The macabre, witty New York Times bestselling series (and inspiration for the #1 Showtime series, Dexter) continues as our darkly lovable killer matches wits with a sadistic artiste—who is creating bizarre murder tableaux of his own all over Miami.
“Lindsay, the novelist, just keeps getting better. His stories are wonderfully fresh and packed with just the right amount of grotesquerie and wry wit.” — USA Today
In conjunction with the publication of his latest novel, Dexter by Design, Jeff Lindsay shared a few of his favorite things with Doubleday.
Favorite thriller book:
The Deep Blue Good by by John D. MacDonald
Every Florida writer has to pay homage to the father of us all, and this book shows why. All the Travis McGee books are wonderful, but I always liked this one the best. The final image of the bad guy, Junior Allen, trapped in the anchor and popping up out of the water is unforgettable.
Favorite contemporary thriller book:
The Hard Way by Lee Child
I think Child is the best there is right now at writing this kind of thing. His plots are really tight and full of surprising twists, his character, Reacher, is a fine creation, and this is my personal favorite of the Reacher books so far. The ending is hugely satisfying.
Favorite thriller movie:
Wait Until Dark
There’s a thousand newer movies with more stuff exploding and more acid-ravaged mutants and hideous reptiles bursting into flames—but this one scares me more, using nothing more than a blind lady and a guy jumping out from behind the refrigerator. Tasteful understatement works!
Favorite contemporary thriller movie:
The Bourne Ultimatum
All three of the Bourne movies are good; I like this one the most. Matt Damon is excellent, a truly believable killing machine on the lines of Terminator, and the plot here gives him some very nice moments to show a little vulnerability and uncertainty.
Favorite mystery book:
The Long Goodbye, by Raymond Chandler
Chandler showed us that true style and elegance could live in the mystery novel. Marlowe, his hero, was the first really vulnerable and sensitive tough guy – years before Spiderman! I think this is his best novel, because of the way he brings sheer poetry to bear on frustration and disillusionment.
Co-favorite mystery book:
One Lonely Night, by Mickey Spillane
Spillane never got enough credit for it, but he could be one hell of a writer when he wanted to be. In this book, he wanted to be. There’s a truly savage lyricism to the writing in this, and Mike Hammer rises up out of the gutters to become the avatar of bloody justice – the guy who is worse than the bad guys, but on our side.
Favorite adventure book:
Tarzan of the Apes, by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Yeah, I know. I probably wouldn’t like it as much if I read it for the first time today. But I didn’t: I started reading Burroughs when I was 7 years old, and I thought it was the most wonderful stuff I’d ever read. Unfortunately, it made me spend most of my childhood in a tree, although my mother talked me out of the loin cloth and into some shorts.
Favorite book to read to lots of kids:
Bartholomew and the Oobleck, by Dr. Seuss
I go into the elementary schools a couple of times a year and either read or do a one-man kid’s show. This book has a great story, great pictures, and I get to make some really cool faces and funny voices when I read it. Always a big hit.
Favorite book to read to my kids:
When We Were Very Young, by A.A. Milne
All three of my kids can recite huge chunks of this from memory, and I have at least 8 copies of it scattered around so I never run out – including the copy my mom read to me from. You haven’t lived until you’ve heard your two year-old stand up and recite, “James, James, Morrison Morrison, Weatherby George Dupree .”
Favorite classic mystery-thriller-adventure-poetry and everything
Complete Stories and Poems, Edgar Allen Poe
Let’s be real here: this guy invented all these genres, and his stuff is still at the head of the class. Going on 200 years soon, and nobody else can touch: “Tell-Tale Heart,” “House of Usher,” “The Raven.” Poe is still the king.
Dexter by Design releases today, September 8, 2009. Visit dexter-books.com for more information about the Dexter novels.