Darkly Dreaming Dexter

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Darkly Dreaming Dexter
Darkly Dreaming Dexter.jpg
Cover of the 2004 edition
Author Jeff Lindsay
LanguageEnglish
Genre Crime novel, Horror
Publication date
July 2004
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (hardback & paperback)
Followed by Dearly Devoted Dexter  

Darkly Dreaming Dexter is a 2004 novel by Jeff Lindsay, the first in his supernatural crime horror series about American forensic analyst/serial killer Dexter Morgan. It formed the basis of the Showtime television series Dexter and won the 2005 Dilys Award and the 2007 Book to TV award. [1]

Contents

Plot

Dexter Morgan works for the Miami Police Department as a forensic blood spatter analyst. In his spare time, he is a vigilante serial killer who targets murderers, rapists, child molesters and other undesirables he believes the legal system has failed to stop. Dexter's murders are directed by an inner voice he refers to as "The Dark Passenger", prodding Dexter to satisfy his homicidal urges on a regular basis. When accomplished, the voice is placated for a while, but always, eventually returns.

Flashbacks reveal that Dexter's foster father, an esteemed police detective named Harry Morgan, recognized early on that he was a violent psychopath with an innate need to kill, and taught him how to kill people who had gotten away with horrific crimes as a way to channel his homicidal urges in a "positive" direction. Harry also taught the boy to be a careful and meticulous killer, to leave no clues, and to be absolutely sure that his victims were guilty before killing them. Dexter calls these rules "The Code of Harry."

Dexter succeeds in managing his double life until he investigates the "Tamiami Slasher," who has murdered three prostitutes. His adoptive sister, Deborah, who is also on the force and wants to be promoted to Homicideand knowing that her brother has eerie "hunches"asks him for help in solving the case. Because of his moral code, Dexter helps Deborah. Yet, he feels a compelling pull to the killer, due to similar desires. After a lucid dream, Dexter drives around Miami and spots a refrigerated truck. When he follows the truck, the killer throws a severed head in his car.

The killer begins sending messages to Dexter, who finds the crimes fascinating. Dexter is torn between helping Deborah and allowing the killer to continue his spree. Meanwhile, due to his strange dreams, Dexter wants to kill somebody, so he follows a man whom he suspects of raping and killing five teenage girls and kills him after confirming his guilt. The Tamiami Slasher kidnaps Deborah and brings Dexter to the scene, revealing that his sister is being held in the same shipping container that Dexter's biological mother, Laura, was held in. The killer is Dexter's biological brother, Brian, who was separated from Dexter after their mother's murder at the hands of a drug dealer. As Deborah's spiteful colleague, Migdia LaGuerta, arrives on the scene, Brian is disappointed that Dexter refuses to kill Deborah. Dexter allows Brian to kill LaGuerta and helps him escape, out of a sense of familial loyalty. In the epilogue, Dexter stands at LaGuerta's funeral and feels sad, but cannot bring himself to cry.

Award

Darkly Dreaming Dexter won the 2005 Dilys Award presented by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association. [2]

Television series adaptation

The novel is the basis for a TV series on the cable network Showtime. Whereas the first season largely followed the plot of the original book, subsequent seasons featured original storylines not directly based on subsequent "Dexter" novels.

Darkly Dreaming Dexter was also featured on an episode of Booked, a Canadian television series that investigates crime fiction novels through the eyes of real forensic science experts. [3]

In "The Chris Rock Test", the second episode of the fifth season of the television series Billions , Charles “Chuck” Rhoades, is in a session with a therapist. [4] When prompted by the therapist to choose a 'wise person', Rhoades, an avid reader of crime fiction, nominates Dexter's father, Harry Morgan, for guidance. [5]

Following the widespread success of the Dexter franchise, reformed former teenage revenge spree killer Pedro Rodrigues Filho, sometimes credited as the inspiration for the Dexter series) received international recognition as the "Brazilian Dexter (Morgan)" and "South American Punisher", leading to him ultimately beginning a career as a successful YouTuber from 2018 onward. [6] [7] [8]

Related Research Articles

<i>Dexter</i> (TV series) American crime drama TV series (2006–2013)

Dexter is an American crime drama television series that aired on Showtime from October 1, 2006, to September 22, 2013. Set in Miami, the series centers on Dexter Morgan, a forensic technician specializing in bloodstain pattern analysis for the fictional Miami Metro Police Department, who leads a secret parallel life as a vigilante serial killer, hunting down murderers who have not been adequately punished by the justice system due to corruption or legal technicalities. The show's first season was derived from the novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter (2004), the first in a series of novels by Jeff Lindsay. It was adapted for television by James Manos Jr., who wrote the first episode. Subsequent seasons evolved independently of Lindsay's works while using many of the same characters and concepts.

Debra Charlotte Morgan is a fictional character created by Jeff Lindsay for his Dexter book series. She also appears in the television series, based on Lindsay's books, portrayed by Jennifer Carpenter. In Lindsay's novels, she first appeared in Darkly Dreaming Dexter and was featured in every novel in the series. Debra is the sister of the series' antihero protagonist Dexter Morgan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dexter Morgan</span> Fictional character from the Dexter book and TV series

Dexter Morgan is a fictional character introduced as the antihero protagonist of the Dexter book series written by Jeff Lindsay, as well as the television series of the same name. In the television series, Dexter is portrayed by Michael C. Hall.

"Born Free" is the twelfth episode of season one and first-season finale of the American television drama series Dexter, which aired on December 17, 2006 on Showtime in the United States. The episode also aired on May 4, 2008 on CTV in Canada; on May 14, 2008 on FX in the UK; on September 28, 2008 on Channel Ten in Australia; and on March 21, 2011 on STAR World in India. The episode was written by Daniel Cerone and executive producer Melissa Rosenberg, and was directed by Michael Cuesta. Based on the novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay, the season featured many differences to the original source, mainly in the lead-up to and revelation of the identity of the "Ice Truck Killer". The episode received critical acclaim.

<i>Dexter in the Dark</i> Book by Jeff Lindsay

Dexter in the Dark is a 2007 novel written by Jeff Lindsay. The third book in the Dexter series, following serial killer killer Dexter Morgan, it was 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Doakes</span> Fictional character in the Dexter television series

James Doakes is a fictional character in the Dexter television series and the novels by Jeff Lindsay. In the TV series, he is portrayed by Erik King. Doakes appeared in the first two seasons as a detective sergeant, and is depicted as one of the few characters in the series to suspect the truth of lead character Dexter Morgan being a serial killer.

<i>Dexter by Design</i> 2009 novel by Jeff Lindsay

Dexter by Design (2009) is a mystery novel written by Jeff Lindsay. It is the fourth novel in the Dexter series, preceded by Darkly Dreaming Dexter, Dearly Devoted Dexter, and Dexter in the Dark, following Dexter Morgan, a sociopathic forensic analyst with a "hobby" of killing killers, as he investigates a serial killer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pedro Rodrigues Filho</span> Brazilian serial killer (1954–2023)

Pedro Rodrigues Filho, also known as Pedrinho Matador, Killer Lil' Pedro, Killer Killer Petey, or simply Killer Petey, was a Brazilian serial killer, spree killer, vigilante, and YouTuber known for pursuing and killing exclusively suspected criminals as a teenager, between the age of 14 and 19, in particular an entire gang in response to the murder of his pregnant girlfriend. Officially sentenced for 71 murders but claiming to have killed over 100 drug dealers, rapists, and murderers, he served 34 years in prison before his release in 2007. In 2011, Rodrigues was imprisoned again on charges of inciting riot and deprivation of liberty; he was sentenced to eight years in prison, but was released again in 2018 after seven years on good behavior.

Harry Morgan (<i>Dexter</i>) Fictional character

Detective Harrison "Harry" Morgan is a fictional character in the Showtime television series Dexter and the novels by Jeff Lindsay upon which it is based. In the television series he is portrayed by James Remar. Harry is Dexter Morgan's adoptive father, now deceased.

<i>Dexter</i> season 1 Drama series

The first season of Dexter is an adaptation of Jeff Lindsay's first novel in a series of the same name, Darkly Dreaming Dexter. Subsequent seasons have featured original storylines. This season aired from October 1, 2006 to December 17, 2006, and follows Dexter's investigation of "the Ice Truck Killer". Introduced in the first episode, "Dexter", this serial killer targets prostitutes and leaves their bodies severed and bloodless. At the same time, Dexter's adoptive sister, Debra Morgan, a vice squad officer, aspires to work in the homicide department, and Dexter's girlfriend, Rita Bennett, wants their relationship to be more intimate. Christian Camargo appears as Rudy Cooper and is a recurring character until the end of the season.

<i>Dexter</i> season 2 Drama series

The second season of Dexter premiered on September 30, 2007, and ended on December 16, 2007. Starting with this season, the show no longer adapts the Dexter novels. The season premiere "It's Alive!" attracted 1.01 million viewers in the United States, making Dexter the first Showtime series to attract more than a million viewers with a season premiere. The season finale, "The British Invasion", attracted 1.4 million viewers, making it the program's most-watched episode until the airing of the season three finale, "Do You Take Dexter Morgan?". Including digital video recorder (DVR) usage, season two was watched by an average of 2.4 million viewers on a weekly basis through 11 full weeks, outperforming season one by 21%.

Arthur Mitchell (<i>Dexter</i>) Fictional character in the Showtime TV series Dexter

Arthur Mitchell, often referred to as the "Trinity Killer," is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the fourth season of the Showtime TV series Dexter. Mitchell is a serial killer who presents himself as an unassuming church deacon and family man. FBI agent Frank Lundy dubs him the "Trinity Killer" because of a recurring pattern of three killings based on traumatic events during Arthur's childhood. In the series, Mitchell is portrayed by John Lithgow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">María LaGuerta</span> Fictional human

Captain María Esperanza di Alma LaGuerta is a fictional character portrayed by Lauren Vélez in the Showtime television series Dexter. In the series, she holds the position of lieutenant at the fictitious Miami-Metro Homicide Department. While initially depicted as a protagonist, Maria LaGuerta, who serves as the superior officer to main characters Dexter and Debra Morgan, evolves into one of the primary antagonists by Season 7.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angel Batista</span> Fictional character

Angelo "Angel" Juan Marcos Batista is a fictional character in the Showtime television series Dexter and the novels by Jeff Lindsay upon which it is based. He is portrayed in the television series by David Zayas. Batista spends much of the series as a Sergeant before being promoted to Lieutenant in the final season.

<i>Double Dexter</i> Book by Jeff Lindsay

Double Dexter is the sixth novel written by Jeff Lindsay, and the sixth book in the Dexter book series about Dexter Morgan, a serial killer who targets serial killers, pedophiles, and other murderers. The book was released on October 18, 2011, and received a universally positive critical reception, praised as the best Dexter novel so far.

<i>Dexter</i> season 6 Drama series

The sixth season of Dexter premiered on October 2, 2011, on the television cable network Showtime, and consisted of 12 episodes. The season follows Dexter's and Miami Metro's investigations into a string of bizarre ritualistic killings featuring overtly religious apocalyptic symbolism. On November 18, 2011, it was announced that Dexter had been renewed for two more seasons.

<i>Dexters Final Cut</i> Book by Jeff Lindsay

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"Are You...?" is the first episode of the seventh season of the Showtime television series Dexter and the seventy-third episode overall. The episode originally aired on September 30, 2012. It was directed by John Dahl and written by newly appointed showrunner Scott Buck.

<i>Dexter Is Dead</i> 2015 novel by Jeff Lindsay

Dexter Is Dead is the eighth novel written by Jeff Lindsay, and the final book in the Dexter book series, about Dexter Morgan, a vigilante serial killer who almost exclusively targets other serial killers. The book was released on July 7, 2015. A loose adaptation of the novel, serving as a revival of Showtime's Dexter television series, a miniseries entitled Dexter: New Blood, was released from November 7, 2021 to January 9, 2022, with Michael C. Hall reprising his role as the title character.

References

  1. Tron, Gina (29 October 2021). "As The New Season Of 'Dexter' Nears, Who Are The Real Life Killers That Inspired (Or Were Inspired By) The Show?". Yahoo.com . Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  2. "The Dilys Award". Archived from the original on 2008-09-16. Retrieved 2008-08-26.
  3. "Booked.TV".
  4. M.Sc, Shain E. Thomas (2020-05-10). "'Billions': S05.E02. "The Chris Rock Test"". Medium. Retrieved 2020-05-14.
  5. Surrey, Miles (2020-05-11). "'Billions' Superlatives: "No, It's Torture!"". The Ringer. Retrieved 2020-05-14.
  6. Morrell, Jack (4 December 2019). "10 Serial Killers You've Never Heard Of: The Real Life Dexter Morgan". WhatCulture . Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  7. Robinson, Eugene S. (8 February 2021). "This Brazilian Dexter Loves Killing Killers". OZY. Archived from the original on 8 February 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
  8. "The True Story Of The Serial Killer Who Is Now A YouTuber". Grunge.com. 23 August 2021. Retrieved 23 August 2021.