Book Review: The Third Rule of Ten by Gay Hendricks & Tinker Lindsay

Synopsis:


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 in fact a criminal who has slipped through Ten’s fingers once before.
The Third Rule of Ten will have you on the edge of your seat, as you 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 his archenemy or lose himself.

NOTE: I received this title via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I'm not sure what I was hoping for with this novel, but I certainly got some thrill out of it. It was like watching CSI or Monk or Bones, but with a notch up on the action factor. I was very pleased that Ten didn't fail to deliver.
I can't say there was much mystery to it, but this wasn't the kind of book to expect it from anyway.

Writing style:
Quite good. Enticing with thrill and action.

Story line:
The Third Rule of Ten was the typical thriller/action/PI novel. There was a situation, a missing person case, that lead to death threats, some confrontation with drug lords & the FBI. It was really a journey that I usually only watch on TV shows, so it was nice to actually read it for a change.

Themes:
- Finding yourself can take awhile
- the PI's job can sometime be quite dangerous

Characters:
- Tenzing Norbu (Ten), a buddhist priest turned police officer turned PI has put himself in a situation he doesn't even know about. Right smack in the middle of organized crime of all possible kinds. Of course, with death threats and such he had little to no time to deal with his romantic and personal issues. After all, staying alive was turning to be a priority.
He was a fun character. Not quite quick of wit, but he wasn't stupid either. He liked to count on himself, and only rarely use his contacts.

- Heather was Ten's girlfriend. I'm not sure how she and Ten came to be together, but there was something missing from their relationship. Like love, maybe?

- Bill was Ten's ex-partner in the PD. Even though he tried to pretend he didn't care about Ten's affairs, he still helped the PI however he could. A fine man.

- The bad guy, a.k.a. drug lord, had two sides, which made him look realistic. On one side he was the ruthless killer who didn't care about anyone's life. On the other, he was a loving husband and father.

In conclusion:
If you're looking for a nice crime thriller, this should definitely be something to consider.

My rating is: