''Dexter's Final Cut'' is the seventh novel written by Jeff Lindsay, and the penultimate book in the ''Dexter'' book series about

Dexter Morgan Dexter Morgan (born Dexter Moser), also known as The Bay Harbor Butcher, is a fictional serial killer and the antihero protagonist of the ''Dexter'' book series written by Jeff Lindsay (writer), Jeff Lindsay, as well as the Dexter (TV series), tel ...

, a

serial killer A serial killer (also called a serial murderer) is a person who murders three or more people,An offender can be anyone: * * * * * (This source only requires two people) with the killings taking place over a significant period of time in separat ...

who primarily targets other serial killers. The book was released on September 17, 2013. Responding to the lack of

alliteration Alliteration is the repetition of syllable-initial consonant sounds between nearby words, or of syllable-initial vowels if the syllables in question do not start with a consonant. It is often used as a literary device. A common example is " Pe ...

on the title in comparison to the previous ones in the series, Lindsay has stated, "It's because this novel is very different than the previous, shockingly so..."Jeff Lindsay's Facebook
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Plot

When a cable TV network comes to

Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

to shoot a new crime show,

and his sister

Deborah According to the Book of Judges, Deborah (, ''Dəḇōrā'') was a prophetess of Judaism, the fourth Judge of pre-monarchic Israel, and the only female judge mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. Many scholars contend that the phrase, "a woman of Lap ...

are assigned as "technical advisors." The two are followed by the stars to research their roles: Deborah is followed by female lead Jackie Forrest, while Dexter is left with over-the-hill star Robert Chase. Sensing a strangeness in Robert, Dexter keeps him at arm's length. Shortly afterwards, the bodies of dead women begin turning up in Miami, all of whom bear a striking resemblance to Jackie. Dexter is assigned to protect Jackie in her hotel room. The "Dark Passenger" eventually compels Dexter to pursue the lead suspect, an obsessive fan of Jackie's. While working the latest murder, Dexter notices a man fitting the description of Jackie's

stalker Stalking is unwanted and/or repeated surveillance or contact by an individual or group toward another person. Stalking behaviors are interrelated to harassment and intimidation and may include following the victim in person or monitoring t ...

watching the scene from a

kayak ] A kayak is a small, narrow human-powered watercraft typically propelled by means of a long, double-bladed paddle. The word ''kayak'' originates from the Inuktitut word '' qajaq'' (). In British English, the kayak is also considered to be ...

. Stealing away to his boat, Dexter slips alongside him and makes the kill. Dexter initially assumes that Jackie is safe, only for her assistant Kathy to be murdered in the room below hers. Despite seemingly fitting the pattern of the earlier murders, Dexter notices several errors. That night, Dexter and Jackie start a brief but intense affair. Dexter thinks he may have finally fallen in love with Jackie, and considers leaving his wife Rita Bennett, Rita and their children, alienating Deborah on telling her as such. Dexter is called onto the set to appear as a minor character. There, he gets a panicked call from Rita and learns that Astor has disappeared. Moments later, Dexter finds Jackie's dead body in her trailer. Upon interrogating the show's director, Dexter learns that Robert is a pedophile. He realizes that Kathy was silenced after catching Robert in a compromising position with Astor; he then killed Jackie when she found out what he had done. Following a hunch, Dexter travels to his new house. Robert catches him sneaking in and knocks him unconscious. Waking some time later, Dexter finds Astor and Robert together. Robert has lured Astor with promises of stardom, and she appears to be ready to help him kill Dexter. Thinking quickly, Dexter tells Astor that Robert will be caught and sent to jail, and is therefore useless to her. When Robert tries to take Astor as a hostage, she stabs him to death. Dexter realizes that

circumstantial evidence Circumstantial evidence is evidence that relies on an inference to connect it to a conclusion of fact, such as a fingerprint at the scene of a crime. By contrast, direct evidence supports the truth of an assertion directly, i.e., without need ...

implicates him as Jackie's and Robert's murderer, and that the only person who can exonerate him is Rita. However, he discovers that Rita is dead, having been murdered by Robert. Dexter realizes that his luck has finally run out, and waits for the police to arrive.

In other media

The plot-point of Rita being murdered and Dexter returning home to find her was previously adapted to the ''Dexter'' television series as the fourth season finale reveal, albeit instead depicted as a victim of the Trinity Killer, with the concept of Dexter realising his time is up also being adapted in '' Dexter: New Blood''.

References

{{Dexter 2013 American novels Dexter (series) books American crime novels American thriller novels Orion Books books