Dexter Is Dead

Dexter Is Dead is the eighth and final book in the series of Dexter Novels, written by Jeff Lindsay. The events take place immediately following those of the seventh book, Dexter's Final Cut.

After seven national bestsellers and eight seasons as one of the most successful shows on television, New York Times bestselling author Jeff Lindsay bids a thrilling farewell to his uniquely twisted and beloved serial killer, Dexter Morgan. Dexter Is Dead is the definitive conclusion of the character who has become a global icon.

Jeff Lindsay's trademark devilish wit and cutting satire have never been sharper. Dexter Is Dead marks the end of a beloved series, but is also Dexter's most satisfying and suspenseful outing yet.

Summary
Dexter is accused of murdering Rita and molesting Astor. The Miami-Dade Police HQ does all they can to pin the crimes on Dexter, even resorting to falsifying evidence. Deborah decides to cut ties with Dexter and takes custody of his children. Only Vince Masuoka is working to clear Dexter's name, with no success. Brian bails Dexter out of jail and gets him a lawyer, but is being targeted by a Mexican drug cartel he had previously stolen money from. The cartel tries to kill Dexter multiple times to get to Brian.

Deborah reluctantly contacts Dexter to inform him his kids have been kidnapped, which leads to a fragile reconciliation. Dexter manages to set up a meeting with Detective Anderson and some of Raul's thugs to get him killed, which happens, though not before he manages to kill his attackers, leaving Dexter with no one to interrogate. Eventually, they find out that their lawyer was supplying Raul with Dexter's intel, which makes them ambush him, kill him and all the cartel's members who followed Frank, save for one, who is taken by the brothers to a secluded warehouse, where he is severely interrogated and mutilated to get the kids' location and to satisfy their urges.

Once Dexter's children are located, Brian, Deborah, and Dexter team up, break onto Raul's yacht, and take the kids back. Deborah takes the kids away, but Brian is killed by a bomb he himself planted and Dexter is severely wounded by it and a gunshot from Raul, followed by a stomp on his wound. After Deborah kills Raul, Dexter stays on the yacht to set another bomb so there's no evidence left. Deborah is too far away to help, and he can find no escape. Dexter laments his fate, the book ending with his final thought cut off, as the ship presumably explodes.

Characters
Main article: List of Characters (by Novel)
 * Astor
 * Bernie Feldman
 * Brian Moser
 * Captain Matthews
 * Cody
 * Dexter Morgan
 * Deborah Morgan
 * Frank Kraunauer
 * Lily Anne Morgan
 * Nicholas Morgan
 * Octavio
 * Raul
 * Santo Rojo
 * Vince Masuoka

List of Novels

 * 1) Darkly Dreaming Dexter (2004)
 * 2) Dearly Devoted Dexter (2005)
 * 3) Dexter in the Dark (2007)
 * 4) Dexter by Design (2009)
 * 5) Dexter is Delicious (2010)
 * 6) Double Dexter (2011)
 * 7) Dexter's Final Cut (2013)
 * 8) Dexter Is Dead (2015)