Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
Overall, I enjoyed the 4th instalment of the series. However, I did find a few elements of the plot a little too predictable, and there were times I had to suspend my disbelief more than usual. But Lindsay's expert narrative kept me turning pages quickly. I love the sparks of genuine humour interspersed with the gut-churning macabre, and Dexter is, as always, a genuinely likeable monster.
I'm looking forward to the next one!
One thing that really irritated me, and made me bump the rating down one whole star, was Dexter's incessant need to criticize common idioms. I love how Dexter observes humanity as an outsider, which makes for a unique perspective. HOWEVER, Dexter is (usually) quite smart, and he should be able to understand some of these expressions. One time he comments on the expression "It's just a flesh wound", saying that all wounds are flesh wounds. Yes, Dexter, but not all wounds are just flesh wounds. You wouldn't say that to someone who just got shot in the brain.
Another phrase he critiqued was "first things first". He said that first things always come first, so the expression is meaningless. That resulted in me doing a literal face palm. *Sigh*. You don't have to try to be clever all the time, Dexter, because sometimes you just come across as stupid.
This brings me to my final criticism. Dexter wasn't particularly bright in this book, and he made quite a few mistakes that had me cringing. I totally understand why he
Spoiler
murdered the man who he thought shot Deb, because you can argue that he wasn't thinking clearly, because he was having some almost-feelings Now, for some praise. I absolutely loved how Dexter skirted around real human emotion in this book. The way he considers that he might lose someone he kinda sorta cares about was really fascinating. I think that Lindsay spent a lot of time choosing his words carefully here, and it made for an interesting read.
This book was a little different than the rest. Of course Dexter is narrowly escaping yet again however this time he escapes by means other than his own which is unusual. It's nice to see Dexter a little off his game and needing to be saved, especially by Astor and Cody. That is a storyline I wish the TV show would pick up. I love Dexter being the mentor to two such messed up children.
Good book! Thoroughly enjoyable.
Upon his return home, his supervisor sister thrusts him into a case involving particularly grizzly deaths in which the killer opens the bodies, removes organs, and replaces them with artfully arranged items like fruit baskets.
Before the book ends, a suspect brutally stabs Dexter’s sister, and a seemingly dumb detective nearly stumbles onto the serial killer Dexter is.
I wrapped this up in a day and part of a sleepless night. The book moves fast and well, and you can understand how this became a successful television series.