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Dexter by Design: Book summary and reviews of Dexter by Design by Jeff Lindsay

Dexter by Design

by Jeff Lindsay

Dexter by Design by Jeff Lindsay X
Dexter by Design by Jeff Lindsay
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  • Published Sep 2009
    304 pages
    Genre: Thrillers

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Book Summary

After his surprisingly glorious honeymoon in Paris, life is almost normal for Dexter Morgan. Married life seems to agree with him: he’s devoted to his bride, his stomach is full, and his homicidal hobbies are nicely under control. But old habits die hard—and Dexter's work as a blood spatter analyst never fails to offer new temptations that appeal to his offbeat sense of justice…and his Dark Passenger still waits to hunt with him in the moonlight.

The discovery of a corpse (artfully displayed as a sunbather relaxing on a Miami beach chair) naturally piques Dexter’s curiosity and Miami’s finest realize they’ve got a terrifying new serial killer on the loose. And Dexter, of course, is back in business.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"While the darkly witty Lindsay deserves credit for continuing to make imaginative use of his original concept, a contrived resolution disappoints." - Publishers Weekly

"Starred Review. The best of Dexter's four adventures to date, the trademark mixture of amusement and horror complemented by a genuinely suspenseful plot." - Kirkus Reviews

"This will no doubt be another best seller, and with good reason." - Library Journal

This information about Dexter by Design was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

Reader Reviews

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Cloggie Downunder

murder as art
Dexter by Design is the 4th of the Dexter series by Jeff Lindsay. After his honeymoon in Paris, where a bizarre limb-mutilating art installation had Rita awed and Dexter intrigued, Dexter is back at work in Miami. As Sergeant Debbie drags him along to investigate the suspects linked to four bodies displayed in macabre fashion (maybe like an art installation?), she begins to confront the dilemma of her position as an agent of the law in regard to Dexter’s hobby. But before she can decide to arrest him, she is stabbed by a suspect and ends up in the ICU. Taking justice into his own hands, Dexter strays off the Harry Path with disastrous results. This installment of Dexter involves, amongst other things, an Internal Affairs investigator, an FBI agent, an attempted kidnapping, a rather bloody ending and a tantalising teaser for the next installment. Surprisingly, Dexter teams up with Deb’s boyfriend, Kyle Chutsky, and even gets to eat some Cuban food in Cuba (if only I knew where to get some Cuban food near my home!) Lindsay shows the reader he is skilful with similes: I especially liked “It just seemed wrong, like washing your socks in the baptismal font at church.” Fun plot, clever dialogue: another excellent read.

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Author Information

Jeff Lindsay Author Biography

Photo: Hilary Hemingway

Jeff Lindsay is the pen name of American playwright and crime novelist Jeffry P. Freundlich. He is best known for his novels featuring sociopathic vigilante Dexter Morgan, who was also the inspiration for the hit Showtime and CBS series Dexter.

He has written several novels featuring Dexter, some of which include Dexter by Design (2009), Dexter Is Delicious (2010), Double Dexter (2011), Dexter's Final Cut (2013), and Dexter Down Under (2014).

He lives in South Florida with his wife and three daughters.

Link to Jeff Lindsay's Website

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