I had watched all of Dexter nearly a decade ago so I don't remember much of the early seasons. As I read this, I am happy to say that the TV series is very faithful to the source material. Having been so long, it was almost like rewatching the show. Events that unfolded triggers memories and I just recalled the final twists before they arrived.

That said, I personally feel that Dexter is better on screen than in novel form. The primary problem is his narration - on screen, his internal monologue is accompanied by action, exposition, and just visual appeal. Within a book though, it's just pages of internal ranting that you will likely skim until actual plot progression occurs. This key difference leads me to prefer Dexter's on screen presence.

At the same time, because the novel is strictly from Dexter's viewpoint and narration, you really see things "his way". People are seem absurd -- as befitting of someone whose whole personality is about human mimicry. Debra has always been frustrating but the book really takes it to another level. I honestly cannot sympathize with her attitude and that's likely the way Dexter describes situations from his sociopathic point of view. The standout surprise is LaGuerta -- on screen she was more of a lead for the B-Plot. Within the novel, I find her character to be richly complex mix of political savvy and real police attitudes.

In summary, even if you're a fan of the show, I think this novel is fine to skip. I didn't mind reading it, but I wouldn't recommend it. There's a small amount of deviation in the plot that I look forward to exploring in the sequel.