This is the third book in a series about Dexter Morgan, the serial killer with a code (he only kills people who do bad things to other people). I read the first two before the series based on these books started airing on Showtime, but I kept picturing the star of the show as our protagonist (which was weird considering I don't even watch it). That made my reading experience a little different for this book to begin with.

Here, a double homicide shows signs of being related to an alternative religious ceremony. Dexter arrives on the scene as the forensic blood spatter expert and finds the sight of this crime actually silences his inner voice (referred to as his Dark Passenger) rather than exciting it as usual. Soon he feels someone is stalking him as he tries to help his sister (a police sargeant) solve the case. And did I mention he is also in the middle of planning a wedding?

This book was not as funny as the first two, but it did capture the spirit of Miami living very well. It also further developed Dexter's relationship with his soon-to-be stepchildren, who have Dark Passengers of their own. I got a kick out of the cameo by the city's oft-talked-about but seldom seen official babalao (a Santeria consultant of sorts - only necessary in Miami). Overall, I would recommend reading the first two books in the series before starting this one.