Projection

Frank Clevenger #2

by Keith Ablow

Once an accomplished plastic surgeon, Trevor Lucas started using his scalpel to do very bad things...

Locked in a Boston psychiatric hospital, Lucas is holding the ward hostage-and performing grisly "operations" on his prisoners...

Lucas, calling for forensic psychiatrist Frank Clevenger, is willing to strike a deal...

What Lucas knows about Clevenger could ruin the psychiatrist. What Clevenger can find out about Lucas could save the hostages. And he's got 24 hours to do it...

As Clevenger feverishly delves into Lucas' past, what he discovers is chilling, disturbing, and all too familiar. For Clevenger can't help but wonder if his proximity to killers and madmen in coincidence, or something much more complex: Projection.

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

352 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

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

Reviews

[Lois · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too much gore and violence.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, let me say that you have to read Denial by the same author before you read this book. It's not a stand alone. You won't understand the backstory and why things happen the way they do. Second of all, let me warn you that this book is extremely gory, graphic and violent. It's a good sequel to Denial. It wraps up a lot of loose ends from that book. However, I felt the last 50 pages were rushed and old characters that you hadn't seen most of the book were all of sudden brought back into the picture just to get them wrapped up in a nice clean package. I guess one of the main things I like about this series is the inner struggles that Ablow's main character, Frank Clevenger goes through. I mean what other series has a drug addicted womanizer psychotrist as it's main character trying to save everyone. I enjoyed this book with the action and the way it makes you confront your own morals and beliefs about what you would do in the same situation. It's a fairly quick read. I would recommend this book to anyone that like serial killer mystery suspense books.

[Bob · Rating 1 out of 5]

Perhaps there was a valid reason to include the most disturbing violence in this book. But I, with a 31 yr Army career, found it so over the top as to be offensive.

[Susan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not finish. Too much violence.

[Dokusha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ablow entführt uns in die Abgründe der menschlichen Psyche. Wozu sind Menschen fähig, um ihren inneren Dämonen zu entkommen? Welche Greueltaten können sie begehen mit besten Absichten und überzeugt, das Richtige zu tun?
Ich kann nicht beurteilen, wie realistisch die geschilderten Szenarien sind, aber auf jeden Fall sind sie gut geschilderte Gänsehaut.

[AyyyDaria _Reads · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is such a trainwereck and unbelievable.

[Jenny Coyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this a lot more than the first book. I'll give the next one a try.

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put this down! But again I will state I don't think Frank Clevenger books are for everyone. this is book two and I devoured it.

Spoiler - if you don't like graphic descriptions, a few sex scenes, or discussion about drug use and violence this book isn't for you.

If you're a true crime junkie, like a good mystery that throws a ton of curve balls, and are looking for a page-turner this is for you. Frank Clevenger is a gritty character who pulls you in. This book starts by smacking you in the face with his cold reality and trauma-stricken past and then takes you deep into Frank's life of feeling too much and coping with it all.

This book carries on where Denial left off. Buckel up because this ride is even wilder than the first one. It's gritty, graphic and full of things not for the sensitive at heart.

[Andrea Corley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first book in the Frank Clevenger Series was a 5-star read for me...this one...not so much! This one was just weird.

I appreciate that Keith Ablow's writing is different, and a bit more grotesque than others, but that's what I thought made the first book so good. This one just had weird things in it, like a doctor thinking his arm was overtaken by the devil and trying to stop it at all cost!

I will definitely give book #3 a try because the first one was so good, so here's to hoping Compulsion is back on track!!

[Amy Leigh · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book tells the story of a hostage situation in a mental hospital. Trevor Lucas is accused of four murders. Dr. Frank Clevenger, a forensic psychiatrist, knows Lucas is innocent of the murders, but still a sociopath with violent tendencies. When Lucas takes an entire psych ward hostage to his psychotic fantasies, Dr. Clevenger may be the only one who can save them.

The flawed hero is popular in crime fiction, but Clevenger is so flawed it's hard to root for him. This book was too dark for me.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

OVA KNJIGA JE ZAPRAVO DRUGI DEO ROMANA "PORICANJE" I AKO STE U MOGUĆNOSTI PROČITAJTE I JEDNU I DRUGU. TEŠKI PSIHOLOŠKI TRILERI KOJI VAS VODE PRAVO U UM POREMEĆENIH LJUDI. KAD ZAVRŠITE ČITANJE SHVATIĆETE DA JE SAMO PSIHIJATAR I ČOVEK KOJI JE RADIO NA OVAKVIM SLUČAJEVIMA, MOGAO DA NAPIŠE NEŠTO OVAKO FENOMENALNO.
Samo je Kit Ablou mogao ovako snažno da prodre i dočara um psihopate, kao i strahove drugih koje on budi.
Težak psihološki triler koji potresa i najmanji nerv u organizmu, za sve ljubitelje trilera, ali samo za one sa jakim želudcem!

[Kathei · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in 1999 and for the life of me, I can only remember bits and pieces of it. In my card file, I notated that I felt it was excellent. It was about forensic psychiatrist Frank Clevenger. I also read Projection which featured the same psychiatrist.

[Patricia English · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must say the second in the series was much better written than the first, good storyline, good ending. I really am enjoying this series and the path frank has to traverse to fight his addictions and get through the demons. This one was really good and really a sit on the edge of your seat book.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a dark tale. This is my second book by the author, not sure if I will read another.

[Reader_Shark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent.

[Igor Gligorijevic · Rating 3 out of 5]

6/10

[Sandi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Needlessly gory. The violence was so disturbing that I had to skip about 30 pages. I've read other books by this author and they were good, but this was one of the worst books I've read.

[Terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

good, but kinda gory

[Linda Branham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this entire series many years ago - but I missed this one - #2
I just read it
Good as a stand alone
But also explains some things I did not know when I read the rest of the series

[Cvetannka · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great sequel to the first book of the Frank Clevenger series, Denial.
This book is a deeply profound study of the psychodynamic called Projection.

[Bob Box · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read in 2002. Murder mystery.

[Mare Kinley · Rating 2 out of 5]

The second on my Ablow reading tour (courtesy of Starfish) was also "OK," but less OK than the first I read, "Psychopath." In "Projection" the protagonist is even less believable and more annoying. Deciding to tell your darkest professional secret that could land you in jail and permanently destroy your career to the hooker you met 90 minutes ago really stretches my suspension of disbelief as far as it can go.

The truth is, I read this for the psychopathology (which, I realize, occurring as it does in a novel, may not be particularly accurate). Knowing that Ablow himself is, like his main charachter Clevenger, a forensic psychiatrist made me hope for some interesting criminals. While the "case study" part of this novel is actually sort of interesting, there's not enough of it to satisfy me. Add in the unbelievable characters and writing which is, well...amateurish, and I won't be going back to this author any time soon.

[Barbra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second in the Clevenger series and is a first-rate psychological thriller.

Back Cover Blurb:
Once an accomplished plastic surgeon, Trevor Lucas started using his scalpel to do very bad things....
Locked in a Boston psychiatric hospital, Lucas is holding the ward hostage - and performing grisly 'operations' on his prisoners....
Lucas, calling for forensic psychiatrist Frank Clevenger, is willing to strike a deal....
What Lucas knows about Clevenger could ruin the psychiatrist. What Clevenger can find out about Lucas could save the hostages. And he's got 24 hours to do it....
As Clevenger feverishly delves into Lucas' past, what he discovers is chilling, disturbing, and all too familiar. For Clevenger can't help but wonder if his proximity to killers and madmen is coincidence or something much more complex.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Frank Clevenger mystery and it didn't disappoint. Frank has a major guilt trip throughout this story and with good reason.

Dr. Trevor Lucas is on trial for murders he did not commit. He knew who the murderer was as does Frank but where Trevor didn't say anything, Frank hid the murderer away.

All hell breaks loose when Dr. Lucas has a psychotic break in prison and is transferred to a lock down unit at a state facility. There are murderers of the worst kind in the same unit.

This is another one for all the readers that love psychologic twists because there are many including worst of the worst. Once you start it and get a couple chapters in, it is almost impossible to put down.
Warning though - it is not for those that prefer cozy mysteries.

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like psychological thrillers and this one was pretty good. A bit gruesome, but I like that. I liked the idea of the story and was eager to see how it played out. However, I found the main character (psychiatrist Frank Clevenger) a bit unbelievable and annoying. His drug habits and constant disregard of the law for his own selfish needs (hiding a murderer so she can "get help") makes him an unlikely mental health professional. The constant talk of healing the most severe of the mentally ill and not just letting them go to jail or die, even after they kill or do horrible things to others is also ridiculous.

[Phil Deschler · Rating 4 out of 5]

A page turner. A dark story of death, insanity, murder and hope in a mental ward of a hospital. It also is a stomach turner leaving you to wonder who lives or dies and how they will die. Ablow takes us deep into a psychotics mind and the mind of the psychiatrist trying to save him. It keeps you on the edge. Ablow gives us a deep look into a murders mind and the ugliness that resides there and how he projects his crazy thoughts onto others. He gives a deep look into psychiatrist soul for the psychiatrist must struggle with his own demons and must face them in the end. Not a book for the for the faint of heart, in this book you find death at its worst.

[Jack Barraclough · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this series out of order, starting with the third book and then going back to books one and two. I really enjoyed the third book in the series, but if I had started at the beginning with Denial I would have probably stopped there. The quality of the books have definitely improved as the series has progressed and I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad sequel to the excellent 'denial', 2nd Frank Clevenger novel. It certainly ties up some loose ends left over from 'Denial'. Clevenger is in interesting & complex character & probably hard to get to like.. This series has interested me enough to read the remaining books..

[Yolanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second in the series started out with quite a bit of detail from book one. Which is great if you did not read them back to back. Then jets off to graphic detail, head shaking and not being able to put it down. I will read the third in the set soon.

[Jeff Dickison · Rating 1 out of 5]

A truly bad and repulsive book. The characters are extremely illogical and the violence is stomach churning. I would rather my children watch porn instead of reading this crap. Read 120 pages and threw it in the trash.