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The first season matched the plot of the first book very closely

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You didn't actually read the first book, did you? There were some HUGE differences.

In the book (spoilers in white):
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- Deborah learns the truth about Dexter, or at least a good percentage of it.
- Rita is almost non-existent in the book
- Dexter lets the Ice Truck Killer go free.
- LaGuerta dies in the book. About midway through, she makes a move on Dexter, which he soundly rejects. After that, she hates him. She figures out there is something not quite right about him and tails him once Deborah goes missing. The Ice Truck Killer ends up knifing her twice, and she dies.
- Deborah isn't dating the Ice Truck Killer.
- The entire scene in the hotel (where Dexter collapses in the pool of blood) doesn't happen in the book.
- Most of the episode plots (as opposed to the overall story arc) don't happen in the book.
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No, I didn't read the books and taking a look at my post I didn't intend to infer that I had - poorly worded on my part. I picked up the info from an article that I had read whose author obviously hadn't done his homework either. To be honest I didn't even know the show was based on a series of novels until after I had started watching. Because I was under the impression that the television show mirrored the books I never bothered to pick them up.

I haven't read the spoilers you posted. Are the novels worthwhile?