Mac

Dexter by Design by Jeff Lindsay Married life seems to agree with Dexter Morgan: he's devoted to his bride, his stomach is full and his homicidal hobbies seem nicely under control. But old habits die hard and Dexter's work as a blood spatter analyst never fails to offer new temptations that appeal to his offbeat sense of justice... Luckily for Dex, there's someone out there with particularly twisted tastes. Dexter may have never been a big fan of art - but the discovery of an artfully displayed corpse naturally piques his curiosity. Dexter is back in business. Again, Jeff Lindsay has created a pacey, well written thriller. It hasn't taken me too long to read this, because I've fought the Sleep Fairy to keep turning the pages through to one more chapter. Lindsay is good at this. The novel itself is a little more grim than the first three, with some comparatively gruesome elements to the plot, at which the more squeamish of us might baulk. As for Dexter, without spoiling anything, he gets himself into a spot of bother where one thinks "Well, fella, you've brought this upon yourself..." and you hope that he learns his lesson this time. Okay, so he's a serial killer, but he only kills the really, really naughty people. How does one keep rooting for such an anti-hero? I agree with Charm that the only other crazed lunatic I have ever rooted for in a novel is Lecter. What a strange thing. How do I feel about vigilantism? I'm not sure, but this novel (or set of novels) makes me question it. We see people everywhere whom we know commit crimes and yet still wander around perpetrating these same crimes again and again. I know of a bloke - indeed, I've spoken to him on a number of occasions - who beats people up for money. How come this guy's still knocking around? I know another fellow who provides *cough* recreational products. What's that about? How can I know about these people and nothing seems to be done about them? It's a sorry evening when I start to think maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing if Batman came and sorted it out... So, anyway. This book. Great stuff. I'm going to give it: 8.5/10

Aye, sorry Marcia. We are like mischievous school children messing with powers wE KNOW NOTHING ABOUT!!!

Play dat funky music, white boy...and relax. I seem to have gone a little bananas. Sigh.

Man alive, Ben! You'd batter get cracking...

Dat is, like, sweet man! Well chocolate, guy. Hear me now. Ee's da man. Eee hee.

Yoo hoo! Handbags at dawn! Mwah. x

You see, this is what I do when me mojo's off on a jaunt. Read something from me childhood - Susan Cooper, Alan Garner, Ursula Le Guin - rattle through them and BOSH, my mojo comes a-waltzing back. Pleased you're back together. MMxx

What a great name - Cornelia Funke! I might change my own name to Funke, get a Phd and start wearing platforms and flairs! Check out Doctor Funke!!!

My God! You are still rattling through about a gazillion books! I feel terribly intimidated!

Such filth! And we're not even post-watershed!

I tried genuflecting once. I was stuck in the bathroom for hours!

Nay, Lady. I haven't. But, DUDE, am I going to! Pears is the King of...erm...writing the good stuff!

Must...stop...buying...books...

Cheers, Sara! I love all things Calvin & Hobbes, particularly his snow sculptures, the twisted little mite! Yours is as cool as ever!

Woo Hoo! I've just bought: I, Lucifer by Glen Duncan (I know, I've already read it, but I lent it to someone and they haven't given it me back for SEVEN YEARS and I wanted a copy); For One More Day by Mitch Albom; and Vlad by CC Humphreys (thanks to Nollaig for this - already looks good when I was reading it in the street, getting in peoples way...) Nice one. My bank hurts.

Succinct and to the point, thank you, but I'll make my own judgement call on this, if that's okay...

The Last Witchfinder is a terrific book, isn't it!?! I couldn't put the flipping thing down in the bookshop and so had to by it and find a pub where I could continue devouring it. Magic stuff. Really pleased you likes it, lady! I even put it on my McRecommends page. x

I couldn't pick this one up yesterday - but I'm damn well going to get it today! I thought of you when I saw it, Marcia! Can't wait to get my teeth into it. Yesterday I visited a groovy little second hand book shop and picked up Ulysses by James Joyce and - you're going to love this, Marcia - Giotto's Hand by Iain Pears!!! Woo Hoo!