The Third Rule of Ten
The Fourth Rule of Ten

The Third Rule of Ten
The Fourth Rule of Ten
By Gay Hendricks and Tinker Lindsay

Publisher: Hay House Publishing
Pub. Date:
2/3/2014 and 1/5/2015

ISBN: 978-1401941673 – 352 pages
and 978-1401945947 – 344 pages

Genre: mystery / Detective
Source: Received through Netgalley

Goodreads

In full compliance with FTC Guidelines,
I received this ebook for free in exchange for a fair and honest review.
I was in no way compensated for this post as a reviewer, and the thoughts are my own.

These books count for the following Reading Challenges

MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THESE BOOKS

It is not that usual that a detective happens to be an ex-Buddhist monk! That explains partly why I enjoy this series and keep reading the books as they come out. Both The Third Rule of Ten and The Fourth Rule of Ten are full of suspense and of very hot current topic. I have already presented The First Rule of Ten and The Second Rule of Ten on this blog.

I find these mysteries to be riveting.
What’s special about them is how they combine very personal matters and mysteries involving very hot international issues, especially in the Third Rule of Ten. These are nail biting situations that draw Ten quite far away from the peace he used to experience in his former Tibetan monastery! But he is still in touch with two monks who help him in dead-end situations, through prayer and Skype communications.

Ten is still dealing with his previous life, as well as his relationship with his dad, who just died, and his girlfriend Heather whom he finds estranged from.

From his previous life style, Ten brought back some Buddhist wisdom, and he tries to apply it in daily life, especially as he deals with all his inner and exterior demons in the dangerous situations he is confronted to in his job as a private detective. In The Third Rule of Ten, he feels trapped inside in many little lies or things he hides from others and makes himself a rule of transparency and truth.

A search for a woman who disappeared leads him to confront illegal immigration, corrupt politicians, extremely dangerous and powerful Mexican drug lords, and organ and weapon trafficking! Will his common sense and inner wisdom be enough to keep him alive? I thought this one was the best of the series so far.

In The Fourth Rule of Ten, Ten tries to let go of expectations and accept what is. This time, through a complicated inheritance and will, he will have to deal with Bosnian drug lords and human trafficking.

VERDICT: Original and riveting mysteries combining Buddhist wisdom and threats from dangerous powerful people on the international scene. Very good if you enjoy trying something different.

WHAT IS IT ABOUT

Keep current with the truth: we’re only as weak as our secrets— especially the ones we keep from ourselves. That’s the Third Rule of Ten. As the go-to private detective for a bevy of high-profile clients, our beloved ex-Buddhist monk, ex-LAPD officer, Tenzing “Ten” Norbu, has finally found his stride. With his beautiful pathologist girlfriend, a healthy bank account, and a steady stream of clients, courtesy of middle-aged movie star Mac Gannon and rising political star Bets McMurtry, Ten’s life is bursting with activity. But it’s not all joy and happiness. The death of his father and a growing abundance of secrets—both personal and professional—leave Ten feeling an unexpected depth of sorrow and confusion. Even with the emotional turmoil, nothing can stop Ten from taking the case when McMurtry’s housekeeper goes missing. The investigation leads him down a dangerous path littered with bodies, untraceable prescription drugs, and human organ trafficking. But nothing is as shocking as the realization that the mastermind behind it all is none other than—Chaco Morales, a criminal that slipped through Ten’s hands once already. The Third Rule of Ten will have readers on the edges of their seats, as they learn, along with Ten, that there is a fine line between healthy privacy and unhealthy secrecy. Knowing the difference may just determine whether Ten will stop Chaco or lose himself.

Ex–Buddhist monk, former LAPD detective, and current private investigator Tenzing “Ten” Norbu knows Bill Bohannon as many things: loving husband, devoted father, police administrator, former partner, and best friend. But then an uninvited guest from Bill’s past upends the Bohannons’ Fourth of July barbecue, revealing in levelheaded Bill the most unexpected behavior—behavior that awkwardly drops Ten in the middle of a crumbling marriage.
Ten makes an unexpected move of his own when he agrees to pro bono work for a convicted felon. But it was dope slinger Godfrey Chambers Ten had repeatedly busted during his days on the force, not the reformed and rechristened G-Force who is now asking for Ten’s help in claiming money left to him by a kind-hearted benefactor—and contested by the benefactor’s self-serving family.
Soon Ten’s investigations lead him down the darkest corridors of the Internet and halfway around the globe to Sarajevo as he navigates the seedy worlds of human trafficking and personal regret. As his cases intertwine, Ten will rely on the wisdom of the Buddha and his own network of relationships—with super hacker Mike, outrageously idiosyncratic assistant Kim, old monastery friends Yeshe and Lopsang, Serbian cabbie and former policija Petar, and, of course, feline rock Tank—to solve the puzzle and keep free of his own tangled past. Especially when an old flame returns.
The Fourth Rule of Ten, the thrilling fourth book in the Dharma Detective series, proves the only thing better than exceeding expectations is having none at all. [ Goodreads synopsis]