Jeff Lindsay has created a unique hero. . . . Intriguing." --Mystery Scene
"In creating a singularly unique killer, Lindsay also manages to create a few sleepless nights for the reader."
