Keith Ablow Books in Order
Keith Ablow is a New York Times bestselling American author best known for the Frank Clevenger series, six psychological crime thrillers following a forensic psychiatrist who is called into murder investigations and other cases involving violent criminals. Clevenger studies the motives and mental state of suspects, while his own addiction, family history, and self-destructive choices are a main part of the whole series.
Keith Ablow practiced psychiatry for more than 25 years before becoming a coach and consultant. That experience appears most directly in the Frank Clevenger novels, where a forensic psychiatrist is brought into murder investigations to assess suspects and work out why are they violent. His nonfiction books range from true crime and psychology to books about personal change.
This page lists all Keith Ablow books in order, including the Frank Clevenger novels and the planned A Matter of Life and Death trilogy, along with his true-crime books, psychology and self-help titles, collaborations, and other nonfiction books.
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Latest Keith Ablow Books
Publication Date: July 30, 2026
Frank Clevenger Series (Books in Order)
The Frank Clevenger series follows Massachusetts forensic psychiatrist Dr. Frank Clevenger, who is called into murder investigations and other violent cases when the police or FBI need help understanding a suspect’s behavior. His work takes him into psychiatric hospitals, family homes, hostage situations, and investigations about serial offenders.
He can identify the fear, compulsion, or private history of a person, but his private life is exactly the opposite. Addiction, guilt, and his relationship with his adopted son goes on over the six novels and sometimes it affect the choices he makes during a case.
Each book has a separate investigation, but Clevenger’s personal story develops throughout the series. Read the books in publication order, beginning with Denial.
- Denial, 1997
- Projection, 1999
- Compulsion, 2002
- Psychopath, 2003
- Murder Suicide, 2004
- The Architect, 2004
A Matter of Life and Death Series (Books in Order)
The A Matter of Life and Death series is planned as a trilogy that follows different people who reach a crisis and try to create another life for themselves. The first book, A Matter of Life and Death: The Importance of Being Kane, follows hedge fund manager Alex Kane after his marriage and career collapse.
Kane hires a former Hollywood director to give him a new identity and stage a carefully arranged life in a small New England town. Future volumes are expected to follow different characters, but no further titles or story details have been announced.
Non-Fiction Books
- Medical School: Getting In, Staying In, Staying Human, 1987
- How to Cope With Depression: A Complete Guide for You and Your Family, 1989 (with J. Raymond DePaulo Jr.)
- To Wrestle With Demons: A Psychiatrist Struggles to Understand His Patients and Himself, 1992
- Anatomy of a Psychiatric Illness: Healing the Mind and the Brain, 1993
- The Strange Case of Dr. Kappler: The Doctor Who Became a Killer, 1994
- Without Mercy: The Shocking True Story of a Doctor Who Murdered, 1996
- Inside the Mind of Scott Peterson, 2005
- Living the Truth: Transform Your Life Through the Power of Insight and Honesty, 2007
- The 7: Seven Wonders That Will Change Your Life, 2011 (with Glenn Beck)
- Inside the Mind of Casey Anthony: A Psychological Portrait, 2011
- Trump Your Life!, 2020 (with Christian Josi)
Keith Ablow Biography
Keith Russell Ablow is an American author, life coach, and former psychiatrist whose crime novels are based on his work in psychiatry and criminal cases.
Official website: keithablowbooks.com
Keith Ablow was born in Marblehead, Massachusetts, in 1961. He studied neuroscience at Brown University and earned his medical degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He later completed a psychiatry residency at Tufts–New England Medical Center and became board certified in psychiatry and forensic psychiatry. He then practiced psychiatry and forensic psychiatry for more than 25 years and testified as an expert in criminal cases.
Keith Ablow began publishing nonfiction book before writing crime fiction. His early books included Medical School, a guide to depression written with J. Raymond DePaulo Jr., and accounts of psychiatric illness and true-crime cases. He later wrote books on self-help, psychology, and had collaborations with Glenn Beck and Christian Josi.
He published his debut novel, Denial, in 1997, which became the first Frank Clevenger novel. It introduces a forensic psychiatrist who assists with murder investigations while struggling with addiction, guilt, and a difficult family history of his own. He wrote six books in the series, ending with The Architect. The professional role of the main character allowed him to build cases that dealt with psychiatric evaluation, interviews with suspects, and the question of why people are violent and what drove them to commit those acts.
Keith Ablow hosted the nationally syndicated The Keith Ablow Show, worked as a television commentator, and wrote columns and articles for several American newspapers and magazines.
The Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine suspended his Ablow’s medical license in 2019. In May 2026, he permanently gave up his right to renew it, which permanently removed him from medical practice in Massachusetts. He now works in life and executive coaching and consulting.
In 2026, Keith Ablow returned to fiction with A Matter of Life and Death: The Importance of Being Kane, the first book in a planned trilogy following different people attempting to leave their old lives behind and begin again.