So, many intelligent people have talked about the merits and shineyness of Dexter, Showtime's new offering about serial killers, and the serial killers who kill them.

I have a few nitpicks with it, but it's extremely compelling TV, so I went out and picked up Dearly Devoted Dexter, by Jeff Lindsay, the book the show is based on. I wanted the first, Darkly Dreaming Dexter, but it was on-loan and I was impatient.

This isn't a typical book review: it's more more of a compare and contrast. On the assumption that the show will probably mine the book for plots in the future, I attempt to be as non-spoilery as possible, but reserve the right to refer to events in Episodes 1-3.

( The book )