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    Dexter Is Delicious
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    Dexter Is Delicious
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    Dexter Is Delicious
    Audiobook11 hours

    Dexter Is Delicious

    Published by Penguin Random House Audio

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    America's most-read, most-watched, and most­ beloved serial killer-Dexter Morgan-is back. After selling more than one million copies and inspiring the wildly popular #1 Showtime series and top-rated crime drama on pay-cable television, New York Times bestselling author Jeff Lindsay returns with his most hilarious, macabre, and purely entertaining novel yet.

    Dexter Morgan has always lived a happy homicidal life. He keeps his dark urges in check by adhering to one stead­fast rule . . . he only kills very bad people. But now Dexter is experiencing some major life changes-don't we all?-and they're mostly wrapped up in the eight-pound curiosity that is his newborn daughter. Family bliss is cut short, however, when Dexter is summoned to investigate the disappearance of a seventeen-year-old girl who has been running with a bizarre group of goths who fancy themselves to be vampires. As Dexter gets closer to the truth of what happened to the missing girl, he realizes they are not really vampires so much as cannibals. And, most disturbing . . . these people have decided they would really like to eat Dexter.

    Jeff Lindsay's bestselling, dark, ironic, and oftentimes laugh-out-loud hilarious novels about the lovable serial killer with no soul (but a redeeming desire to kill only people who deserve it) have gained a legion of fans and assumed a place in our cul­ture.


    From the Hardcover edition.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateSep 7, 2010
    ISBN9780307577559
    Unavailable
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    Reviews for Dexter Is Delicious

    3.5/5

    375 ratings48 reviews

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 3/5
      It was nice to see the birth of his kid prompting Dexter to want to change into someone normal instead of just pretending to be. All in all this was a good book if a little predictable. I will say that I am officially sick of Debra. She has absolutely no sympathy or remorse for any trouble Dexter gets involved in (most of it is because she forces him into it). In fact, she treats him more like a tool to use whenever she wants rather than a brother. Dexter should have let Brian kill her.
    • 4/5
      I read this book quickly, in a little over a day. It was fast and entertaining, with a very creepy villain this time. Dexter spends quite a bit of time musing over his new daughter, Lily Anne, and at times I wished he would stop talking about her and start fighting the bad guys. I also like the scenes with Cody and Astor, and wish we could find out more about their time with Uncle Brian. They should get their own book someday. Despite Dexter seeming so wishy washy about his dark passenger, there was still a lot of violence in the book. Rita did seem a little more annoying than I remember. Overall, I enjoyed reading this and think fans of the previous Dexter books will like it too.
    • 4/5
      I have watched the first four seasons of "Dexter" on TV, and have read all five "Dexter" novels (and am eagerly awaiting my copy of the 6th book - "Double Dexter" - from Amazon, due sometime in October). I must confess to preferring the books to the TV series, although comparing the two is, in large part, like comparing apples and oranges. The TV series has a (fairly magnificent) cast of characters, multiple plot lines, and tells its stories from various perspectives. It is a very good, entertaining show.The books, however, are written first-person from Dexter's perspective. Throughout the series, Jeff Lindsay has managed to give Dexter a voice that is introspective, at times hilarious, and at times poignant when Dexter the sociopath encounters something that he feels completely unable to understand. (And Lindsay gives a wonderful description of what it might be like to look at life and the world from the perspective of a sociopath - someone who has little by way of emotion, and even less by way of empathy for others. He makes Dexter come alive.)In this installment, I feel a little let down, as Lindsay gives us a look at Dexter as if Dexter were someone "normal." A lot of humor is lost in the transition. The return of Dexter's equally (if not moreso) sociopathic brother (Brian), and the prospect of his brother and Debra (Dexter's sister by way of adoption) meeting adds fantastic tension for future stories, particularly since Brian tried to "bond" with Dexter by kidnapping and attempting to dismember Debra in the first book of the series.The book (in fact, the entire set of books) make for extremely entertaining reading. It may not be classic literature, it may not be particularly "deep" (although Lindsay does provide intriguing insights into a sociopath's mind-set), but Dexter makes for breezy, enjoyable, storytelling. Well worth the time spent reading it.
    • 5/5
      I love Dexter. Witty and dark but not for everyone.
    • 4/5
      I really liked this book. Once again Jeff has created Dexter to be the lovable psychopath, but this time Dexter is a dad.

      I had just finished this book when I got Jeff to sign it and ask him a couple of questions. One of the things about Dexter that I've always found is that he seems to be less intelligent than he tells us he is. Jeff confirmed this to me and with his writing with this book. It adds another layer of depth to Dexter.

      As for the latest Dexter book, it was great. The topic of this book was something I have researched for my own writing and Jeff really has hit the mark once again. I feel like I should end with an alliteration, but that really is plagiarism.
    • 4/5
      ... AKA Dexter vs the cannibals. The investigation part of the book is twisted and sick enough and of course (as usual) Dexter's private life is starting to falling apart again. On top of the birth of his child a ghost of his past visiting him and his family....
    • 3/5
      Synopsis: Cannibals are preying on young women; some of them actually want to be eaten. Dexter decides that he doesn't want any part of this, but he gets wrapped up in the case anyway. His brother is also somehow involved and Dexter doesn't know if this is a good or a bad thing. Review: This is a good ending book in that it doesn't look like the Dexter story line can progress much farther with getting very redundant.
    • 3/5
      Watching an entire season of the television show, Dexter, and then reading one of the books was something I enjoyed. When I finished the last season, which is sadly the LAST year, I did not read one right off. The first two books of the series are in my "Read before joining LibraryThing" collection. Maybe memory is playing tricks, but I remember liking the books a lot. The third book was fine, but the fourth and this book were let downs. One complaint about the fourth book, the police procedural decisions were not good, were the same in this book. Dexter's sister Deb is an idiot. The other complaint, that some of the plotting didn't move the story along, did not happen. It seemed to me that everything happened in this book was directly related to the plot. The plot wasn't good for me. I like Dexter being the likable serial killer. This book had Dexter trying to change due to new fatherhood. He was not the get-out-of-jam-by-himself guy I like, but a whiny, needs-help-to-save-himself hero. Not good.
    • 4/5
      Listened to this as an audiobook.

      I think I gave this one star more than I would simply b'c Jeff Lindsay narrated his own book very, very well. It isn't possibly the best Dexter book I've read. But it is quite interesting and has some great ideas in it. As always Lindsay comes off with some fantastic alliteration that just sets the right tone.
    • 2/5
      Throughout this book I was thinking that this is where this series is going to end for me. Dexter was so wishy-washy and I actually want him to be a serial killer, that's what makes this series interesting and different. There's been a few books that haven't really included the Dark Passenger and I don't really enjoy them (not sure what that says about me). Probably didn't help matters that the author decided to read this book himself, which in my opinion is never a good idea. But now I have to think about it, because the Dark Passenger came roaring back in the Epilouge and there's only one more book left in the series, at this point, and I don't know if my OCD can leave it undone.
    • 5/5
      I was starting to think that Jeff Lindsay couldn't possibly keep up the very high bar of storytelling he has set with this series for much longer but he has continued to mesmerize me with this one as well. I like the "victim's" motivation because it is so unusual that I wouldn't have ever thought about it without Jeff Lindsay's help. The character development of the kids is really interesting to watch and I like the way he weaves them into the story. I also think it adds another dimension to Dexter now that he has something to lose and at the same time it is funny to watch him juggle being a parent and his "other" activities. The only thing I didn't really like is the way Rita was in this book, maybe that is the way she was always supposed to be portrayed, but she seemed to fade into the woodwork this time. Plus, I found the never-finished sentences to be a bit annoying.
    • 4/5
      Another good entry in the series. Oh, what is going to happen to our Dexter? Daddy-hood seems to have set him back on his heels. Luckily by the end of the book he seems to be getting back to his usual self. Interesting character concept presented: if there are predators, there must be people who want to be prey. And what is Brian up to? Is he for or against Dexter and his new life? And what is going to happen with Cody and Astor? Dexter needs to stop neglecting their education... And how will motherhood affect Deborah? Looking forward to the next book!
    • 4/5
      Took me little while to get into this one. When the book series and the TV series are so different, it takes time to move out of one and into the other. In this book, Dexter has become a father and is trying to reform his Deadly Dark Dexter ways. Right as he is coming into a case that very well might need his Dark Passenger to figure out.Brian, his brother, comes back and tries to move in on Dexters' territory with the family.And the case of a missing person has a strange turn. All this sets Dexter on a new path of righteousness that may very well be his undoing.
    • 4/5
      Clearly, the Dexter television series is breaking new trail that no longer follows the narrative thread in Lindsay's books. In the novels, Cody and Astor have their own little Dark Passengers, Rita is still alive, and Dexter's brother is a welcome addition at the evening dinner table. If one accepts the dual nature of the character -- that in the television show and that in the book -- as two different, yet related entities, this new Dexter novel is enjoyable on its own merits. Not the best Dexter book, and not the worst, it's a solid effort for Dexter fans.
    • 4/5
      I have followed, and very much enjoyed, Showtime's Dexter series from the start, but "Dexter Is Delicious" is my first exposure to Dexter in actual book form. It is not like I have been unaware of Jeff Lindsay's Dexter books all this time, however. The only thing that kept me from reading one of them before now was my erroneous assumption that the books were little more than recaps of the same stories I had already watched on Showtime. That is certainly not the case. The books are TV Dexter's alternate history (or should I phrase that the other way around?). Dexter is basically the same likable serial killer we know from television but some of what he has experienced in that series has not happened to Printed-Word Dexter (and I assume that the opposite is also true). Certain key characters have died television deaths but live on in the books. Dexter's new television son is his new daughter in "Dexter Is Delicious." His innocent young step-children from film are his not-very-innocent step-children in the books. "Dexter Is Delicious" is a bizarre tale involving young Miami cannibals, a group that is, in its own special way, working to control the illegal immigrant population of that fine city. However, only when two teen girls from an expensive private high school appear to have been kidnapped by the cannibals does the Miami Police Department get seriously involved. The case falls into the lap of Dexter's sister, Deb, who treats Dexter (a blood-splatter expert working for the same police department) as her personal employee, yanking him from the laboratory and running him all over the county in pursuit of the missing girls and those who might have them. Dexter, while he is perfectly willing to help Deb hunt the bad guys, is, at the same time, waging an internal battle brought on by the birth of his new baby girl. He wants to rid himself of his Dark Passenger, that inner voice requiring him to kill on a regular basis. Dexter wants nothing more than to feel the emotions any new father can be expected to feel. To blend in despite being a sociopath, Dexter has already learned the proper things to do and say when around other people. Now he is having longer and longer moments of actually feeling those emotions. But what will his Dark Passenger think of all this? The plot of "Dexter Is Delicious" is a bit farfetched, but that is unlikely to bother Dexter-regulars because this is nothing new. From the point-of-view of someone who came to Dexter first via television, what did bug me was the limited, or even nonexistent roles played by some of Dexter's fellow television cops. Too, I kept wondering how a blood-splatter expert could get away with running all over the Miami area for so long doing physical police work and only occasionally going in to the blood lab. The audio book version of "Dexter Is Delicious," a nine-CD set, is read by its author, Jeff Lindsay, who does a good job giving voice to Dexter and Dexter's sense of humor. I was a little slow settling in to Lindsay's narrative style but by the second CD it all started to sound very natural, and in character, to me. Anyone just willing to go with the flow of the story is going to have fun with this one. Rated at: 3.5
    • 5/5
      I'm not really sure about how much I enjoyed this book. I found the idea of cannabalism a little off putting and also Dexter's 'helper' a little unreal. Having said that In will definitely read another of his books.I guess I must have liked it.Gillian O'Shanasseys's book club suggestion of the ABC.
    • 2/5
      Dexter is Delicious marks the end of this series for me. I have forced my way through the last few books, but this one solidly puts the nail in the coffin. Do you remember what made Dexter interesting? A serial killer police officer trying to uphold a "code" of rightful killing. Do you know what the opposite is? An ex-serial killer who is now a father and feeling love and human emotion for the first time. On top of that, Deborah, his cop sister with a pair of brass ones, feels her biological clock ticking and wants a family of her own. Throw in a coven of cannibals and you have got yourself one heck of a stew pot full of crap. Dear Mr. Lindsay, please put poor Dexter out of his misery.
    • 4/5
      Where the last installment of the wacky adventures of my favorite sociopath left me cold and worrying that Jeff Lindsay might have lost his edge, my faith in Lindsay and his lovable serial killer has been completely restored with Dexter is Delicious. This book is all about family. Dexter is a new father and he daydreams about how wonderful life will be for his new baby girl. He believes that he is feeling real human emotions and now understands what love is all about. He decides that the only way to be the best Dex Daddy he can be is to banish the Dark Passenger and give up his special playtime forever. He impresses on his step-children, fledgling sociopaths themselves, that their path is no longer the right one and that he will no longer tutor them to follow Harry's Code. When his sister pulls him into a search for 2 missing teenagers, Dexter's world goes a bit wonky as the bones of one of the girls are found in a fire pit., well gnawed. Even as he dreams of hearts and flowers for little Lily Anne, it becomes clear that cannibals are alive and well in Miami. Deborah is determined to find and rescue the second girl. She relies on Dexter's expertise in darkness to help her in her search. To complicate matters, someone from Dexter's past has returned... and Dex Daddy isn't exactly thrilled. Moving along at a brisk pace, Dexter is Delicious is a tasty and satisfying roller coaster ride. If you have enjoyed the tales of Dexter Morgan, you'll love this one.
    • 4/5
      Dexter Is Delicious was another great novel by Jeff Lindsay. It opens up with the birth of Dexter and Rita's first baby. With the new baby Dexter is not feeing himself there are all new emotions running through him. While Dexter is exploring his new feelings and about the baby Deb's is working 2 missing persons case's that end up being about Cannibals. It is very entertaining and keeps you wondering until the very end about who the bad guys really are. I was so surprised by the end totally taken back and couldn't believe what happened. Now I'm waiting impatiently for the next installment
    • 3/5
      This series has been hit and miss for me, unlike the television show, which always seems to be a hit. Perhaps the author feels he is in competition with the series and has to write an entire season worth of story lines into one novel.That is the problem with this novel. The writing is still fun, the characters enjoyable and interesting, but there are way, way too many plot lines. The return of Dexter's brother, Rita's recently given birth, Deborah's ticking biological clock and, of course, the regular murder mystery.I feel that if the story lines had been divided between two books that this novel would have bee much more interesting. All of the plot lines tie into a bow at the end, which is always a pet peeve of mine. I hope the author doesn't feel pressure with his next book and just focuses on one or two particulars.
    • 4/5
      I can tell that the author put a lot of time into making the plot and making all the characters come in sync. In the story, there were a lot of characters and mysterious events, but in the end, it is revealed that each event was caused by a particular character unintentionally, and therefore, alarming the main character. The story is quite humorous, as always, and this time, it's centered around a serial killer adapting to become a father, but everyone seems to get into his way, especially his older brother and sister, whom both wanted a family of their own and are jealous of him. Even though the story can get a little cheesy and corny, it didn't lack any actions either, it was filled with intense battles and nerve wrecking revelations.
    • 4/5
      I've really enjoyed the Dexter books, especially the first two on audio. This one was similarly good, but it was read by the author who was not quite as good a narrator as the original reader (whose name I do not recall). Also, this one was lot more gory and gruesome, and it wasn't Dexter who was causing it. In fact, in this one, he seems to be morphing into something a bit more human, much to the Dark Passenger's disgust. Though based on the novels, the TV show "Dexter" has gone completely off in a different direction. Both are fun (well, fun is a relative term), but other than Dexter, Debs, Rita & the kids, and Angel-No-Relation, most of the characters in the TV show don't match up to the characters in any of othe books after the first one. Still, if you enjoy the TV show, I think you'll enjoy the books, if you keep these caveats in mind.
    • 3/5
      In "Dexter is Delicious," Dexter is a new father (much like his television counterpart, although the book Dexter has a little girl instead of a boy), which wreaks some havoc on his darkness. He finds himself becoming more human, and he's determined to keep the Dark Passenger at bay. But there is a pack of cannibals loose in Miami, and Dexter is drawn into a struggle between his dark urges and his urge to be a good father.I found this book to be only marginally better than "Dexter in the Dark," which I suppose says something. But it certainly didn't have the magic of the first offering in this series; it feels like Jeff Lindsay is just milking the cash cow at this point. I found Dexter's desire to become more human ringing hollow; I liked Dexter's struggle with fatherhood in the television show much more convincing. However, I did like the reappearance of one of my favorite Dexter characters ever, although even this character's portrayal seemed a little anemic and less intriguing.Altogether, I did find the book to be okay, and I'd recommend it to people who love Dexter. However, for the casual reader, it's probably best to be skipped, since it doesn't really add anything to the character.
    • 3/5
      Dexter at his best, i.e. with the Dark Passenger onboard, is always a treat. In the third book in the series, Lindsay banished the Dark Passenger and with it went the humor. In this, the fifth book, he does something similar and it's to the detriment of the story. Instead of Dark Dexter and his amusing musings on humankind, we get a regular action-detective, which isn't all that interesting. Also, the plausibility is gone when Dexter spends the better part of the book running around with his sister rather than be a blood spatter analyst - in what police department would this be possible? There are some amusing bits in the book and some of the plot-points are interesting, but it's not really up to par with a proper Dexter-book's potential. I listened to the audiobook, which is read by the author, and although he is a good reader, he should never ever be allowed to write British English or attempt to read in a British accent - he makes Dick Van Dyke sound like a true Cockney!
    • 3/5
      Delicious reads like chick-lit rather than a crime novel. Whether this is a deliberate shift to appease the TV crowd or a by-product of this particular plot will have to be seen. There are plenty of fresh elements to keep the plot interesting and the structure of the plot differs from the previous novels, without straying too far from expectation. Why Delicious feels so light is the concentration upon the domesticity of Dexter (there's a new one, possibly) and Deborah, his sister. The well-mannered Dexter only gets in to gear in the final third and that's disappointing. It's a good read, with a good story and although it's a recommended read, it's the weakest entry in this series so far.
    • 4/5
      In this, the fifth installment of the saga, there was always the worry that daddy Dexter would descend from dread to dire, or even drear. I have noticed a definite decline in the last two books and am delighted to declare that Dexter is back to top form, as delicious as ever. Now a loving husband and dutiful dad, dear Dex decides to reform and put his killing ways behind him: fate has a different idea however and the dark Destroyer returns to murder and mayhem when he takes on a coven of cannibals. In addition to the usual cast of Doakes, Deborah and Rita, Dexter is reunited with his brother Brian, setting the scene for further madcap mischief to come.
    • 4/5
      The serial killer that I LOVE to love. Great installment in the series, and what a relief. I was beginning to think Dexter had gone soft on me. Loved the ending, especially the little surprise. (I won't be a spoiler!)
    • 4/5
      Dexter is a dad now. Does that mean that he is going to find the emotions he thinks would bring him normalcy? Lily Ann is a little bundle of love and he feels totally new things. However, a new nemesis is tugging at the edges of his new life and this enemy is eating its victims. Also, his brother reappears on the scene supposedly wanting to connect with his new family members. Dexter continues to be a totally fascinating character. The conversations he has with his "Dark Passenger" give the reader an insight into a darkly psychotic mind. I also am a devoted fan to the Showtime series which departs from the plot of the book series but is true to the Dexter character. I am anxiously looking forward to the new season starting to see what TV Dexter is up to.
    • 5/5
      Dexter is back in full serial killer next door style in Dexter Is Delicious, Jeff Lindsay's latest entry in the Dexter series, due out in stores September 7th. The charming people of Doubleday were kind enough to send me an advanced copy, which made my Wednesday afternoon when I pulled in from work. I wasted no time clearing through the ending of Mockinjay and diving straight into Dexter's latest antics. We meet up with Dexter in the maternity ward, mooning over his new daughter Lily Anne. He's being overcome by his first ever wave of emotion and is dealing with it in his usual awkward, Dexter-like way, when it occurs to him that maybe he should give up the dark passenger playtime in his new daddy state. Unfortunately his timing is bad, what with the wave of cannibalism washing through Miami, the surprise visit by his brother in darkness Brian and the usual grumpy demands from his sister Deborah. What remains to be seen is if his family will let him give up his serial killer ways or if they'll demand he continue on with his Dexter brand of crime watchers. Uproariously funny as usual, Dexter Is Delicious manages to carve new ground in the series with the birth of Lily Anne and thus Dexter's emotional roller coaster. Astor and Cody continue to be some of my favorite characters followed closely by gutter mouth Deb. There is a lovely scene that comprises of Deb repeating Shit in an endless variety of ways which still makes me giggle to think of it. But most rewarding of all, watching the mystery unwind slowly to its gory and triumphant peak, while normally nimble Dexter ambles hopelessly confused by emotion behind. Can Jeff Lindsay and all his rhyming Dexter didies get any better than this? I'm sure he can, and the twist at the end has me eagerly anticipating the next Dexter title (Sigh, and this one hasn't even come out yet!!)At least I have the imminently exciting Season 5 of Dexter the TV show to tide me over for a little while in between! (September 26th seems to be the date we finally get to see where last seasons major cliff hanger will end up going).
    • 3/5
      You sense Jeff Lindsay is quickly running out of steam just the same way his main character Dexter Morgan is. Lindsay's "Dexter" series, which launched thrillingly under a curdled yellow moon five instalments ago, waxed quickly, reaching a crescendo with its Showtime TV serialisation which itself flourished madly and is now in its fourth or fifth series. Dexter's literary progress has been somewhat more stately, and for good reason: it's tough to know where to go with a set-up as singular as Dexter's. By instalment 3 Dexter was already presenting Lindsay with scenario dilemmas: an avenging vigilante psychopath operating under cover as a mild-mannered forensic scientist in bloodthirsty Miami (so much so Hong-Kong Phooey) - is such an improbable set up even for a one-off, let alone a series - that plot developments are inevitably constrained. After all, there are only so many times a supremely gifted and unscrupulous evil-doer can figure out Dexter's saucy secret before it becomes implausible that no-one else does. And while, on one hand, there's not really anywhere a character like Dexter can go: he can't settle down and get married and have kids; he can't share his secret; he can't give up his nocturnal urges *and* stay interesting - on the other hand what gives these novels their dramatic impetus is precisely that Dexter sails so close to the wind that, to remain plausible as an ongoing proposition he has to do these things. Dexter's cover requires him to be close to people, and the relationships he chooses (with his adoptive sister, a girlfriend, a suspicious workmate) are by their nature volatile, that Dexter simply can't stay in suspended animation either: each novel contains a little more self-discovery, each novel somehow compels Dexter on to prosaic and dreary normalcy. On so it is, by instalment 5 that, having exhausted other options including the freaky supernatural one (episode 3 - didn't work) Jeff Lindsay has no choice but to allow a now married Dexter (this sociopath once without a sexual, let alone romantic, tendency in his body) to become a father and start to feel the stirrings of human emotions. Which kind of defeats the point. Each of these compromises makes the character less interesting, and oddly the same goes for the surrounding cast. Debs is muted, Chutsky barely represented (despite figuring largely in the plot), even Vince Matsuoka seems to have lost his perverted interest in what goes on. Nor does the primary antagonist, this time, have any special connection with Dexter much less special knowledge of Dexter's dastardly doings (perhaps to retain plausibility, but at the cost of piquancy), is thinly drawn and indeed isn't even introduced to the action until the final act. And nor is there the spectre of a Sergeant Doakes or a Detective Coulter on Dexter's case and closing in for the home team, ratcheting up the tension and posing the squeamish questions for the reader (such as, "why am I pulling for a psychopathic murderer over a policeman who has correctly figured him out?"). In fairness there is a tension of this sort, introduced by the return of a character from a former instalment, but even that seems half-hearted, not enough is made of it, and it necessitates some awkward plotting, requiring Deborah to be conveniently absent or unconscious on a couple of occasions to avoid running into this chap. Now Lindsay's plotting has always been a bit thin, but daylight was showing through here and on one or two other occasions you could see significant developments (including the denouement) coming a mile off. Lindsay's playful prose, juicy characterisation and gift for wry observations about the venality of modern life has always outstripped his plotting in any case, but even that feels careworn here: there are only so many times jokes about crazy driving on Miami freeways pay off, and the characterisation is generally flat (though there's a great running joke about Rita's incoherence). Deborah's sizzling invective of earlier novels is reduced to a habit of repeatedly punching Dexter on the arm. In short, Dexter is Delicious feels a lot like Jeff Lindsay going through the motions. Dexter may have been delicious once, but it is all tasting a bit stale on the fifth go-round. Lindsay is a terrific writer and, for all my bearishness, this is still a much better read than most in its genre, but all the same Dexter feels depleted, dreary and dismal. It's time he were retired, so Jeff Lindsay can invent another delicious character to thrill and dazzle us.