Compulsion: A Novel

Frank Clevenger #3

by Keith Ablow

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 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.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Suspense, Mystery Thriller, Adult

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Keith Russell Ablow is an American psychiatrist, New York Times best-selling author, and television personality.

Reviews

[Emma · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wasn't overly impressed, or really very impressed at all, with this one.

The book is basically about a forensic psychiatrist - just like the author - who is bald - just like the author - and has beautiful women wanting him - like the author wishes - even though he is so far up his own arse he'll never see the sun again - just like the... anyway, I think you know where I'm going with this.

What's with all the winking? People wink at each other constantly in this book. It's fucking annoying.

[CLM · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would not have read any of this guy's books except that my friend Gina thoughtfully gave me an armful of them. The most annoying thing about them (in addition to their gratuitous violence) is that the hero is obnoxious, unattractive, overbearing and conceited yet women fawn over him everywhere he goes! Maybe this happens to the author now that he is a television personality.

[Sherry · Rating 2 out of 5]

I i initially like the protagonist, but as I read on, I had some problems with him. I don't want to give anything away, so I'll just say, I found him rather a weak individual. Especially, for a psychiatrist. The story was okay, twist and turns, but I was able to figure out the ending pretty much before the end. I don't know if I will read any more on Dr. Ablow's books.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thought this book was pretty predictable and I had guessed the ending by the 4th chapter, and as a psychiatrist, I thought Frank was a mess, and not in a fun or charming way..but not the worse book ever.

[Francesca · Rating 2 out of 5]

1,5 Sterne

Das war jetzt der dritte Teil, den ich von der Reihe gelesen habe und der schlechteste.
Die anderen Teile waren auch "nur" in Ordnung, aber der nicht.
Die Story war zu langweilig - es gab keinen wirklichen Plottwist, es ist weiter nichts passiert und es wurde nur gequatscht.
Ich hatte für keinen Charakter Verständnis und mochte überhaupt keinen, vor allem Dr. Clevenger nicht.
Seine Persönlichkeit besteht nur aus Kokain, Alkohol und Frauen. Es gibt keine Form von Entwicklung, seine Figur ist drei Teile lang, so geblieben und hat mich genervt.
Bei den anderen Teilen war die Story an sich wenigstens cool und hat mich dazu überzeugt, weiterzulesen.
Nach dem Unfall werde ich aber keinen weiteren Teil mehr lesen, weil ich mich nur quälen würde.

[Viji (Bookish endeavors) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yet another impressive work from Keith Ablow.. Impressive compared to the other thrillers I've read recently,but when I compare it with the other works by the same author,this one seems to be almost a copy of the previous one I've read.. Keith Ablow has a wonderful ability to portray the darkest corners of human psyche,in ways that disturb most readers.. One can't find a better writer when it comes to technical details.. But because of the repetitive pattern,I could see the ending after reading the first quarter of the book.. I don't know why I was reminded of 'hostile witness' by Rebecca Foster,a favorite of mine. May be it was because of the fall guy,the kid who takes it all from the beginning.

[Jeff Dickison · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would have been a much better book if the lead character wasn't such a louse. A psychiatrist who continually sleeps with his clients is not a good person, even if he can excuse himself because of his past traumas. Come on! Get real! He would soon be barred from the profession and probably be in jail.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was awesome. Great psychological suspence mixed with a little bit of romance. Keith Ablow knows how to capture your attention and mind and keep it until the very end. I can't wait to read his other books. Very good book and author!

[James F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great psychological thriller and a great read for lovers of suspense
Dr. Frank Clevenger a forensics psychiatrist battling his own emotional demons takes on another case. He is called to Nantucket where an infant twin has been killed. The leading suspect is her adoptive brother Billy, Clevenger believes Billy to be innocent. As he searches for a baby killer, he falls in love with the baby's mother, tries to help her older son with anger, and receives threats from the baby's billionaire father. Everyone is a suspect and it builds to a finale you will never forget
PICK UP A COPY YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, but it isn't as good as his first two books. This one I felt moved a little slower and was just harder to get into. I didn't find the female lead character to be what the author wants you to think she is. Mr. Ablow describes her as siren that no man can resist. However, I don't get why she would give Frank Clevenger a second glance other than what she can get from him professionally in the mystery of who killed her daughter. However I did get interested in Billy Bishop, the young sociopath son in the book. I hope we see him in future books. He was a fascinating and unpredictable character. Overall, I felt this book moved quickly but it was easy to see where it was going. I enjoyed the look into ethical dilemnas of relationships with your clients and into a sociopathical mind, but it wasn't enough to pull this book out. It was just ok. I would recommend this book to other that are reading the series to understand future books.

[Yolanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Clevenger takes on a case of infantcide, mostly because of his friendship with the Chief of Police. The good doctor gets involved with mother in this case, which is not yet a good choice of a mate for him. The story moves along well, you think you know who the murderer is, then maybe not. Just enough doubt without taking anyone off the list completely. I also enjoyed the glances into the psychiarist's thoughts while working with his patients.

[International Cat Lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very engaging murder mystery, with a bizarre set of suspects - nearly all of whom could have done it. I did, however, find the sex scenes overly gratuitous. I'm not a prude by any means, it was simply that they didn't seem realistic. They seemed more like Ablow's personal fantasies as opposed to the kind of sex believable characters would have.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Third in the Frank Cleavenger series, I found this really enjoyable & better than book 2 in the series, clever story with psychological suspence & good character of the lead character. Well recommended.

[Tina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I stole this from anothe reviewer but I feel the same way about the book
"Thought this book was pretty predictable and I had guessed the ending by the 4th chapter, and as a psychiatrist, I thought Frank was a mess, and not in a fun or charming way..but not the worse book ever."

[Chi Dubinski · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dr. Frank Clevenger, a forensic psychiatrist, is called in to a case by a friend. The local billionaire’s infant daughter is murdered, and the teenage adopted son is suspected of the crime. Clevenger immediately has an affair with the billionaire’s wife—how stupid of a psychiatrist is this guy?

[Elaine · Rating 1 out of 5]

As a reader, I can’t believe this ridiculous, unrealistic crime story. As a physician, I am appalled at the way Keith Ablow portrays Frank Clevenger, his fictional forensic psychiatrist, loosely based on himself, (tall, shaved head, cowboy boots). Clevenger is an impaired physician who amazingly, still maintains a clinical practice at Mass General. He’s a recovering alcoholic who falls off the wagon early in the story. He has unresolved psychological trauma from physical and emotional abuse as a child. He’s blantantly unprofessional and routinely crosses the line between professional and personal behavior with female patients; including sexual fantasies about them upon initial meeting, inappropriate touching, getting involved with a murder suspects wife, etc. He’s, well, a horn dog who can’t keep it in his pants. Unbelievable. Any physician who acted this way would lose his license.

The story requires Clevenger to leave the city ( and his practice) on a whim, chasing evidence. He seems to have no clinical responsibilities. He drops in at Mass General whenever he wants. Despite it being an academic medical center, he has no students, residents, or fellows to teach, or round with. He has no scheduled patients. Unbelievable. I hope Dr. Ablow doesn’t practice this way. He should be ashamed of himself for portraying a physician like this.

[K.E. Garvey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hadn’t read an Ablow novel before, so had no preconceived notions. The book itself was okay, not great, but not terrible either. Although I truly enjoyed reading the main character, Frank Clevenger, the rest of them felt quite thin or flat. I wasn’t impressed with the canned plot line, everyone looks guilty for 80%, except the guilty party. Because of that, I had the killer pinned early on removing much of the anticipation you’d expect to get from such a read. the writing style was comfortable and maybe if I had read the first two books in the series I’d have a broader platform to speak from. As I said, not terrible...

[Dorina · Rating 3 out of 5]

A friend recommended this to me several years ago. We were at a library book sale when she picked it up and waived it at me saying I had to read it. LOL. I added it to my stack and promptly moved it to my bookcase. I moved it around a little, finally deciding to give it a try. I was surprised. I enjoyed the story, liked the characters and the pace. Even though it was third in the series, it could be read as a standalone. I won’t give up plot points. I will say that I would pick up another by the author.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read one of his more recent books and wanted to see about his others. this is an older book but I like the characters, including the lead character. Each character including the mixed up kids and the deeply disturbed parents rang true. The lead character might be a reflection of the author's self-realized wish since he is somehow amazingly attractive to all women. hmmm

[Kelly Gonzalez · Rating 2 out of 5]

Easy beach read but not much else going for it. I don’t think I’d call it suspenseful, a lot of it was easy to predict and the characters weren’t particularly well written.

[Reader_Shark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dr. Frank must uncover who in a family of four murdered an infant. Everyone in the family has problems. The book was a bit slow moving until the last 50 or so pages. It was the son who murdered his own child because he was having an affair with his father's wife.

[Andrea Hawkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed

[Cvetannka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely intense book following the Frank Clevenger series.
It is a deeply psychosexual book which delves into the dark forces that make people do the unthinkable.

[Bob Box · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read in 2002. I enjoyed Ablow's books then he became a Fox News contributor and I don't think he publishes any more. I may be wrong.

[WannaBeWriter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Better than book 2. Worse than book 1.

[Jenny Coyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually my favorite in the series so far.

[Tina · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read it in two days. It was a pageturner, that much I can say on the positive side. But a recovering addict who has a licqor cabinet in his apartment? A recovering alcoholic who one evening drinks whiskey, and that's it, in the whole book? Being a recovering addict myself, I don't buy it. And Keith Ablow is a psychiatrist, how can he write such a thing??

And a psychiatrist to whom a mentally severely disturbed and deeply traumatized patient opens up the second time he speaks to him, and that not only happens with one patient in the book but with two? Come on!
Again: I don't buy it.

And then there is this ever recurring theme (in many books, I mean, generally speaking) of the most beautiful woman a man has ever seen (Quote: "Every man dreams of finding a woman who will not only yield to him, but one who will embrace and confirm him, matching every iota of his masculinity with an equal or greater measure of feminity. Julia was this rare woman.") Makes me sick to my stomach.
I can't stand that one. As if ever one woman can be that elf-like being.
But that's only me.

All in all, as I said, I couldn't put it down, but I will not read a book of this author again.

[EpidermaS · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cebula ma warstwy, Shrek ma warstwy, pliki graficzne mają warstwy… Jak się okazuje - „Przymus” też swoje warstwy ma.

Bierzesz książkę do ręki i zaczynasz czytać. Najpierw widzisz sam „wierzch”, górną warstwę, czyli początek. Jak prezentuje się ogólny zarys naszej historii? Ano… Nieciekawie. Schematyczny, momentami wręcz odpychający główny bohater. Kiedyś kochał, ale jego druga połówka zapadała na chorobę psychiczną. Od tego czasu towarzystwa dotrzymuje mu wiele kobiet. Najczęściej w łóżku. Biednemu chłopinie szykuje się powrót do psychiatrii sądowej. A przecież nie chce! Przecież się zapiera! Ale że przyjacielowi się nie odmawia (a zwłaszcza takiemu pracującemu w policji), to za wielkiego wyboru nie ma. Siłą rzeczy wplątuje się w sprawę zabójstwa maleńkiej córki niejakiego Darwina Bishopa – aroganckiego bogacza. Nie brzmi zachęcająco, prawda? Ale że czytelnik cierpliwy jest, łaskawy jest, nie unosi się pychą, to brnie dalej. Po kilkudziesięciu stronach zaczyna się robić naprawdę ciekawie. Ablow zręcznie przedstawia nam kolejnych członków rodziny Bishopów. Każde z nich jest niezwykle barwne. Każde może mijać się z prawdą w swoich zeznaniach. Co najważniejsze – każde ma również motyw do zamordowania małej Brooke. Jeśli chodzi o głównego bohatera, to mogą nastąpić dwie opcje. Albo czytelnik całkiem go znienawidzi (bo uzna wytłumaczenie jego zachowań na pierdołowate i banalne), albo zacznie patrzeć na niego przychylnym okiem (ponieważ jakaś argumentacja jednak istnieje). Pewne jest jednak to, że Frank przestaje być nam obojętny. Może dlatego, że ujawnia czytelnikowi wiele informacji na temat swojej przeszłości, swoich odczuć, a nawet swych „ułomności”. Im więcej wiemy o danej osobie, tym mniej obojętna się nam staje. Tak samo jest z bohaterami literackimi. Brawo, panie Ablow. Plus za to zagranie. Dobre wrażenie nie trwa jednak długo, bo już za moment wszystko zaczyna się literacko sypać. Bohaterowie nagle stają się skrajnymi idiotami, co widać po ich zachowaniach. Epidemii tej głupoty nie opiera się nawet Frank. Aż do samego finiszu byłam dosłownie zażenowana całą historią, która przecież już zaczynała zapowiadać się naprawdę ciekawie. Czy zakończenie da się przewidzieć? Pewnie się i da. Jest o tyle trudniej, że autor umiejętnie (?) przerzuca podejrzenia z jednego członka rodziny Bishopów na drugiego. Nie ma to jednak większego sensu, bo prawda jest taka, że czytelnik pod koniec jest już tak zmęczony książką, że jest mu całkowicie obojętne, kto zabił małą Brooke.

Podsumowując: dawno nie czytałam tak „nierównej” książki. I chociaż przez moment naprawdę myślałam, że Keith Ablow powędruje do grona pisarzy, którym poświęcę więcej uwagi, teraz już wiem, że raczej tak nie będzie. Po co marnować czas na coś, co zachwyca nas tylko połowicznie? Tyle jest DOBRYCH (od A do Z) książek do przeczytania, a tak mało czasu… ;)

[Barbara ★ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy the unraveling of the mystery in this series because the author has a diabolical mind and really buries the truth while laying a spectacular false trail. I do, however, find the inner workings of Dr. Frank Clevenger to be unrealistic and completely unbelievable. Without fail he has a sexual relationship with a seemingly innocent victim who usually winds up being the evil genius behind the mystery. He is a recovering alcoholic who always has meetings in bars and has one drink and walks away again and again. From my experience, once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic and one drink almost always deposits them back on the roller coaster of destruction. And, of course, in the nick of time, Dr. Clevenger pulls himself from the brink just in time to save himself from the perpetrator and cleverly solve the mystery.

This template works well for Keith Ablow and if you suspend your beliefs and rationality for the duration, it is an engaging and extremely suspenseful read.

My only problem with this book was the poor editing. Any decent editor should have caught that on day one, twin #1 was 5-months old and yet on day six, twin #2 was only 3-months old. I actually had to sit back and riffle through the pages to double check which was correct. And towards the end of the book, twin #2 was once again 5-months old.

[Barbra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the 3rd in the Frank Clevenger series. A good psychological thriller.

Back Cover Blurb:
Burdened by his own psychological scars, forensic psychiatrist Dr Frank Clevenger has endured the most extreme twists of the human mind. Then he receives a disturbing call from Nantucket's chief of police. The five-month-old daughter of prominent billionaire Darwin Bishop has been found murdered in her crib.
The obvious suspect is Darwin's adopted sociopathic son, Billy. But even Clevenger can't fathom the motive behind the troubled boy's murder of an infant. What is Billy really running from? Does Darwin's stunning wife, Julia, know? If she does, she isn't talking. Neither is Bishop's other son, who's harbouring terrible secrets of his own.
Falling for Julia is Clevenger's first mistake. Investigating the Bishops' twisted emotional landscape is his second. It's done more than just draw him into the maze of a psychosexual family history. It's trapped him. As his own demons rise to the surface, he must play the ultimate mind game to catch a killer - and make it out alive....