Dexter by Design (Dexter #4) by Jeff Lindsay 3.5/5 stars

Hey, guys! I finally read the fourth book in the Dexter series. It was okay, definitely better than book 3, but still a bit of a let down.

Earlier books in this series:
Darkly Dreaming Dexter and Dearly Devoted Dexter
Dexter in the Dark

The Cover:

The Cover:
In typical Dexter fashion, the cover is not terribly complex. It is covered in blood stains and just the words scrawled across the cover. It fits but it isn't exactly exciting. B cover

Official Description:
The macabre, witty New York Times bestselling series (and inspiration for the #1 Showtime series, Dexter) continues as our darkly lovable killer matches wits with a sadistic artiste--who is creating bizarre murder tableaux of his own all over Miami.
After his surprisingly glorious honeymoon in Paris, life is almost normal for Dexter Morgan. Married life seems to agree with him: he’s devoted to his bride, his stomach is full, and his homicidal hobbies are nicely under control. But old habits die hard--and Dexter’s work as a blood spatter analyst never fails to offer new temptations that appeal to his offbeat sense of justice...and his Dark Passenger still waits to hunt with him in the moonlight.
The discovery of a corpse (artfully displayed as a sunbather relaxing on a Miami beach chair) naturally piques Dexter’s curiosity and Miami’s finest realize they've got a terrifying new serial killer on the loose. And Dexter, of course, is back in business.

My Review:
Dexter by Design was so much better than Dexter in the Dark. It didn't dwell on what the Dark Passenger is exactly. Instead, it focused on the crime-solving and Dexter's attempts to act human, which is what these books are supposed to be about.

Dexter continues to be snarky and likable, despite his many faults. The other characters are a bit flat. Maybe they aren't complex because Dexter doesn't see them that way, but either way, the characters are only two-dimensional.

The plot was interesting but moved slowly. I doubt that I would have been able to get through this book if I wasn't listening to an audiobook. I don't think I would have been engaged enough in the story to sit down and chose to read it to be honest. 

Overall, Dexter by Design was decent. If you enjoyed the previous books in this series, I'm sure that you will like this one as well. It is very similar to the previous books!

Phrase:
Modern Art

If You Liked This Book, You May Also Like:

Darkly Dreaming Dexter / Dearly Devoted Dexter / Dexter in the Dark
The Running Man

If you're looking for a good book, check out my Suggestions Page!

Happy Reading!

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Dexter in the Dark (Dexter #3) by Jeff Lindsay 3/5 stars

Hey, guys!  About six months ago I started reading Dexter in the Dark and put it aside for a few days (which ended up being months) and I've finally finished.  I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as I enjoyed the first two books (Darkly Dreaming Dexter/ Dearly Devoted Dexter) but it was still alright, if slow. I still plan to finish the series.

The Cover:

The Cover:
It shows Dexter... in the dark.  Not much to say about this one.  It's fine but not exciting.  B- cover

Official Description:
In his work as a Miami crime scene investigator, Dexter Morgan is accustomed to seeing evil deeds. . . particularly because, on occasion, he commits them himself. But Dexter's happy existence is turned upside down when he is called to an unusually disturbing crime scene at the university campus. Dexter's Dark Passenger – mastermind of his homicidal prowess – immediately senses something chillingly recognizable and goes into hiding. Dexter is alone for the first time in his life, and he realizes he's being hunted by a truly sinister adversary. Meanwhile he's planning a wedding and trying to learn how to be a stepfather to his fiancé's two kids – who might just have dark tendencies themselves. Macabre, ironic, and wonderfully entertaining, Dexter in the Dark goes deeper into the psyche of one of the freshest protagonists in recent fiction

My Review:
In Dexter in the Dark, Jeff Lindsay starts to focus on the origin of the Dark Passenger, the thing telling Dexter that being a serial killer is a good idea.  Large portions of this book were focused on Dexter's pondering of the origin of the Dark Passenger, which seems more like an alien than anything else.  It got a bit too weird for my tastes in that regard.

The humor continues to be dark, though successfully funny.  The suspense builds nicely, and I really enjoyed the dynamic between Dexter and Rita's kids.  It was fresh and wrong in the way that the Dexter books love to be wrong.  

Overall, if you liked the first two books, this book continues the same trends and was still fun to read, if you are patient enough to get through the parts about the Dark Passenger.  In my opinion, the good and the bad about balanced each other out.  Read it if you want to, but if you stop enjoying it partway through, it doesn't get better.

Phrase:
MLK

If You Liked This Book, You May Also Like:
Darkly Dreaming Dexter/ Dearly Devoted Dexter
The Running Man

If you're looking for a good book, check out my Suggestions Page!

Happy Reading!

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Dearly Devoted Dexter (Dexter #2) by Jeff Lindsay 4/5 stars (and first book)

Hey, guys!  So, I just finished the second Dexter book by Jeff Lindsay.  I read the first book last summer and didn't review it, so here's a quick review before I start on the second:

Darkly Dreaming Dexter (book one): 4/5 stars

Official Description:
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’s Darkly Dreaming Dexter is a fresh, surprising, and brilliantly executed novel that is sure toreceive wide acclaim

My Brief Review:
I watched the TV show first. I know, I know, a terrible crime, but I didn't even know it was a book until most of the first season was over. However, I did decide to pick this book up and give it a read. Of course, my perspective was colored differently, but I did enjoy it. 
They differed in a bunch of ways, starting about halfway through the book, in Very different and plenty surprising of ways. 
My main complaint with Darkly Dreaming Dexter was that the ending was slightly unclear. Sure, the epilogue helped but I'm still kind of confused as to how the entire event happened...
All in all, in my entirely biased opinion, I'd give it three and a half stars, but I'll round up to a four.


Dearly Devoted Dexter (book two): 4/5 stars

The Cover:

It's understated but still kinda neat.  There's not much to say about it.  Solid A cover.

Official Description:

He's a charming monster... A macabre hero... A serial killler who only kills bad people.

Dexter Morgan has been under considerable pressure. It's just not easy being an ethical serial killer - especially while trying to avoid the unshakable suspicions of the dangerous Sergeant Doakes (who believes Dexter is a homicidal maniac...which, of course, he is). In an attempt to throw Doakes off his trail, Dexter has had to slip deep into his foolproof disguise. While not working as a blood-spatter analyst for the Miami Police Department, he now spends nearly all his time with his cheerful girlfriend, Rita, and her two children, sipping light beer and slowly becoming the world's first serial couch potato. But how long can Dexter play Kick the Can instead of Slice the Slasher? How long before his Dark Passenger forces him to drop the charade and let his inner monster run free?In trying times, opportunity knocks. A particularly nasty psychopath is cutting a trail through Miami - a man whose twisted technique leaves even Dexter speechless. As Dexter's dark appetite is revived, his sister, Deborah (a newly minted, tough-as-nails Miami detective), is drawn headlong into the case. It quickly becomes clear that it will take a monster to catch a monster - but it isn't until his archnemesis is abducted that Dex can finally throw himself into the search for a new plaything. Unless, of course, his plaything finds him first...With the incredible wit and freshness that drew widespread acclaim toDarkly Dreaming Dexter, Jeff Lindsay now takes Dexter Morgan to a new level of macabre appeal and gives us one of the most original, colorful narrators in years.

My Review:
Dearly Devoted Dexter was better than the first book in the series.  My favorite thing about this series is the narration style.  The sarcasm could not be matched.  I loved the dry humor in it.  The plot was pretty good.  My main issue was that the ending was very... anticlimatic?  The big bad guy in the book was taken out in about half a paragraph and I was a bit disappointed.  The ending was just not satisfying at all.  Overall, it was a decent book.  I plan on reading the sequels, but it wasn't anything spectacular.

Happy Reading!

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