Compulsion [Import] [Paperback]

Keith Ablow (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press (June 2003)
• ISBN-10: 0312991932
• ISBN-13: 978-0312991937
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A COMPELLING READ, June 9, 2004

By 

Kay Blythe "southladykay" (Fredericksburg, Virginia USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Compulsion: A Novel (Frank Clevenger) (Paperback)

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.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ablow's third is a winner, January 15, 2004

By 

David Group (Buffalo, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Compulsion: A Novel (Frank Clevenger) (Paperback)

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.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great read!, February 25, 2005

By 

D. A KENNEDY "read ranger" (Santa Cruz, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Compulsion: A Novel (Frank Clevenger) (Paperback)

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?