Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay

Dexter Morgan is a normal-seeming guy who works for the Miami-Dade police force as a blood spatter expert. But he has a secret: Dexter Morgan is a serial killer. There's a twist to the tale: he only preys on other serial killers, of which Miami is full.

Harry knows he isn't normal. Inside him, there is someone he calls his "Dark Passenger", the part of him that wants- needs to kill. Dexter's foster father, Harry, was a cop and could tell what Dexter was becoming. When he'd been a young cop and full of idealism, he might have had Dexter put away for his own protection and the protection of others. But Harry Morgan was an old cop, his idealism burned away by watching too many killers get off and laugh at the system that tried to convict them. So instead, he decided to guide Dexter into taking out the truly bad people that the cops would have a hard time finding and stopping.

Ever since then, Dexter has found, tracked and killed many serial killers. He only keeps one souvenir of the killing, a drop of blood on a glass slide, and cuts up the bodies and dumps them in the bay off his fishing boat. Dexter's sister, Deborah, Harry's biological daughter, doesn't suspect. Even though Dexter is more or less dead inside, he still tries to mimic being a human being, to the point of loving his sister, who is a beat cop who desperately wants to be a detective, and is soliciting Dexter's help in the matter.

But Deb's superior, also a woman, only sees her as a bimbo, so Deb has a hard row to hoe in that respect. But now she might have a chance: a serial killer has started working in Miami, and Dexter is startled, troubled and slightly aroused by his work. Because he works exactly as Dexter does, right down to the cutting his victims in pieces and leaving them scattered around an area. But somehow, the pieces are absolutely clean- no blood spatter whatsoever. How can he do that? This is what attracts Dexter- Dexter wants to be this good.

As Dexter tries to track down the serial killer, unsure whether to apply Harry's rules to him and take him out, or to embrace him like a squeeing fangirl, Dexter tries to go about his normal life, including visits to his girlfriend. Rita was abused by her boyfriend, and so she doesn't want to have sex or do more than sit close with perhaps an occasional cuddle. No kissing, no fondling- and that's just perfect for Dexter, who couldn't fake the kind of emotion needed to do those sorts of things. Perhaps he's more interested in her kids, who love Dexter and love to play with him.

But this killer who Dexter is chasing, the Ice Box killer, is going to force Dexter to face the question of who he really is, where he came from and if he's going to abandon Harry's rules and become a regular sort of serial killer, or keep on being a Meta serial killer. Because the Ice Box Killer is tied to Dexter and Dexter's past in a surprising way, and will make Dexter question all he thinks he is and the memories he holds dear.

A serial killer as a protagonist? Most writers wouldn't be able to pull that off for very long. But Jeff Lindsay not only makes Dexter Morgan a viable protagonist, he actually makes the character- dare I say it? Lovable and admirable. Perhaps it's the attitude that Dexter brings to his work. Yes, he finds it satisfying to his Dark Passenger, the part of him that makes him need to kill, but it's also like he's being his own sort of Policeman, performing a service to the innocent of Miami, protecting them from those who would kill them purely for the thrill of it.

Even while he's tracking the Ice Box Killer, Dexter is tackling other serial killers as well. The one whose death starts the novel is a priest who has been sexually abusing and then killing young boys. And they go on from there. Each one is repulsive- more repulsive than Dexter, so you feel that Dexter is performing a work of justice by taking them out. Strangely, the only person who doesn't feel that Dexter is a great guy is one of his co-workers, Sergeant Doakes, who loathes and distrusts Dexter for reasons even he can't explain. Even Dexter finds it amazing that he works among cops and Detectives, and not one of them (except for Doakes) think anything about him is strange or weird. Not even his sister.

That's a testament to how normally Dexter Morgan lives his life, and how good he is at fitting in. In truth, although Dexter claims to be cold and empty inside, he's not, really. He does have emotions, but they are very muted compared to normal people's. I found myself liking the character a lot, and while I understood Doakes' reaction on a visceral level, Dexter is still interesting and likeable. And the fact that Jeff Lindsay's writing could make me feel that for a serial killer just made me amazed.

This book is highly recommended because it is completely awesome. You'll find yourself conflicted in reading it, wondering how you can admire and feel something for a guy who is a serial killer. But it's amazing how quickly you get used to the idea, and yes, this book is the basis for the Showtime Series "Dexter" and formed the basis for the entire first season. But it has quite a different outcome and is different enough that you'll want to read this, too.