The First Rule of Ten (A Tenzing Norbu Mystery, #1)

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The First Rule of Ten (A Tenzing Norbu Mystery #1)

by Gay Hendricks (Goodreads Author), Tinker Lindsay

3.88 of 5 stars 3.88 · rating details · 288 ratings · 92 reviews

“Don’t ignore intuitive tickles lest they reappear as sledgehammers.”

That’s the first rule of Ten.

Tenzing Norbu (“Ten” for short)—ex-monk and soon-to-be ex-cop—is a protagonist unique to our times. In The First Rule of Ten, the first installment in a three-book detective series, we meet this spiritual warrior who is singularly equipped, if not occasionally ill-equipped, a...more

Paperback, 312 pages

Published January 1st 2012 by Hay House Visions

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Mar 04, 2012 Benjamin Thomas rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: advanced-reading-copy, mystery-detective-pi

I'm often skeptical when I try a new mystery; I tend to expect some kind of formula writing, or a re-hash of stuff I've read before. So it takes an intriguing premise or character for me to give them a try. Ten Norbu, the protagonist of this novel, is a former Tibetan monk, turned LA cop, and now will attempt to make a go of it as a private detective. OK, that's certainly intriguing enough to get me to give it a whirl. But how would it measure up to my expectations?

Folks, I can honestly say, thi...more

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Apr 13, 2012 Susan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Those who like thoughtful rather than violent mysteries

Shelves: mystery-horror-thriller, goodreads-authors

4.5 out of 5 stars. This is my new favorite series in the mystery genre. I love the character Tenzing Norbu. The writing is smart and fun, and the mystery doesn't involve overly gruesome murders and doesn't need to. Ten, a former Buddhist monk, teaches as well as learns as he begins his life as a private investigator, and some lessons are harder than others.

I initially wondered if I had missed a first book in the series because there were references to his life as an LAPD officer in the days bef...more

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Apr 18, 2012 Fusiondiva rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

i think this is my first grown up detective book since i read Encyclopedia Brown in the second grade! I really enjoyed this book. I liked the juxtaposition of Tibetan monk and private detective in the main character. Just the right amount of humor too...hope there are more books to come!

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Feb 24, 2013 Cheryl rated it 2 of 5 stars

Tenzing “Ten” Norbu is a Buddhist and newly appointed private investigator. This first client is a woman named Barbara Maxey. She asks ten to give her ex, Zimmy Backus a warning. That he might be in trouble. Ten does not really take Barbara too seriously. That is until she turns up in the morgue dead as a doornail.

I liked the idea of the character Ten. I like that he was a Buddhist private investigator. I have not come across a character like this before. So my interest was piqued. Unfortunatel...more

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May 16, 2012 Delia O' Riordan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Tenzin Norbu is truly a one-off: an ex-Buddhist monk and ex-homicide detective who applies the principles of Mindfulness to the job of solving of murder mysteries. What sets this character apart from any other contenders in the detective fiction market is his adherence to the Buddhist practice of 'checking in' with his visceral and emotional states in each situation that requires a considered response from him. With a taste for good wine, an occasional cold beer, and an eclectic approach to food...more Tenzin Norbu is truly a one-off: an ex-Buddhist monk and ex-homicide detective who applies the principles of Mindfulness to the job of solving of murder mysteries. What sets this character apart from any other contenders in the detective fiction market is his adherence to the Buddhist practice of 'checking in' with his visceral and emotional states in each situation that requires a considered response from him. With a taste for good wine, an occasional cold beer, and an eclectic approach to food, he is certainly not your average Buddhist. In fact, he hated life in the monastery whilst still seeing the benefits of his training there.His family was also anything but ordinary. He had an eccentric Franco-American mother and a rather severe Buddhist monk for a father. Throw in part of his childhood in France and then immersion in colloquial American culture and you have a uniquely appealing and intriguing character who is just exotic enough to baffle the brash and often insensitive cops he spent 20 years working with.

The First Rule of Ten opens on Ten's last day with the LAPD. After making a brief appearance he gives his own farewell party a miss and embarks on semi-retirement as a private investigator. Ten's innate decency and insistence on dealing with 'What Is' rather than focusing on what distracts most people, wins him roughly equal numbers of detractors and friends. His first case involving a strange and mysterious cult with disappearing members, conflicting loyalties in the local sheriff's department, deceit and betrayal of a son trying to manipulate his father for gain and a political/financial back story and you have the makings of an absorbing and highly enjoyable read. I like Ten as a character and can already see the options for a tv series and/or movies landing on the desks of the writer, Gay Hendricks (better known to most people as relationship psychologist) and screen writer Tinker Lindsay. The authors envisage a set of 10 novels in the Tenzin Norbu series and I for one am delighted at the prospect of nine more novels to come. They have started what I hope will be a new trend: selling the book on Kindle for $2.99 in order to reach the largest possible readership. I think it's a brilliant marketing strategy. Come book number two, the audience will already be panting for more. Hendricks' command of interpersonal dynamics and Lindsay's long experience as a Buddhist meditator have combined to produce to new genre, the Mindful P.I. Long may he prosper!(less)

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Mar 26, 2012 Amy Corwin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime, mystery

"The First Rule of Ten" is a fascinating mystery featuring an ex-Buddhist monk who became a police officer and has now quit to become a private investigator. As you might expect, the books has a definite zen-like quality to it. :) Tenzing Norbu, nicknamed Ten, is an interesting character, but I felt a little lukewarm about him. I liked him and his interaction with John D, an old farmer with cancer, but Ten came off as a bit of a jerk at times, particularly where women were concerned, hence my ov...more

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Jan 12, 2012 Rhonda rated it 4 of 5 stars

4 STARS
This is a good detective mystery with a different type of P.I. Tenzing Norbu was a Tibetan monk turned L.A. Detective and now he is leaving the police to work for himself after being shot.
Days later a women came to his home looking for the previous owner and he thought she was after the guys money. Next day finds out she was murdered and feels bad so he decides to look into her murder. Ten finds out she left a commune after 10 years to warn her exhusband. While observing the commune Ten m...more

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Jul 05, 2012 Dolly rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Mystery fans

Shelves: 2012, mystery, other-usa, pets, religion-philosophy, tibet, india, iraq, military, france-french, gardens-flowers, italy, library, money

This is the first book in the Tenzing Norbu Mystery series by Gay Hendricks and Tinker Lindsay. It was a fast, interesting read and I am anxious to read the next book in the series, The Second Rule Of Ten: A Tenzing Norbu Mystery.

I liked the mixture of hard-gritted cop/private investigator and the mindful awareness of a Buddhist. I also liked the different characters and look forward to learning more about each of them in future books.

Overall, I thought this was an engaging and entertaining st...more

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Nov 30, 2011 Dani Moore rated it 5 of 5 stars

Are you tired of formulaic mysteries? I know I was, until I read the First Rule of Ten. You have never met an ex-detective like Tenzing Norbu. Raised as a Tibetan monk, he came to the U.S. as a teenager, promptly ran away and ended up as an LAPD cop. Now he is on his own as a private investigator. Helped by his old partner Bill, his favorite computer hacker, and his cat Tank, he is embarking on a new life. What a wonderful new way to look at life and mysteries. I have never known a Tibetan monk...more

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Mar 28, 2013 Kelly rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. A friend and I read this together and this is our review.
Tenzing “Ten” Norbu doesn’t really belong in any one world. As a young child he spent part of his time living with an American mother in Paris and the other half of the time living with his Tibetan father in a Tibetan monastery. He was sent to Los Angeles as a teenager to teach meditation and perhaps as well to soothe his rebelliousness. Instead he became a homicide detective for the LAPD who then decides to quit the force and become a pri...more A friend and I read this together and this is our review.
Tenzing “Ten” Norbu doesn’t really belong in any one world. As a young child he spent part of his time living with an American mother in Paris and the other half of the time living with his Tibetan father in a Tibetan monastery. He was sent to Los Angeles as a teenager to teach meditation and perhaps as well to soothe his rebelliousness. Instead he became a homicide detective for the LAPD who then decides to quit the force and become a private investigator.
Ten has a brief encounter with the ex-girlfriend of the previous owner of the house he now resides in. She turns up dead and he decides to investigate. He eventually winds up entangled with a cult, the kindly old almond grower next door to the cult. A shady insurance salesman and a local small time crook who runs a pig farm. Along the way he also meets a chef he almost immediately starts an affair with in spite of his/her angst over past affairs.
I did find Ten engaging along with his cat  but overall the story just didn’t gel for me. I felt that some of Ten’s past could have been explored in a more in depth fashion. For example, how did his idealized image of being a detective mesh with the realities of being a homicide detective in the LAPD? I never got the sense that his job as a detective really affected him or shaped who he was. It seemed to be more of a plot device to explain some of his skills as opposed to building any character for Ten. Also, and I know this is a nit picky point, Tibetans monks having affairs with very young American girls, does this really happen? I actually spent a lot of time pondering whether Tibetan monks are supposed to be celibate as opposed to paying attention to the story. If they are permitted to do so then one would also think that his father would have been slightly less uptight with Ten and we could have, perhaps, been spared some of the daddy issues in the story. At times I felt the parallel daddy issues storyline was a little heavy handed and clumsy.
My friend, who will readily tell you that she is a novice mystery reader, also pointed out that the delivery method for killing off various individuals was clumsy at best. Once the poison was delivered there was no guarantee that the correct person would drink it. My friend also pointed out that only the intended victim got sick. Yet, if one were given a bottle of wine/cordial etc. one generally shares ergo there should have been more sick people.
We both agreed that the sexy chef was too annoying for words and felt that she was indeed being very needy. In one scene it was quite clear that Ten did not wish to speak of his father and instead of understanding and backing off she becomes incensed and takes it as a sign that he does not wish any intimacy. Since they had known each other for all of three dates we felt her expectations were a little too high.
However having said all this I am interested in reading the second story and my friend also recommends the second story over the first.
(less)

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Mar 22, 2013 Jean rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a wonderful, new, metaphysical series. Tenzing Norbu was a Buddist Monk in Tibet, like his Father. His Mother was a hippie who met his Father soon after she finished college, while hiking through Europe. The result of their fling was Tenzing. So Ten, as he calls himself, was never really close with either of them. He fell in love with detective novels and wanted to be Sherlock Holmes as a boy. He gets a chance to head a new group of Buddhist monks in Los Angeles, but when he arrives, dec...more

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Feb 17, 2013 Nakeesha rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arcs

This was a cozy read. Different pacing from the contemporary, historical and PNRs that I usually devour. But had everything: zen, intrigue, burgeoning love story, genius, bad boy cyber nerds, cults and musicians!

The mystery surrounded a pig farm, a hippie cult, and peasant insurance policies. I didn't figure it out until the appropriate time the writer anticipated I would, and the resolution was satisfying in structure if not in delivery. Mysteries aren't my thing, but I sometimes get sucked in...more This was a cozy read. Different pacing from the contemporary, historical and PNRs that I usually devour. But had everything: zen, intrigue, burgeoning love story, genius, bad boy cyber nerds, cults and musicians!

The mystery surrounded a pig farm, a hippie cult, and peasant insurance policies. I didn't figure it out until the appropriate time the writer anticipated I would, and the resolution was satisfying in structure if not in delivery. Mysteries aren't my thing, but I sometimes get sucked into them because I love when authors parcel out clues. That's the function of a mystery. Only problem: I hate when the entire revelation is packed in long monologues of explanations at the end.

Still, I picked up this book because of it hero. Tenzing Norbu. Ten's a former monk turned ex-cop who's now pursuing his lifelong dream of becoming a detective a la Sherlock Holmes. He wants to use his "skills and presence to ensure that the highest good is accomplished". Swoon!

Ten's backstory unfolds during the course of the story, including a physical description -which usually bugs the heck out of me when I'm not told in the first few pages what my hero looks like, but the writing and the tone of the story urged me to go with the flow. Ten's patronage is a bit of scandal: his ex-patriot, guru-hopping mother beds a Tibetian monk and that makes Ten.

Ten is unlike any detective you've ever met. He connects the dots with stones in a zen garden instead of a white board, newspaper clippings or string! He works hard to quell his anger and find compassion for bad guys so that their karma won't cloud his judgement. Unfortunately, Ten has serious commitment issues. The love story was completely unnecessary... but it did serve to help me understand his character more. Its quickly apparent that a good boyfriend Ten will not make. But I swooned any way. Can you blame me? He starts his days with mediation and spiritually communing long distance with his two best friends who remained at the monastery. I jotted down so many wonderful quotes and phrases on notecards as I read Ten's inner monologues.

Here's my favorite: "May answers come to me by easeful attraction rather than stressful pursuit and may all beings benefit from these inquires"

Sigh...(less)

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Dec 11, 2011 Slmstanley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Tenzing Norbu is a complicated man. The product of a flighty, self-absorbed mother and a Tibetan father, he was raised in a monastery in Tibet, eventually moving to the West, leaving monastic life behind, and becoming a police officer.

After a near-miss during a call, he decides to leave the force and become a private investigator. His first case isn't so much acquired as it is dropped on his head, in the person of an escapee from a religious cult, trying to warn Ten's landlord of a shadowy thre...more

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Apr 15, 2012 Pamela rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Tenzing Norbu grew up as a reluctant Buddhist monk in a monastery run by his father. At the first opportunity, he quit the monastery to find his own way. His way led him to the LAPD and a fascination with guns. Even that, however, wasn't the path he was meant to take. After resigning from the police department, he is drawn into private investigating by unusual circumstances and decides to pursue that path.

"The First Rule of Ten" is an unusual novel in this era of mundane books with cookie-cutter...more

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Dec 30, 2011 PopcornReads rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: cross-cultural, detective-story, fiction, giveaway, mysteries-thrillers, gay-hendricks, tinker-lindsay

Book Giveaway & Review:
The First Rule of Ten is Book #1 in the Dharma Detective series of Tenzing Norbu mysteries by bestselling author Gay Hendricks and Tinker Lindsay. I fell in love with the book cover and publisher’s promo synopsis. Once I realized how good the novel was, I approached the publisher about doing a giveaway and they agreed. So one lucky reader is going to get a copy of The First Rule of Ten!

This is a novel (no pun intended) concept for a mystery series and I love it! Take a...more

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Dec 23, 2011 Andrea (Cozy Up With A Good Read) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley

Originally posted on Cozy Up With A Good Read

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started reading this novel, and I was quite pleasantly surprised. The description of a mystery novel with the protagonist being a monk made me a little weary but I actually found this book entertaining. I won't say it was amazing but it was definitely a good read.

"Ten" grew up as a monk in a monastery and from there went on to be a cop (really how do those two things come together?). He was always a troublemaker and...more

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Apr 01, 2013 Patrick Rabon rated it 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this mystery about a ex-Tibetan monk turned cop, now also an ex-cop turned private detective, though I can't say it is fantastic. The novel attempts to connect the Buddhist concept of interconnectedness with police procedural; several seemingly unconnected crimes and people link together. Ten, the main character, attempts to balance his beliefs as a Buddhist with his position as private detective while also protecting those he cares about from violent criminals. I enjoyed the character...more

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Apr 05, 2012 Shanna rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Buddhist Monk turned Homicide Detective turned Private Investigator. Here begins our relationship with Tenzing, a man who gets shot, quits his job and starts an investigation that takes us on an incredible journey. Throughout the novel we see how he came to live at the monastery, his tepid relationship with his father, why he left the Monk lifestyle to join the force, and how he continues to incorporate his Buddhist teachings into his new life.

In the beginning, a woman comes to Ten's house, loo...more Buddhist Monk turned Homicide Detective turned Private Investigator. Here begins our relationship with Tenzing, a man who gets shot, quits his job and starts an investigation that takes us on an incredible journey. Throughout the novel we see how he came to live at the monastery, his tepid relationship with his father, why he left the Monk lifestyle to join the force, and how he continues to incorporate his Buddhist teachings into his new life.

In the beginning, a woman comes to Ten's house, looking for the previous owner. They were lovers, until she left him and joined a spiritual cult. Ten has just left his job the previous day, has no income and is a little disjointed, so he inaccurately reads the situation and turns her away without any information. The next day cops come to his house, and let him know her body was found in the park, strangled to death. Feeling guilty for not helping her out, Ten decides to take on the case himself and give her Spirit peace. He connects with the previous owner to tell him the news and find out more about this woman. In the process, he discovers this case may run much deeper than he originally realized. Mafia connections, insurance fraud, murder and that's just the beginning.

One of the things I really enjoyed about this book is that although it is a "serious" crime novel, the Buddhist teachings spread throughout ensure that it is never dark, never hopeless, never makes you queasy. When Ten quits his job, his partner on the force, Bill, is concerned that he won't be able to survive without money. Ten assures him that the Universe always provides, and you see him go through his own private ceremony, communing with the Buddha, meditation, etc. to bring abundance into his life. Shortly thereafter, a freebie case turns into over $15,000, with three clients paying to essentially solve what becomes one case. It's enough to get him officially set up in his practice and be comfortable for awhile.

The mystery kept you on your toes; we met a great cast of characters including John D, an elderly man living on a defunct almond farm who "adopts" Ten as his son. Together they do a lot of the investigating and grow extremely close in the process.

I highly recommend this novel. If you are interested in a great mystery, powerful characters, a bit of Spirituality, and just a tiny speckle of romance, this book is for you.

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from Hay House Publishing for this review. The opinion in this review is unbiased and reflects my honest judgment of the product.(less)

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Jan 29, 2012 Addy rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is one of the most satisfying new mysteries I've read in some time. The lead character is worthy of the name, the plot is great, and the ending was satisfying. I'm giving it 4 stars because it really needed a competent copyeditor - punctuation in the first chapter is confusing, and there are times when the book jumps between scenes without giving the reader sufficient grounding in the scene early enough. I hope following novels will also do a little bit better fleshing out secondary charact...more

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Apr 16, 2013 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013

Tenzing was an awesome character. I fell in love with his character instantly. The mystery was suspenseful and the action just kept coming.

However, after such time and care was given to the storyline, the ending was a letdown for me and the other people I talked to who have read it. We get a face to face showdown with the main bad guy and it felt like the authors ran out of steam and just wanted to end the book. Not satisfying at all.

But I am looking forward to The Second Rule of Ten and hope it...more

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Mar 05, 2012 Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mysteries, 1942, california

Tenzing Norbu is the product of a romance between a young American woman and a Tibetan monk. He spent his early formative years in Paris with his mother who died young. He then went to a a monastery in India where his after lived. He was completely immersed in the the Buddhist teachings until late teenage years when his naturally rebellious personality finally made it increasingly difficult to stay on this past.The efforts of an intuitive monk set him one a path to teach Buddhism in Los Angeles...more

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Apr 15, 2012 Anastasia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

An ex-monk/ex-cop turned P.I., who drives a '65 Shelby Mustang and has an ex-hacker computer genius for a sidekick... if the protagonist isn't unique enough, there's the mystery surrounding a group of religious zealots, a pig farm, an almond orchard, and why they are all connected - and so desirable - to a multi-level group of baddies. Add in a love interest who's a chef, and you have a recipe for a one-of-a-kind mystery that will keep you turning pages.

I kept thinking of John D. MacDonald as I...more

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Feb 09, 2012 PJ Swanwick rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Spiritual mystery embodies great writing and even greater insight

As the first book in a new mystery series, "The First Rule of Ten" is an engrossing page turner and well worth reading. As a work of spiritual fiction, however, Hendricks and Lindsay's novel is exceptional. The narrator, a Buddhist monk turned L.A. cop turned novice investigator, strives to live according to his spiritual principles every day. His experiences offer a simple, flexible model that can encourage us us to live our own l...more Spiritual mystery embodies great writing and even greater insight

As the first book in a new mystery series, "The First Rule of Ten" is an engrossing page turner and well worth reading. As a work of spiritual fiction, however, Hendricks and Lindsay's novel is exceptional. The narrator, a Buddhist monk turned L.A. cop turned novice investigator, strives to live according to his spiritual principles every day. His experiences offer a simple, flexible model that can encourage us us to live our own lives more deeply and successfully.

Story: Tenzing Norbu (“Ten” for short)—ex-monk and soon-to-be ex-cop—is a protagonist unique to our times. In The First Rule of Ten, the first installment in a three-book detective series, we meet this spiritual warrior who is singularly equipped, if not occasionally ill-equipped, as he takes on his first case as a private investigator in Los Angeles. Growing up in a Tibetan Monastery, Ten dreamed of becoming a modern-day Sherlock Holmes. So when he was sent to Los Angeles to teach meditation, he joined the LAPD instead. But as the Buddha says, change is inevitable; and ten years later, everything is about to change—big-time—for Ten. One resignation from the police force, two bullet-wounds, three suspicious deaths, and a beautiful woman later, he quickly learns that whenever he breaks his first rule, mayhem follows. (From amazon.com)

Spiritual/metaphysical content: High. Ten spent half his life in a Buddhist monastery, but the charm of this book is not the wisdom he can spout, but rather the challenge he faces in applying it to the stresses of his own life. It's easy for the reader to relate to Ten's spiritual successes and failures because they parallel our own. We recognize when his actions come from a place other than spirituality, and see how that negativity plays out in his life. And we can rejoice in his small successes from day to day, such as holding his tongue when an ex-girlfriend calls to needle him, and be reminded to rejoice in our own daily triumphs.

My take: I am delighted that this novel is the first in a series. Ten has tremendous appeal as a protagonist; his "outsider" perspective adds great range to his character. Hendricks' insights are clean and simple, adding just the right note of spiritual depth to what is primarily a mystery novel. Lindsay's writing style is fast paced and a pleasure to read. I highly recommend this spiritual mystery to anyone who enjoys top-notch writing and inspirational fiction.

For more reviews of spiritual/metaphysical novels, see Fiction For A New Age.(less)

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Jan 05, 2012 Marlene rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The First Rule of Ten by Gay Hendricks and Tinker Lindsay is a surprise. It is surprisingly good. There are a lot of things about this mystery that are unconventional, including the detective it introduces, but I was hooked from the first page.

Tenzing Norbu ("Ten" for short) grew up wanting to become a modern-day Sherlock Holmes. The ambition would not have been that far out of the ordinary, if it weren't for the location where Ten did that growing up. Ten spent his formative years in a Buddhist...more The First Rule of Ten by Gay Hendricks and Tinker Lindsay is a surprise. It is surprisingly good. There are a lot of things about this mystery that are unconventional, including the detective it introduces, but I was hooked from the first page.

Tenzing Norbu ("Ten" for short) grew up wanting to become a modern-day Sherlock Holmes. The ambition would not have been that far out of the ordinary, if it weren't for the location where Ten did that growing up. Ten spent his formative years in a Buddhist monastery in Dharamshala, India, where his father expected him to become a monk, just as he was. The fact that Ten was the product of his father's impulsive middle-age marriage to an American college dropout attempting (and failing) to "find herself" on a trip through India (and Europe) didn't seem to matter to his father's plans. Nor did his father understand what role Ten's mother's wanderlust, or her influence, might have had in his makeup.

Not to mention, eight-year-old boys are lousy at obeying mindless rules, never mind teenagers. Ten just wasn't cut out to be a monk. He wanted to be a detective, even if he had no real clue what that meant. But he tried to please his father.

An intervention from a lama when Ten turned 18 sent him to the Buddhist Cultural Center in Los Angeles on an exchange program. From there, his journey took him to a GED program, US Citizenship, and eventually, the LAPD.

But several years after making detective in the police department, Ten is no longer satisfied. He still enjoys police work, what he hates is paperwork, meetings and rules. Most of the same things he disliked in the monastery.

As The First Rule of Ten opens, Ten is wounded while trying to intervene in a domestic disturbance. For Ten, it is the last in a series of signs that tell him it is time to resign from the LAPD and become a private investigator. So he turns in his paperwork and does just that. Ten tells his partner Bill that the incident was a case of his "cosmic alarm clock" telling him it was time for his "job karma" to change. While this wouldn't work for most people, Bill's "job karma" is part of the reason that Ten is making the switch. Bill and his wife have recently had twins, and Bill wants to move into an administrative job and off the street. Their partnership is breaking up whether Ten leaves or not.

As a private investigator, Ten's first case arrives before he has even hung out his "shingle". A woman comes to his door, looking for the previous owner of his house. She's not looking to hire him, she just wants Zimmy's whereabouts, because she's Zimmy's first ex-wife. But Zimmy used to be a big rock-and-roller before he got clean and sober and left LA, and Ten doesn't provide a forwarding address. He can tell the woman is hiding something, maybe a lot of somethings. But when she turns up dead the next morning -- and not just dead, but tortured before she died -- Ten feels like he owes her for not listening to what was wrong. He didn't want to get involved, and now he's involved. He has a case, even if no one is paying.

Ten believes that if he investigates, someone will eventually pay. And someone does, in more ways than one.

And if you're wondering what the The First Rule of Ten actually is, it's "Don't ignore intuitive tickles, lest they reappear as sledgehammers." Words to live by. Or die by.

Escape Rating A-: I started this one night, and re-surfaced over 100 pages into it. I was amazed at how fast I got sucked into Ten's world and his point of view. He's a fascinating character to follow. He retains just enough of his "outsider" perspective to make his perspective and internal voice different from the run-of-the-mill private eye. His choices work for him, but they wouldn't for another detective. His screw-ups are definitely his own, too.

There's a teaser for The Second Rule of Ten in the back of the book. I don't want just a teaser. I want the whole book!(less)

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Jan 25, 2012 Lyn M (readinghearts) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: marilyn, Wendy C, Jackie, Naomi

Recommended to Lyn M (readinghearts) by: Netgalley

Shelves: 2012, arc, borrowed, mystery, new-to-me-authors, read-for-review, series, suspense, netgalley

Tenzing Norbu, or Ten, is a dectective for the LAPD. Although he is commonly believed to be the rising star of the squad, Ten is tired of the LAPD. Then he is grazed by a bullet while answering a call. As he says, that is a wake up call. Ten quits and decided to become a PI and go out on his own. He quickly finds out that going it alone is no safer than being a detective for the LAPD. What follows is a classic mystery in the vein of those by such as Earl Stanley Gardner, Sue Grafton, or Micheal...more

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Dec 29, 2011 Viviane Crystal rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

We meet Tenzing Norbu on a very bad day! He has been grazed by a bullet and he knows if he keeps it up, he'll be dead and definitely off the road to enlightenment that he has been following for years since he was a Tibetan monk. His life is turned even more upside down when a woman shows up in front of his home. She's a former druggie and cult follower now looking for an old friend, Zimmy. Ten, as he's called, puts her off and she sadly leaves, followed the next day by a messenger who announces...more

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May 12, 2013 Denise rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery

I love detective novels, and I’m always willing to read new stuff being published even if I don’t know the author. I have been pleasantly surprised by this first delivery of detective Tenzing Norbu’s mystery adventure. Ten, who is by all means a very likeable young man, is an ex Tibetan monk turned into LAPD cop/detective, who decides to leave the force and turn into a private investigator. His first client is a dead woman. So as you can imagine things get pretty interesting right from the start...more

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Jan 02, 2012 Sarah (Workaday Reads) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley, read-in-2011

There is a pervasive feeling of peace and serenity to this book that only takes a few pages to become apparent. This feeling continues thorugh the entire book, even when the active is thick and heavy. This was such a treat the fits so well with the main character.

And what an interesting main character. An ex-monk, ex-cop private investigator? What a curious background. Ten is very likable and approachable. His first rule is a good rule to live by, and one that he instantly knows when he breaks.

S...more

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May 11, 2012 Laurie Hanan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

After ten years as a cop, Tenzing Norbu has turned in his badge and set himself up as a private investigator. Next thing you know, a case falls in his lap—or shows up at his front door. Sounds pretty typical, doesn’t it?
But Ten is anything but your typical P.I. He was raised in a Tibetan monastery, where he learned the art of mindfulness, awareness, of being in the moment. He has a keenly developed skill of observation that made him a good cop. This skill will become vitally important as he in...more

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Mar 22, 2013 Rebecca Lewis rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley, new-author, reviewed-books

Tenzing “Ten” Norbu is a newly appointed private investigator. What sets this character apart from any other contenders in the detective fiction market is his adherence to the Buddhist practice of 'checking in' with his visceral and emotional states in each situation that requires a considered response from him. The situations he gets into is quite funny. This is a good mystery read once you learn his character. Can't wait till the next one.

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Mystery

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About Gay Hendricks

Dr. Gay Hendricks has served for more than 30 years as one of the major contributors to the fields of relationship transformation and body-mind therapies. Along with his wife, Dr. Kathlyn Hendricks, Gay is the author of many bestsellers, including Conscious Loving, At the Speed of Life, and Five Wishes.

Gay received his PhD in counseling psychology from Stanford University in 1974. After a 21-year...more

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Books by Gay Hendricks

The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the Next Level

Five Wishes: How Answering One Simple Question Can Make Your Dreams Come True

The Second Rule Of Ten (A Tenzing Norbu Mystery, #2)

Conscious Living: Finding Joy in the Real World

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“There's no such thing as a minor lapse of awareness. You're either present with what is--right here, right now--or you're someplace else.” — 6 people liked it

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The First Rule of Ten (A Tenzing Norbu Mystery #1)

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