#10: Double Dexter by Jeff Lindsay

Serial killer Dexter Morgan, who tries to prey only on Miami's criminal element, is caught in the act of dispatching a child murderer; soon he has to contend with the rather curious motives of an onlooker as well as a vicious cop killer in Double Dexter.

This long-standing series of novels has been running concurrently with a Showtime television series, but the two have followed very divergent paths at this point with people alive in the books and dead in the series (and vice versa) as well as other notable differences.

I think in general those who enjoy the series will enjoy the novels, although the novels have been wildly uneven (with at least one genuine dud and one or two very strong entries).

I listened to this one on audiobook from Morrisson-Reeves Public Library, read rather credibly by the author himself.

This one was a fairly good thriller, despite the fact that the murderous mastermind Dexter seems a step or two behind the reader through the whole story.  It had the right blend of cold-blooded homicide and Dexter's coldly humorous commentaries and is recommended for fans of either the books or the TV series.

#18: Dexter is Delicious by Jeff Lindsay

Crime scene analyst by day, serial killer by night, Miami's own Dexter Morgan goes up against a thrill-seeking cannibalistic cult in Jeff Lindsay's latest series entry, Dexter is Delicious.

The first two books in this series were great, the third a strange misfire (with a wrong turn into the supernatural) and the fourth only a slight improvement, so I was really not that eager to pick this one up.  However, I can say this is the first I would recommend in a while. 

The story is dark and tight, and returns to some of the sharp humor that reminded me of Patricia Highsmith's Ripley novels.  This one also marks the return of Dexter's brother, who figured into a memorable finale at the end of the first book.

Fans of the TV series will find that some people who are alive are dead in the books, and vice versa (with a few only slightly deadish); but both the book series and the television series have their relative merits.  Until this entry I would have given the edge to TV, and now I might consider it a draw.

I picked this up on audiobook from the Morrison-Reeves Public Library in Richmond, Indiana, read credibly by the author.

#9: Dexter by Design by Jeff Lindsay

Cheery blood spatter expert for the Miami Police by day--and serial killer by night--Dexter Morgan finds himself in the middle of a string of murders that cross over from the art world to the center of Florida tourism in the fourth thriller from Jeff Lindsay, Dexter by Design.

Fans of the TV series might find the Dexter of the books a little more cold-hearted and the storytelling a bit more chilling, though the basic premise--a serial killer trained by his cop foster father to only kill bad guys--is more or less intact. But the TV series has veered away from the books, with significant changes in who lives or dies, and other plot points.

I felt the first two books in the series were pretty strong, but the third a strange misfire, moving from straight crime to a supernatural plot.

Thankfully, Dexter by Design ignores that aspect of the third book and returns to the thriller genre. Although for the first time I seemed to be able to out-think Dexter (and the plot could have used further tuning), I felt overall that this latest novel was an improvement over the last, though not as strong as the first two outings. I am sure I will continue to read the books (less avidly), and follow the television series (more closely).

I listened to a good audiobook version on loan from Morrison-Reeves Library in Richmond, Indiana.