Dexter In The Dark is the third book in Lindsay's gripping series, and this one has probably been my favourite so far, which is saying a lot, since I've lapped these books up faster than a starving cat laps up a bowl of milk.
Dexter (of the "Deadly Dimples") finds himself engaged to Rita, accidentally, and he has a wedding to plan. However, that's not what's on Dexter's mind. The inner Dark Passenger seems to have absconded, and Dexter is unable to find him, or determine why he's departed. If something's scared it off, it must be serious....
A series of heinous murders take place at the University, and Deborah, Dexter's sister, is the lead detective on the case. As usual, she relies on Dexter's unequivocal help, but due to the missing Passenger, Dexter is lost, lonely, and seems to be "in the dark", whereas earlier he found it easy enough to identify something unique about the crimes - a clue, a lead, just... something. The victims have their heads chopped off, and replaced with a bull's, and their bodies are baked crisp. Is it a cult crime? Something darker? Something more sinister?
For me, what made this book stand out, compared to its predecessors is Dexter, and him actually showing emotions: from snapping at Deborah, to acting as mentors to Rita's two kids, from showing his fears and vulnerabilities, to acting on impulse and pragmatism. And, the story itself goes back a few thousand years, to Solomon's time, and it brings to light a darker force, that has successfully scared off Dexter's inner companion, the 'thing' he fondly refers to as the Dark Passenger - but, what really is the Dark Passenger?
Rating: 4.5