The Fourth Rule of Ten by Tinker Lindsay, Gay Hendricks

The Fourth Rule of Ten (Tenzing Norbu Mystery, #4)

by Tinker Lindsay and Gay Hendricks

In the latest installment in the Dharma Detective series, private investigator Tenzing 'Ten' Norbu takes on the seedy world of human trafficking in Los Angeles and abroad. Following a shocking revelation involving his best friend and former partner, Bill, Ten is sent on an unexpected trip to Sarajevo to find a missing family member. This propels him on a mission to track down the ringleader of a corrupt worldwide organization operating through the dark tunnels of the Internet, whose impact hits too close to home.

Ten is aided by a diverse cast of characters, including his eccentric assistant, Kim; genius hacker Mike; informant-turned-entrepreneur G-Force; and Petar, a chain-smoking Bosnian cab driver and fellow ex-police officer.
Struggling to keep his personal and professional life intact proves difficult as Ten attempts to help Bill's strained marriage; resolve unfinished business with Bill's sister-in-law, Julie; heal his own family scars; and protect more innocent victims - all while facing down issues that are far bigger than he ever imagined.

Reviewed by Beth C. on

4 of 5 stars

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I have been a fan of the Tenzing Norbu mysteries since the first one came out. I find that, while I'm not generally a huge mystery fan, these are just the right blend of thoughtfulness and suspense and Buddhism. I know - if you're approaching reading these for the first time, that seems weird. But it works quite well in this series, based on an ex-monk now living in LA.

In "The Fourth Rule of Ten", we find ten learning (the hard way, of course) how to let go of expectations. First, his former partner's marriage gets thrown a MAJOR curveball, then a case pops up that may have something to do with that curveball and definitely DOES have something to do with human trafficking...just another span of time in the life of Ten.

While there were moments that made me laugh out loud, there were also several times I teared up. This book is a bit darker than the previous ones, mostly because of its human trafficking theme. Such a huge problem in many of our metropolitan areas, and yet one that seems like the mythical Hydra...cut off one bit, and two more shoot up to replace it. There are threads of hope throughout, but it is truly a vast problem.

Anyway, even with the slightly darker tone overall, I still very much enjoyed this newest book in the series. I look forward to the next one!

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 1 July, 2015: Finished reading
  • 1 July, 2015: Reviewed