Dexter by Design    by Jeff Lindsay Order:  USA  Can Doubleday, 2009 (2009) Hardcover, e-Book Read an Excerpt     Reviewed by Lyn Seippel Back from their honeymoon in Paris, Dexter is settling down as Rita's husband and father to Cody and Astor. Cody and Astor will need special attention just as Dexter did when he was a child. His foster father, a homicide detective, taught him to contain the Dark Passenger in his mind and use his murderous talents on serial killers, child rapists, and other repugnant criminals. He hopes he will do as well as Harry did in leading future psychopaths, Cody and Astor, to an outlet for the dark shadows that make them who they are. The best disguise is to appear normal. Dexter knows all about how to fake being normal. Harry taught him just as he taught him to curb his blood lust until the right victim comes along. Dexter works for the Miami Police Department as a Blood Spatter Expert, so finding reasonable outlets for his Dark Passenger isn't as difficult as it would be for someone not in law enforcement. Harry taught Dexter to be 100% certain his prey is guilty of heinous crimes when he begins stalking them. If the law can't touch them, Dexter will. Harry is dead long dead now, and Dexter's sister Debra is a homicide detective. Her current investigation involves dead bodies cored out to be used as frames for an artist's latest creations. Debra demands Dexter's help even though she is questioning Harry's decision to turn him into a vengeful reaper. Dexter makes more mistakes than usual in his latest novel. Without the kids he might not have been successful in finding the killer, but the plot introduces Astor and Cody to their future. This isn't the best Dexter novel yet, but it's a grisly good read. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews