To say that the novels by Jeff Lindsay have an odd relationship with the show would be quite the understatement. They seem to borrow ideas from each other back and forth, but the plots are totally different. The only actual thing in common is the setting and the characters at the start. And by at the start I mean first book (Darkly Dreaming Dexter), first season (Ice Truck Killer), but that's really as far as the similarities go directly.
It's almost like the comic book universes where the same characters are doing different things. Some get killed off, some turn on each other, and in this case, some get physically mutilated forever (That last part couldn't be more literal). But in the end it really works well to give a new depth to characters that are already pretty well developed.
By the fourth novel, Dexter By Design, which I just finished, Dexter's situation is very much different from what you've seen on the show, but somehow he's handling a lot of the same issues he faces on TV. The book kicks off with Dexter on his honeymoon in Paris where he and his wife Rita get invited to a rather bizarre art exhibit that peaks Dexter's interests. From there the story picks up into a tale of a serial killer who thinks of his victims as vessels to showcase his artistic side. Eventually Dexter crosses this new foe, and we have a very pleasant cat and mouse game to the death.
There are a couple of subplots in the story which differ greatly from the show. These mostly revolve around the interactions between Dexter and the people around him. It's here where the two go totally in opposite directions. Without spoiling much I can say that Dexter's stepchildren, Cody and Astor, play a much bigger role in the novels. Lets just say that Dex is a much bigger influence on their lives, and it's not really his choice.
SPOILERS
The other big subplot involves Dexter's stepsister Deborah dealing with the fact that she discovered the truth about Dex at the end of the first book. She had been silent throughout the second and third, but Debs finally confronts him about his reality at the worst time. Dexter is left wondering what he would do if the cop in her takes over and decides to bring him to justice. This is a real stand out moment in the tale of Dexter. When confronted with the decision on what to do about the person he considers closest, Dexter sees himself forced to contemplate things he never thought he would, making him a much more human character.
END OF SPOILERS
Story wise the book is a huge step up from the third (Dexter In The Dark) which had a overly strange plot that included Dexter hallucinating and being kidnapped by a cult. Yeah, I'm glad that's over. This one is more the usual Dexter style. Serial killer vs serial killer.
As always, the city of Miami is almost as important as the characters, which is one of the things I've always loved about the series. I've never spent too much time in Miami, I've been there once or twice for a day or so, but I swear that I know my way around that city. That sounds absurd, and I'm probably (totally) wrong, but these books just describe that city in a way that you just believe you know your way around. Then again, if I believed everything in these books I'd probably be dead within a week of arrival.
Lindsay does another spectacular job at bringing to life these amazing characters. He places you in the head of a serial killer, and you love it. He makes you feel what he feels, and he makes you justify every stab and slice he performs. He makes these outlandish stories believable with ease. I do believe it's in the details; from the way things are said, to the way the forensic stuff is explained... He just gets it.
Even if you haven't seen the show (you should!), take a look at these novels. They stand for themselves, and they might be just as good. And if you do enjoy the show, and you haven't checked out the novels, then you're really doing yourself a disservice.
7.5/10
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