Compulsion

By Keith Ablow

Book Overview

Dr. Frank Clevenger, a brilliant forensic psychiatrist, is eager to leave the world of the criminally insane behind-until he receives a chilling phone call. Close friend and former colleague North Anderson, now the Chief of Police on the exclusive island of Nantucket, is desperate for help in solving a shocking case: One of the infant twin daughters of billionaire Darwin Bishop has been murdered in her crib at the family's estate. The suspected killer is her adopted brother Billy, and investigators believe that the fugitive teenager has targeted the surviving twin. But as Clevenger maps the Bishop family's psychological layers he uncovers some disturbing revelations that lead him to believe Billy may be innocent. The Bishops are a deeply troubled family. As charming as he is ambitious and cruel, Darwin seems determined to protect his son-but is he actually trying to railroad him? Why does Garret, Bishop's other son, despise his father so intensely? Is beautiful Julia Bishop a mother grieving for her murdered child or a manipulative seductress with a dark secret to hide? As Clevenger fights to protect the innocent and hunt down the guilty, aspects of the case begin to collide with demons from his own past. After a life-threatening attack the forensic psychiatrist knows he must penetrate the killer's psychosis in order to identify him before the Bishop family-and Clevenger himself-become the next victims. Using his mastery of psychiatry, Clevenger lays a trap to reveal the murderer in an unforgettable finale.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312266413
• ISBN13: 9780312266417
• Release Date: July 2002
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.4" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

Great read!

I enjoyed this entry in the Frank Clevenger series immensely! I especially appreciated the quick pacing and smart plot. Mr. Ablow does a fine job of keeping you guessing, creating compelling characters, examining their motives without dragging it out, ( I hate being forced to skim), and he throws in some really interesting and ingenious diagnostic scenerios. It is the proverbial page-turner, and I did indeed stay up late into the night to finish it. Highly recommended. I will now proceed to critique and pick apart every little nuance and plot turn in the book, and complain that I hated the main character, because he's human, with human frailties, weaknesses, and not altogether pure motives......NOT!!!! Doesn't that describe all of us, to one extent or another? Why do critics think that the protagonist has to be pure of heart, (read one-dimensional) in order to be believable? Shouldn't it be the other way around? Go figure. This book is time and money well spent, and like myself, you'll likely learn a few things along the way. What could be better?

A COMPELLING READ

Ablow's newest tale is his best yet. The author doesn't use his background in forensic psychiatry to bore you with complicated medical terms but instead allows the reader more of a layman's perspective on some of society's neuroses. As I glided through Ablow's prose and provocative storytelling, I was twice legitimately surprised by the turns this mystery takes. This is a top-notch read.

Ablow's third is a winner

Ablow's last novel PROJECTION turned me off so much I didn't want to read any more of his books, but I gave this a try anyway, and I'm glad I did. This is a first-rate psychological thriller with hardly a false note in the entire book. Though the murder of a child within the confines of a troubled household may not be the most original plotline, Ablow's keen psychological insight guides you masterfully through the twists and turns of a deeply disturbed family, springing surprises just when you thought you had everything figured out. Highly recommended.

love2read

I'm not really good at summarizing stories, but I have to say, Keith Ablow has totally blown me away with the forensic psychologist Frank Clevenger books! At times, I feel that some things weren't explained well enough or things happened too quickly, but I can say, without a doubt, these are the BEST books I've read in a very long time, second only to James Patterson's Alex Cross novels.If you're looking for a book to keep you turning pages and up all night reading, you found it!!

AN APTLY TITLED THRILLER

Frank Clevenger had given up forensic psychiatry after his last case that spiraled him into a downward depression and drove him to alcohol. Two years later and a call from his best friend, North Anderson, brings Frank back into a situation he dreads, but is compelled to see through to the end.Try and put this book down - it can't be done. A compulsively readable thriller with suspects all living under the same roof. I can't recommend this book or this author highly enough. Don't deprive yourself and read DENIAL and PROJECTION. You will NOT be disappointed.