I really enjoyed it, and it certainly lived up to the first book. The TV show really jumped the shark early on (late season 1 - early season 2) when it deviated from the books. The second book finds a lot more character development with Dexter, some roaring hilarity, suspense, and some great plot lines. The tie-up with Sergeant Doakes at the end really has me looking forward to book 3! I finally gave up on the TV show altogether mid-season 2 because of his storyline(s).