I just finished reading Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay. In short, the book was no where near as good as the TV show.
The book and the TV show start off almost exactly the same. But as each goes on, they head in different directions. The TV show takes us on a journey into the psyche of a serial killer with a thriller style story running along with it. While the book turned into the opposite, a Thriller story that just happens that the main protagonist is also a serial killer.
The issue with the book becomes the fact that the thriller plot line isn’t anything new. The only thing it has going for it is the intrigue of the unique main character and some dark humor thrown in. But because those are a little de-empahsized in order to figure out the thriller/other killer plotline, the book suffers. In the end, the book leaves an impression of it being decent, but we’ve already treaded on this ground before.
On the other hand, the TV show focuses on all the things that make the story interesting and fun. As a result, a similar thriller plot line keeps us just as entertained, but it never comes off with a “seen it” vibe.
So, if you are scoring at home; rent the first season of Dexter on DVD, but pass when it comes to reading the book by Jeff Lindsay.
Posted by Mikey 
