Jeff Lindsay
The American playwright and crime novelist who created Dexter Morgan.
Jeff Lindsay is the American playwright and crime novelist best known for creating the fictional psychopathic Miami police forensic analyst and serial killer-killing vigilante Dexter Morgan. Born Jeffry P. Freundlich on July 14, 1952, in Miami, Florida, he graduated from Ransom Everglades School in 1970 and from Middlebury College, Vermont, in 1975, later earning Master of Fine Arts degrees from Carnegie Mellon University in Theater Direction and Playwriting. The first book of his Dexter series, *Darkly Dreaming Dexter*, was developed into the Showtime television series *Dexter* from 2006 to 2013, with actor Michael C. Hall playing the character.
- Profession
- American playwright and crime novelist
- First Novel Published
- 2004
- Series Name
- Dexter series
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Jeff Lindsay's first book in the Dexter series, *Darkly Dreaming Dexter*, was originally titled "Pinocchio Bleeds" after his middle daughter suggested it, but his publisher disagreed. The novel was included on the original nomination list for the Mystery Writers of America's Edgar Awards in the Best First Novel category, but was dropped after the group learned Lindsay had published several books in the 1990s under another pen name, Jeffry P. Lindsay. Many of his earlier published works include his wife Hilary Hemingway as a co-author; she is the niece of Ernest Hemingway and an author in her own right. Lindsay had a cameo role in the tenth episode of the third season of the *Dexter* television series. He has also written a comic book version of Dexter, distributed by Marvel comics, consisting of two mini-series: *Dexter* and *Dexter: Down Under*.
In Their Own Story
The first season of the Showtime series *Dexter* was based on *Darkly Dreaming Dexter*, with actor Michael C. Hall playing the character. The show eventually ran for eight seasons, though subsequent seasons had original storylines that departed from the plots of Lindsay's books. Lindsay and Hemingway live in Cape Coral, Florida, and have three children. The Dexter series of novels includes *Darkly Dreaming Dexter* (2004), *Dearly Devoted Dexter* (2005), *Dexter in the Dark* (2007), *Dexter by Design* (2009), *Dexter Is Delicious* (2010), *Double Dexter* (2011), *Dexter's Final Cut* (2013), and *Dexter Is Dead* (2015).
Reader's Guide
The *Dexter* television series aired on Showtime from 2006 to 2013, with the first season based on *Darkly Dreaming Dexter*. Subsequent seasons featured original storylines that departed from Lindsay's books. The franchise also includes animated series such as *Dexter: Blood Spatter* (2006), *The Dark Defender* (2007), and *Dexter: Early Cuts* (2009–2012), as well as later television series *Dexter: New Blood* (2021–2022), *Dexter: Original Sin* (2024–2025), and *Dexter: Resurrection* (2025-), all based on the Dexter series. Lindsay's other works include the Riley Wolfe series (*Just Watch Me*, 2019; *Fool Me Twice*, 2020; *Three-Edged Sword*, 2022; *The Fourth Rule*, 2023) and stand-alone novels such as *Dream Land: A Novel of the UFO Cover-Up* (1995) and *Dreamchild* (1998), both co-authored with Hilary Hemingway.
Did You Know?
- Jeff Lindsay was born Jeffry P. Freundlich on July 14, 1952.
- He earned Master of Fine Arts degrees from Carnegie Mellon University in Theater Direction and Playwriting.
- Lindsay wanted to name the first Dexter book 'Pinocchio Bleeds' after his middle daughter suggested it, but his publisher disagreed.
- He had a cameo role in the tenth episode of the third season of the *Dexter* television series.
- Lindsay's wife Hilary Hemingway is the niece of Ernest Hemingway and co-authored several of his earlier works.
More in Lore & Behind the Scenes
Elsewhere in the Dexter universe
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