As I've written on this blog many times, I'm a sucker for books in a series. Even when the books become formulaic, or I find that I just don't like the main character, out of some sort of twisted loyalty, I just keep reading the next one after the next one. So, it makes me quite happy when I find an author who is able to make his characters more fascinating with each installment. I've found this particularly true with Barry Eisler's John Rain series, and Jeff Lindsay has done it here with his fourth in the series of Dexter Morgan - Miami's serial killer who purports to only kill the really really bad guys. In this one, Dexter has just returned from his honeymoon in Paris, and is well on his way to establishing the appearance of a prefect life. But, there is what appears to be a killer on the loose in Miami - targeting the tourism board. Dexter takes a few missteps and the bad guy gets personal. Along the way, Dexter continues his relationship with his two step-children who are also on their way to for-the-greater-good homicide, and his police officer sister Deborah finds herself in a conundrum of her own. And of course, there is no shortage of blood spatter and gruesome torture along the way. In some ways, as I write out this vague plot I think - hmmm...perhaps these Dexter books are getting a big formulaic, but still Lindsay does move the overall story along. There's also no denying (for me) Dexter's amazing sense of humor - and even the alliteration, once annoying, has emerged as one of Dexter's signature OCD traits. I was thrilled to discover that Lindsay has a fifth Dexter novel forthcoming (Dexter is Delicious). In the meantime, I'm going to get around to renting the first season of the television series inspired by these books.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Dexter by Design - Jeff Lindsay (Dexter Series #4)
As I've written on this blog many times, I'm a sucker for books in a series. Even when the books become formulaic, or I find that I just don't like the main character, out of some sort of twisted loyalty, I just keep reading the next one after the next one. So, it makes me quite happy when I find an author who is able to make his characters more fascinating with each installment. I've found this particularly true with Barry Eisler's John Rain series, and Jeff Lindsay has done it here with his fourth in the series of Dexter Morgan - Miami's serial killer who purports to only kill the really really bad guys. In this one, Dexter has just returned from his honeymoon in Paris, and is well on his way to establishing the appearance of a prefect life. But, there is what appears to be a killer on the loose in Miami - targeting the tourism board. Dexter takes a few missteps and the bad guy gets personal. Along the way, Dexter continues his relationship with his two step-children who are also on their way to for-the-greater-good homicide, and his police officer sister Deborah finds herself in a conundrum of her own. And of course, there is no shortage of blood spatter and gruesome torture along the way. In some ways, as I write out this vague plot I think - hmmm...perhaps these Dexter books are getting a big formulaic, but still Lindsay does move the overall story along. There's also no denying (for me) Dexter's amazing sense of humor - and even the alliteration, once annoying, has emerged as one of Dexter's signature OCD traits. I was thrilled to discover that Lindsay has a fifth Dexter novel forthcoming (Dexter is Delicious). In the meantime, I'm going to get around to renting the first season of the television series inspired by these books.
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