Dysfunctional Dexter (Darkly Dreaming Dexter - Jeff Lindsay)

Member Name: CPTDANIELS

Product:	Darkly Dreaming Dexter - Jeff Lindsay
Date:	01/08/09 (136 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very funny throughout

Disadvantages: Storyline lacked bite and punch

==Background:==

About nine months ago I read my first novel by Jeff Lindsay featuring an usual character called Dexter. I was unsure to be honest what I thought of it, so I was keen to try another one and see if the writers' style either grew on me or turned me off his work completely. Admittedly it took me long enough to get round to it. Since then I have even seen an episode of this on television.

==About the author:==

Jeff Lindsay was born in America on July 14th 1952. However I should point out this is not his real name, that is Jeffry P. Freunlich. He is best known for his Dexter series of novels, which have now very successfully been transferred as above to television. He has written eight novels, of which the last four have featured Dexter as the lead character.

==Synopsis of the book:==

Dexter Morgan is a monster with the manners of a stylish gentleman. To all intensive purposes he has a run of the mill lifestyle, some would say even a little dull. He works for the Miami Police Department in a lab and has a long-term steady girlfriend. The only odd thing about him is he is a serial killer and not even his girlfriend knows about this hobby of his.

However, there is another serial killer at large in Miami preying on Prostitutes. Dexter philosophy is he will only kill unconvicted killers, so this new kid on the block certainly takes his interest. Especially as his sister Deb who works for the Police, is currently posing as a Prostitute in an attempt to capture this man.

Dexter is a very organised, practical and tidy monster, but even he is impressed by this new guys style. As part of his ritual he chops up the bodies very precisely and ensures no blood is left with the body. After the second such mutilation Dexter starts to feel this is getting too personal and the killer is actually taunting him in some way. In an attempt to bring him out into the open and try and complete with him. But what can be his motive for this?

==My thought on the book:==

My overall feeling about the book was I did not enjoy it. But it was certainly not as clear-cut or simple as all that however, but that is my balanced view on it. In truth there were aspects of it I really loved and enjoyed but these were outnumbered by the factors that I did not enjoy or like.

This thriller is the first in the series featuring Dexter as the smooth, cultured monster. It was published in 2004 and was an instant success and nominated for the Mystery Writers of America's Edgar award in the Best First Novel Category.

With this being the second novel about Dexter that I have read, the first being 'Dearly Devoted Dexter', I think I knew roughly what to expect. On balance I enjoyed the first one as I found it so utterly different from another I had read before. So going back for a second read of these books I did not have that luxury.

I was hoping and expecting by now reading the first book in the series that I would form a better understanding about Dexter. How he came into being if you like, why he felt the need to kill and why he lacked emotion. This book did talk a little about his experiences with his adopted father and his sister, but for me it did not answer these questions, so I was very disappointed not to know.As having read two of these books now I feel I should understand the character's background by now.

The storyline itself was neither fascinating nor intriguing and in many ways it was slightly predicable. But then I suppose it very difficult to make tracking down a serial killer unique and fresh when it has already been done and even by Dexter in his other books. But it was unusual and that in itself is an admiral quality.

The story did I think get better the further I read into the book but it was slow going and my interest was hardly aroused by it. I had to force myself to sit down and read it, which is unusual for me as I usually really look forward to my reading time. This book never really caught my imagination. Although I liked the angle that Deb Dexter's sister was at risk from this serial killer and his reaction to it.

The pace did improve and the climax to the novel was quite exciting and full of mystery with a good twist that I was not expecting to add a bit of spice to the conclusion. The ending surprised me but I think by doing it, it sets the scene for future Dexter books and possible future ideas and stirylines.

I really struggle with the cutting up or mutilation if you like of human bodies. I think that in a way this is because the author is excellent at describing these scenes. Which is great if you like gore but awful if you don't. At least in this one generally they were dead when the butcher started his work. I remembered this feature from the previous novel and I do find it hard to read about this.

In many ways I struggle to relate and understand Dexter. I think this is because he has this dark side that makes him a killer. I struggle to relate to this mentality and his lack of compassion, feeling and a conscious. He even struggles to have feelings for either his girlfriend or his sister.

On the positive side, he is unique and a very charismatic creature. Able to charm sometimes without realising it and all he comes into contact with especially it seems women. I enjoy the entertaining interplay between him, his girlfriend and his sister. Basically because in many scenes with them he does not have a clue how to act and how to read women, this makes the situations very funny and on several occasions he had me in hysterics.

That is a constant theme within the novel the humour. It is what makes the book worth reading at all. Dexter is great at it especially when he is trying to be serious or just gets the wrong end of the stick. Even in the most unlikely settings there are some very amusing lines.

Even at murder scenes or when someone was making an important speech you can rely on Dexter to say or do something very funny. He lacks the social graces and quite often misjudges a serious situation such as a murder scene. Making all those around him angry or confused by his actions.

I thought the quality of the authors writing was very good. I liked his descriptions and the way he set the scenes and how he dealt with the lack of Dexter's feelings. It amazes me the author can relate to well to this character and he makes him an amazing character and one who is different from any other I have ever known.

From that respect it was great, but I question the depth the author employed within his writing. In some ways this writing was predictable and lacked imagination when dealing with these crimes. Forgive me for saying it but in some ways his work lacked flesh on the bone, with a lack of background and solving crimes through conventional Police methods, he did it by feelings and surely that is not enough to solve crimes even for Dexter.

The books length was a little on the short side, I would have liked the pulsating final chapters expanded. So that there were more explanation, allowing greater understanding for the reader as to what had happened and why. Concluding how everyone effected felt about that and possibly a little introduction about what will happen in the next book featuring Dexter.

==Conclusion:==

I don't recommend this book as a worthy read if you are looking for a well thought out crime novel. It lacked depth and the story was quite simplistic. However, if you want a lighthearted read that will make you laugh this could be the book for you. I do not think this author's style is for me too gory on the whole and hard for me to relate to, so I think this will be the last Dexter novel I will read. I must try the television programmes again, as I think that will be an interesting angle of him.

==Other Information:==

Pages: 288
Price: £3.99
Publisher: Orion books
Year: 2004
ISBN: 0-75286-675-3
About the author: www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/l/jeff-lindsay

Thank you for reading.

This review is published on both Ciao and Dooyoo under my user name.

@CPTDANIELS August 2009

Summary: The funniest serial killer ever