by Kristine Cuer

Created on: March 18, 2009

The third installment of the Dexter book series, Dexter in the Dark is another "bloody masterpiece" of Jeff Lindsay. Dexter Morgan
is the same Miami PD blood-spatter analyst that we used to know. He is still living through his Daddy Harry's code: Kill only those who deserve it. And who are these deserving people? Those who are living a wicked life of course. And in this series, Dexter is out to make sure that there would be no peace for the wicked.

But wait, there's only one problem this time, some thing is scaring the "Dark Passenger" of Dexter. Something sent the Dark Passenger into hiding. And if the Dark Passenger is afraid, that means there's someone who's more ruthless and more sinister than it right? But who might that be? Will the Dark Passenger ever come back to Dexter again? And how will Dexter get through his every day life now that he no longer have the Dark Passenger to rely on? Is he finally a "normal" human being?

One thing I liked about this book is the way Jeff Lindsay had as usual write something dark but funny at the same time. If you'd possibly seen the whole season 3 of the TV series adaptation of the book, not a single plot in that season is the same with this book 3. Yes, the series took a 360 degrees turn from the book. I'm not sure why they had decided to do it that way. Maybe because the main story of this book involved a cult, some religious sector that might not be a good idea to be shown on TV.

Also, another thing worthy to be noted in this 3rd book is the relationship of Dexter with Rita's children. Dexter's relationship with Cody and Astor is a personal favorite. I liked the way Dexter had set him self as someone who is like a mentor for the two. The two kids are different, more like, Dexter-kind-of-different. He told him that like him, they should struggle to be "normal". And what's another word for normal? "Ordinary". Yes, unlike everyone who struggles to be special, Dexter and the kids struggle to be as ordinary as possible.

In this book, we get to learn that even a character like Dexter who seems indispensable have moments of being "human" as well. Although there are things in this book that seemed a little far from reality from me, like the music that Dexter always hears that is impinged to him by the god of the cult, seems unrealistic for me. But aside from that, this book had once again proved why Dexter is now one of the most well loved vigilante-serial-killer.

Rating: 4/5

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