Dexter in the Dark: Difference between revisions

Dexter in the Dark

Original US 2007 Cover
Author	Jeff Lindsay
Language	English
Genre	Crime novel
Publication date	2007
Publication place	United States
Media type	Print (Hardback & Paperback)
Preceded by	Dearly Devoted Dexter
Followed by	Dexter By Design

Dexter in the Dark is a 2007 novel written by Jeff Lindsay. This is the third book in the Dexter series, preceded by the 2004 novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter - which formed the basis of the Showtime television series Dexter - and Dearly Devoted Dexter, its 2005 sequel. A fourth book entitled Dexter By Design is also rumored to be in the works and scheduled for release in 2008. [1]

Dexter in the Dark was released September 18, 2007 in the USA (ISBN 0-38-551833-1) and 3rd October 2007 in the UK (ISBN 0-75-288509-X). The book was originally scheduled to be released earlier in the year.

The Season 1 DVD of Showtime's Dexter series allows access to the first two chapters of Dexter in the Dark when viewed on a computer.

Dexter Morgan is a serial killer trained by his father Harry to channel his murderous urges through vigilantism, only killing other killers. The source of his murderous and investigative prowess is a "voice" in his mind he calls the "Dark Passenger."

The story begins when Dexter, a forensic analyst for the Miami Police Department, investigates a double homicide at the University of Miami campus. Two female students are found burned and beheaded. Their heads are replaced by the ceramic heads of bulls. Though this is nothing out of the ordinary for Dexter, something about this murder frightens the Dark Passenger into silence, leaving Dexter on his own. As a series of similar murders takes place, a mysterious cult begins stalking Dexter, believing his "Dark Passenger" to be a threat to them based on their mythology.

The story also concerns the training of Cody and Astor Bennett, Dexter's soon-to-be stepchildren. Traumatized by their abusive father, Cody and Astor have developed homicidal tendencies similar to Dexter's. Dexter intends to teach them the "Code of Harry," which taught Dexter to hide his dark nature and blend in with normal people.

The novel is also the first of Jeff Lindsay's Dexter series not narrated exclusively in the first person point of view. Along with Dexter's first person narration, the novel also includes third person narrations from two other points of view. One is a person called the Watcher, a member of the cult that follows and observes Dexter. The other is a mythical, godlike entity called "IT," which existed since the beginning of time and has several similarities to the Dark Passenger. IT takes great pleasure in entering creatures as a "passenger" and making them kill other creatures. IT works to create other murderous entities similar to itself but soon turns against many of them, causing them to flee. IT and its offspring go to war, with IT being victorious. Some of IT's remaining children stay in hiding, fearing IT's power.

Dexter in the Dark received almost unanimously negative reviews. The novel is accused of being poorly written, lacking the style and wit of the first two novels. Furthermore it is widely criticized for departing from the original storyline by introducing supernatural powers. The novel currently has a two-and-a-half star rating on Amazon.com. [2]