Darkly dreaming Dexter - Jeff Lindsay (Dexter #1; First UK edition)

Dexter Morgan appears to be the perfect gentleman. He leads a normal, quiet life working as a forensic officer for the Miami Police. He has a nice, shy girlfriend and is liked by her young children. He's supportive of his sister Deb's challenging work as a vice cop. But Dexter has a secret hobby. He's an accomplished serial killer.

So far, he's killed dozens of people and has never been caught, because he knows exactly how to dispose of the evidence. And there are those who would rather he wasn't caught at all, because Dexter is a serial killer with a difference. He tempers his insatiable hunger for brutality by only killing the city's bad guys.

When another serial killer surfaces in Miami, leaving a dismembered body in a series of rubbish bags, Dexter's well-organised life is thrown into chaos. Not only is the new arrival invading his hunting ground; he has a startlingly similar M.O. to Dexter. When a second body is found within days, Dexter realises there's much more at stake. The newcomer wants him to come out to play . . .