Order of Book Series
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Dexter Books in Order

Jeff Lindsay has written 10 Dexter books, published between 2004 and 2015: 9 in the 2 main-line series and 1 related title. The first book is Darkly Dreaming Dexter (2004) and the newest main-line book is Dexter Is Dead (2015). Publication order is the reading order below.

Books
10
Published
2004–2015
Confirmed
10 of 10 titles
Total pages
2,668 across 10 books
Reading time
44–67 hours

Reading time is an estimate, not a recorded figure: 2,668 pages at 300 words a page, read at 200–300 words a minute.

See all 10 books in order Printable Dexter checklist

Dexter Morgan is the forensic scientist at the centre of Jeff Lindsay's thriller sequence, which sets him among serial murderers, police work and vigilante killing. 10 catalogued books run from Darkly Dreaming Dexter (2004) to Dexter Is Dead (2015), taking in Dearly Devoted Dexter (2005), Dexter in the Dark (2006), Dexter By Design (2008), Dexter Is Delicious (2010) and Double Dexter (2011). A graphic novel and Dexter Down Under sit alongside the novels. The run is likely complete.

How many Dexter books are there?

Dexter has 10 books, released between 2004 and 2015. 9 of them belong to the 2 main-line series (Dexter, Dexter Down Under), and 1 related title sit outside it: graphic novels.

Who wrote Dexter?

Jeff Lindsay wrote the Dexter books: every one of the 10 catalogued titles is credited to Jeff Lindsay.

Dexter Books in Publication Order

The table lists all 10 Dexter books in the order they were published, with the release year, the page count where one is on record, and how many independent book listings confirm each title. Catalogue data as of September 2026.

  1. Cover of Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay, book 1 of the Dexter series (2004)
  2. Cover of Dearly Devoted Dexter by Jeff Lindsay, book 2 of the Dexter series (2005)
  3. Cover of Dexter in the Dark by Jeff Lindsay, book 3 of the Dexter series (2006)
  4. Cover of Dexter By Design by Jeff Lindsay, book 4 of the Dexter series (2008)
  5. Cover of Dexter Is Delicious by Jeff Lindsay, book 5 of the Dexter series (2010)
  6. Cover of Double Dexter by Jeff Lindsay, book 6 of the Dexter series (2011)
  7. Cover of Dexter's Final Cut by Jeff Lindsay, book 7 of the Dexter series (2012)
  8. Cover of Dexter Is Dead by Jeff Lindsay, book 8 of the Dexter series (2015)
  1. 1
    Darkly Dreaming DexterDexter #12004 · 304 pages · confirmed 3/4
    2004304
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  2. 2
    Dearly Devoted DexterDexter #22005 · 304 pages · confirmed 3/4
    2005304
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  3. 3
    Dexter in the DarkDexter #32006 · 302 pages · confirmed 3/4
    2006302
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  4. 4
    Dexter By DesignDexter #42008 · 320 pages · confirmed 3/4
    2008320
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  5. 5
    Dexter Is DeliciousDexter #52010 · 350 pages · confirmed 3/4
    2010350
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  6. 6
    Double DexterDexter #62011 · 337 pages · confirmed 3/4
    2011337
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  7. 7
    Dexter's Final CutDexter #72012 · 352 pages · confirmed 3/4
    2012352
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  8. 8
    DexterDexter : A Graphic Novel #12013 · 1 pages · confirmed 3/4
    20131
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  9. 9
    Dexter Down UnderDexter Down Under #12014 · 112 pages · confirmed 3/4
    2014112
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  10. 10
    Dexter Is DeadDexter #82015 · 286 pages · confirmed 3/4
    2015286
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK

Dexter Books in Chronological Order

By publication date, the books of the 2 main-line series run from Darkly Dreaming Dexter (2004) to Dexter Is Dead (2015), the sequence in the table above. No separate story order is recorded for Dexter in the book listings this catalogue merges, so publication order is the only order on record.

Do you have to read Dexter books in order?

You should read the 2 main-line series in publication order, the order of the numbered table above; the 1 related title (graphic novels) sit outside that sequence. The catalogue does not record whether each Dexter book also stands alone.

What order should you read Dexter books in?

Read them in publication order, starting with Darkly Dreaming Dexter (2004), the earliest published book in the 2 main-line series. After it come Dearly Devoted Dexter (2005), Dexter in the Dark (2006), Dexter By Design (2008), Dexter Is Delicious (2010), Double Dexter (2011), Dexter's Final Cut (2012), Dexter Down Under (2014) and Dexter Is Dead (2015).

What is the first Dexter book?

Darkly Dreaming Dexter (2004) is the first main-line Dexter book, and the numbered table above starts with it.

When did the first Dexter book come out?

Darkly Dreaming Dexter, the first main-line Dexter book, was published in 2004. The newest main-line book, Dexter Is Dead (2015), came out 11 years later.

What is the newest Dexter book?

Dexter Is Dead (2015) is the newest book in the 2 main-line series.

Is there a new Dexter book coming?

No next Dexter book is announced in the catalogue, which is a gap in the listings it merges rather than a sign that the run has ended.

Awards Dexter has won

Wikidata records 1 award for Dexter. Each row states whether the title won or was shortlisted, and the year the award was given.

Dexter at a glance

No recent titles
The newest main-line Dexter title on record is Dexter Is Dead (2015), 11 years ago.
Release pace
Dexter books have appeared about one a year on average.
Length
2,668 pages across all 10 books with a recorded length, a median of 304 pages each.
Busiest decade
Most Dexter books, 6 of 10, were published in the 2010s.

What the Dexter books are about

All 10 Dexter books carry subject tags in Open Library's catalogue. The subjects below are the ones that recur across them, most frequent first: forensic scientists is tagged on 8 of 10. The subjects are cataloguers’ headings, not a plot summary.

More books by Jeff Lindsay

The author page linked below lists every book in publication order.