This installment is not as good as the first one, but still an entertaining read. ( )

I started this series backwards, starting with #3. After reading that, though, I was eager to read the first 2.

I really like this series a lot. Ten is an interesting protagonist, with a take on our culture that's somewhat askew to the normal because he was largely raised in a Tibetan Buddhist temple as a monk in training. This gives him some interesting perspectives- both illuminating and tone-deaf- to our base culture.

The writing is good, with characterization being coherent and well-drawn. The plot is convoluted- possibly overly so, but I was willing to be in it for the ride, and it does resolve reasonably well. Ten's struggles with creating a relationship with a woman are realistic, and better handled here than in #1.

So: Ten grows and develops as a character; the secondary characters have their own lives and personalities that add interest; the plot is nicely convoluted (and what murder mysteries actually have believable plots???), the pacing was excellent, and all in all, I found it a page-turner.

I recommend this book and series to anyone who likes somewhat noir mysteries, but with a unique twist. ( )

What fascinates me about this series is the cross of western and eastern philosophies and the ability of the main character to utilize both while searching for the bad guys and defending himself and others.

Tenzing is an ex-Tibetan monk/ex-homicide cop turned PI who in this installment is trying to discover who killed an old film producer, calmly manages to uncover who would be involved while put the clues together and protecting another old film producer. His team of contacts are diverse and entertaining.

I've gotten this book (second in the series) and the first through NetGalley and really enjoyed both. It's interesting to see how the cenral character uses his previous experiences and practices as a Tibetan monk and homicide detective in his investigations as a PI. Hope to see another one soon. ( )

When the second installment of the "Rules of Ten" series opens, ex-Buddhist monk, ex-LAPD officer and almost PI (just waiting for the liability insurance to go through) Tenzing Norbu is reviewing an old case involving a runaway, a Hollywood producer's daughter. His reverie is interrupted by a friend still in the LAPD, calling to tell him that the producer has been found dead. While not officially on the case, Ten is interested, and feels involved since he knew the players, so he proceeds to investigate on his own.

In a second case, he is hired to search for the missing sister of an elderly LA philanthropist. Trouble is, the sister has been missing since World War II. And to add to the complications, Ten receives a frantic letter from one of his friends at the monastery in Tibet. Having received a retainer from the philanthropist, and feeling flush for maybe the first time, Ten books a flight to Tibet to see if he can help his friend.

I was eagerly awaiting this book after having read the first one ("The First Rule of Ten"), and it did not disappoint. The combination of Buddhism and police procedural hit just the right mark for me. I understand that there is a third book in the works, and I'm looking forward to that one as well.

I received this book from NetGalley in return for a review; I was not paid for this review, nor required to post a positive review. ( )

For a book about a former Buddhist monk, this is an action-packed police procedural/detective story. I enjoyed the first book in this series, and am pleased to see that Tenzing Norbu is back. This time he's investigating a murder that will bring him into the activities of some of the most notorious gangs in Los Angeles. At the same time, Ten is forced to deal with his ongoing father issues. We learn more in this book about Ten's relationship with his father, and more about how he came to grow up at the monastery.

This is a complicated and fast-moving mystery. Ten is able to get all sorts of official information and clearances due to his former career as a police officer. The result is full of action, though tempered by the mindfulness of a detective trained in the arts of meditation. Ten courts danger and he finds it. ( )