<Tr> <Td> Dexter Morgan seems superficially normal, but he is very psychologically damaged and speaks mostly within his head . He is out of touch with human emotion . His "Dark Passenger" is very evil in tone and his urge to kill isn't very powerful; he kills only two victims throughout the book (plus a third in a flashback). For much of the novel, Dexter believes that he, himself, is the Tamiami Slasher, killing victims subconsciously . </Td> <Td> Dexter Morgan seems superficially normal, but he is very psychologically damaged in his daily interactions with those around him . He is out of touch with human emotions, but learns to feel new emotions that confuse him . His "Dark Passenger" is only referred to and never heard from, and his late father appears onscreen in visions or delusions; he acts as a mentor and a voice of reason for Dexter . Dexter has a much higher urge to kill, and his kill count through the series is far greater than that in the novel . Dexter never suspected that he was the Ice Truck Killer . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> The character of LaGuerta is named Migdia LaGuerta and is a detective . She desires Dexter sexually, and makes the fact abundantly clear, and, after he spurns her advances, she catches him looking for Deborah at the ship yard . She is very condescending towards Deborah Morgan, calling her "Officer Puta" and "Einstein" ("If her tits were her brains, she'd be Einstein") </Td> <Td> She is named María LaGuerta and is a lieutenant . She seems to take a sexual interest in Dexter in the first few episodes, but it stagnates very early in the series . She is antagonistic towards Debra Morgan and, only reluctantly, promotes Debra to Homicide . She has a slight crush on Doakes, who is the one who catches Dexter at the ship yard after having followed him . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Deborah is described as voluptuous, with a centerfold's body . She seems to suspect that there is something "wrong" about Dexter and eventually discovers his secret . She hides this fact . </Td> <Td> Deborah (renamed Debra in the series) is lean and athletic--and she smokes in the first season, a habit she does not have in the novel . In the beginning, she only knows that Dexter is hiding something . She doesn't discover Dexter's secret until much later in the series, after many a close call . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Brian (no last name established in this novel) kidnaps Deborah, kills LaGuerta, and escapes . He tries to convince Dexter to kill Deborah after he is shot by LaGuerta, but Dexter refuses . He only appears at the end of the novel . </Td> <Td> Brian Moser dates Debra under the alias Rudy Cooper, proposes to her, and then kidnaps her . He tries to convince Dexter to help kill Debra with him, which Dexter refuses to do . Dexter kills Brian . Brian / Rudy's romance with Debra is a sub-plot of the show . </Td> </Tr>

How many books are in the darkly dreaming dexter series