As a fan of the Dexter TV series, I recently read my first Dexter novel and was greatly relieved to learn that the two versions weren't carbon copies of each other. Sure, Dexter's sister is as foul-mouthed and bossy as ever; Dexter himself continues to remain unswervingly loyal to the family cause; and that the criminal mindset, Miami-style, is as creepy in the novel as on the big screen but, along the way, some subtle differences and surprises pop up to distinguish the two accounts. It seems that Lindsey the novelist is on a slightly different mission than Lindsey the screenwriter. Here, he wants to create a more decent Dexter who doesn't easily yield to the evil within him because he has so much to lose. In this novel, the reader will find a Dexter dedicating himself anew to becoming a better husband and parent while still retaining his ability to cunningly hunt down the evildoers and bring them to justice. I felt the personal conflicts in the novel format were more palpable than anything I've seen in the TV rendition. Dexter becomes a man who has to learn to maneuver between loyalties to family, himself, and his secret life and for that he mainly succeeds. Hence, this story spends a lot of time setting the domestic stage for the big event that will draw Dexter into a hair-raising adventure that has him tagging along with his sister in search of some missing co-eds and a gang of cannibals. It is in this bizarre setting that the reader sees Dexter trying to play by the rules in order to secure his future as a loyal brother, a committed husband, a loving father and a respected colleague, while all along keeping his dark side at bay. Only at the end, do we see him succumbing to the demons and it only comes across as a fleeting afterthought when he has become the hero in bringing the villains to justice.