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rebecca_mcr's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
kchisholm's review against another edition
3.0
Dearly Devoted Dexter is the second book from Jeff Lindsay "staring" forensic blood splatter specialist and serial killer Dexter Morgan. Dexter is, by his own observation, not exactly a normal human being. He has a busy sideline in righteous serial killings - he kills people who undoubtedly have avoided retribution for crimes they have committed. Dexter and his darker side "The Dark Passenger" work very hard at their chosen craft and Dexter spends a large amount of time explaining himself, his motives and his methods in an internal voice, shared with the reader.
Dexter was adopted as a small child and his foster father, a cop himself, taught him all sorts of tricks whilst grooming him for his role of avenging angel. His sister, Deborah, was groomed for a role in the police force and it is her Dexter is having lunch with one day (she knows all about Dexter's extra-curricula activities) when they are called to a particularly gruesome crime scene. Dexter develops a sneaking sense of regard for a serial offender who has a line in gruesome that makes Dexter look like a bit of an amateur. Meanwhile Dexter is quietly executing his own plans for some retribution against a pair of child molesters. Unfortunately this plan is being seriously interfered with by local Police Sergeant Doakes who is absolutely convinced that Dexter is up to something and undertakes some pretty close surveillance.
Dexter's own crime scenes are elaborate and graphically described but that is absolutely nothing compared to the crimes that he finds himself having to investigate, firstly, by happy co-incidence with Doakes, which gets Doakes off his own back and away from his own activities. Secondly because his sister's own personal life is involved.
As in the first Dexter book (Darkly Dreaming Dexter) there is a heavy dose of black humour in DEARLY DEVOTED DEXTER. Dexter is very self-deprecating, whilst simultaneously firmly convinced of the necessity of his actions. Nearly all of the insights into Dexter and how or why he does what he does are through Dexter's own internal musings. This provides an unusual insight into the mind of Dexter the serial killer but I could see how after a couple of books you could possibly be wishing that Dexter would just stop talking for just a few pages. Black humour, slightly on the heavy handed side with a very unusual central character, it will be interesting to see how long the Dexter series can continue.
Dexter was adopted as a small child and his foster father, a cop himself, taught him all sorts of tricks whilst grooming him for his role of avenging angel. His sister, Deborah, was groomed for a role in the police force and it is her Dexter is having lunch with one day (she knows all about Dexter's extra-curricula activities) when they are called to a particularly gruesome crime scene. Dexter develops a sneaking sense of regard for a serial offender who has a line in gruesome that makes Dexter look like a bit of an amateur. Meanwhile Dexter is quietly executing his own plans for some retribution against a pair of child molesters. Unfortunately this plan is being seriously interfered with by local Police Sergeant Doakes who is absolutely convinced that Dexter is up to something and undertakes some pretty close surveillance.
Dexter's own crime scenes are elaborate and graphically described but that is absolutely nothing compared to the crimes that he finds himself having to investigate, firstly, by happy co-incidence with Doakes, which gets Doakes off his own back and away from his own activities. Secondly because his sister's own personal life is involved.
As in the first Dexter book (Darkly Dreaming Dexter) there is a heavy dose of black humour in DEARLY DEVOTED DEXTER. Dexter is very self-deprecating, whilst simultaneously firmly convinced of the necessity of his actions. Nearly all of the insights into Dexter and how or why he does what he does are through Dexter's own internal musings. This provides an unusual insight into the mind of Dexter the serial killer but I could see how after a couple of books you could possibly be wishing that Dexter would just stop talking for just a few pages. Black humour, slightly on the heavy handed side with a very unusual central character, it will be interesting to see how long the Dexter series can continue.
dwibble92's review against another edition
5.0
The books are even more gruesome than the tv show. I’m surprised they didn’t have this one on the show tbh. Dexter seems to be slipping more into his fake role by accident in this book which was funny. Also less misogynistic though there was the odd comment. I love the pace of these books and find them easy to read quickly.
jaepingsu's review against another edition
4.0
Listened to this mainly at work, and really enjoyed it. I still prefer the television series to the books, but these are also entertaining (which feels like such a weird thing to say about a book involving a serial killer...in this case, investigating ANOTHER serial killer who dismembers people horrifically).
The combination of the Doakes plotline with the character that I'm assuming was the basis for the show's Lundy character was way different than I expected, which made this a lot more interesting than if the story had been exactly the same. I really had no clue where things were going for most of this.
The combination of the Doakes plotline with the character that I'm assuming was the basis for the show's Lundy character was way different than I expected, which made this a lot more interesting than if the story had been exactly the same. I really had no clue where things were going for most of this.
Spoiler
I'm not sure how I feel about the Cody twist. That's something I'll have to keep reading to see if I like that development or not.booksuzi54's review against another edition
#2 in the series. Very dark, but oddly humorous, the book and the television series part company in this installment. I liked it.
thursdd4y's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A bit too much repetition when it comes to his inner monologue and the alliteration of his name that comes alongside that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Gore, Gun violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cancer, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: Animal death, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment
bookfiend48's review against another edition
2.0
If nothing, these "Dexter" books are entertaining. Dexter is charged with looking for a psychopath who seeks revenge on the people who betrayed him by cutting them all into cubes. At the same time, Dexter is discovering that his fiancee's son may be a potential vigilante serial killer like him.
archiivist's review against another edition
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The author's style remains as delightful and humorous as the first book, though this book's plot holes are much harder to ignore. It was difficult to ignore the glaring questions that kept popping up, but still a fun read.
brandonpows's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
4.5