Darkly Dreaming Dexter
Crime novel, Horror | |
Publication date | July 2004 |
---|---|
Publication place | United States |
Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) |
Followed by | Dearly Devoted Dexter |
Darkly Dreaming Dexter is a 2004 novel by
Plot
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
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 popular culture
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]
References
- Yahoo.com. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
- ^ "The Dilys Award". Archived from the original on 2008-09-16. Retrieved 2008-08-26.
- ^ "Booked.TV".
- ^ M.Sc, Shain E. Thomas (2020-05-10). "'Billions': S05.E02. "The Chris Rock Test"". Medium. Retrieved 2020-05-14.
- ^ Surrey, Miles (2020-05-11). "'Billions' Superlatives: "No, It's Torture!"". The Ringer. Retrieved 2020-05-14.
- ^ Morrell, Jack (4 December 2019). "10 Serial Killers You've Never Heard Of: The Real Life Dexter Morgan". WhatCulture. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
- OZY. Archived from the originalon 8 February 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
- Grunge.com. 23 August 2021. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
External links
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