Denial

Frank Clevenger is so hot. This is my first expericene with Keith Ablow. After seeing him on Oprah talking about Sexual Predators and doing it quite well and tastefully I decided it was time to give his books a chance. I have been selling them in the store for years but I had never taken the time to read them. Shame on me. His characters both primary and secondary are layered. They all have reasons for being who they are. Several, you get back ground FYI and foreshadowing and the whole bit. Being that Mr. Ablow is a forensic psychiatrist... it made me wonder the whole time... where are these characters living? Hopefully not next to me. Well, unless it is Frank. Whew! Give me a fan and some ice because the sex in these books is way more that hard boiled. Its flame grilled! The characters really seem to follow human nature, however twisted human nature may be in this book. Its very consistent. Its not over run with details and descriptions.... just enough to give you foreshadowing just like we are all taught to write but not to much to make you sick while you are waiting to turn the page and look for the next sex scene. The plot is a very brutal and personal murder that happens in the first pages of the book. It winds around Frank's imperfections and addictions. You get to know Frank's mind and his sex life. All the while introducing us to a cast of characters I cannot wait to see again. I am certain Mr. Ablow's book are only going to get better.

Ten pages into Denial, I hastily emailed a friend of mine who's a big fan of Hardboiled mysteries and told him, "Have I got an author for you!" This is believably seamy stuff, quickly paced, smart and scary, filled with deliciously flawed characters. Ablow doesn't even place his protagonist above the fray: Frank Clevenger is a forensic psychiatrist with severe addiction issues--including coke, women other than his partner, and twisted psyches. There is not a character in this book who is free of quirks and tics, and it is from this pallette of dark human vagary that the story draws its power and its very plot.As one who lives in Eastern Massachusetts, I was taken by Ablow's adept use of local geography. Clevenger lives in one of those big houses in coastal Marblehead that require two doctors to support a mortgage; he works and plays, if such a word can cover his particular recreations, in his rag-tag hometown of "Lynn, Lynn, City of Sin," and in equally gritty Chelsea. The duality fits the man, an abused blue-collar boy beneath a professional veneer.With its sex, blood and lines of white powder, this book is not for everyone. But for those who like their mystery dark and their humanity imperfect, it's a real find.Susan O'NeillAuthor: Don't Mean Nothing: Short Stories of Viet Nam

Great read, suspense thriller,lots of twists and turns, bizarre at times, down to earth, real North of Boston locations, loved Frank Clevenger even with all his faults and problems. Already started on Projection and ordered Compulsion today.

Whoever says that psychiatrists cannot have screwed up lives cannot be living in reality. Psychiatrists sometimes have worse lives then their patients. I loved this book. I even re-read it to make sure I didn't miss anything important. Frank Clevenger, one of the most screwed up individuals to ever exist in fiction or non-fiction, was also one of the saddest individuals, as well. I couldn't help but feel sympathetic. And he still managed to be a good psychiatrist for others whether he meant to do it or not. The plot was entertaining (if you can call serial murder entertaining) and very hard edged and fast paced. I love psychological thrillers and I was very impressed with this author's debut. I hope to see more of his novels on the shelves soon.

Follow Frank Clevenger along the Lynn Shore Drive and help himstop a serial killer on the loose. I'm not referring solely to thekiller roaming the streets of Greater Boston, but to the demons beleaguring and numbing the doctor as well. As Dr. Clevenger battles his addiction to cocaine, he comes to terms with his tormentors: an abusive father, former patient outcomes, a frightening love life, and a stalled career. Dr. Ablow has written a book that allows the reader to experience the richness, joy and sadness of his very believable characters' lives. Additionally, his entertaining and informative approach to forensics and psychotherapy is engaging. You will find yourself considering therapy as you are allowed deeper into the character's psyches. Jump in with both feet and I guarantee you will question your own doctor the next time he or she is late for an appointment!