The First Rule Of Ten
Summary: “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, 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 https://www.hayhouse.com/the-first-rule-of-ten]
Set in the modern-day streets and canyons of Los Angeles, The First Rule of Ten is at turns humorous, insightful, and riveting-a gripping mystery as well as a reflective, character-driven story with intriguing life-lessons for us all.
Group Review/Comments:
7 thumbs up
1 thumb down
There was a lot of praise for this book. After so many months of having unlikable main characters, most everyone was thrilled to be introduced to someone as charismatic as Ten. The east/west background of Ten is highly original the way it’s conceived.
This is a really well writtten book, and we were all surprised that two authors were able to seamlessly create this work together.
The main character was interesting and readers admired the whole different way that Ten perceives the universe, compared to a western police officer/private eye. Ten’s ability to just sit and be still was quite a counterpoint to other police procedurals. Ten also is a character that grows and changes throughout the course of the novel. Other characters have inner lives too–not just props for Ten to act around.
The mystery was well done and the plot tied together nicely. The action was easy to visualize and one reader mentioned it felt very much like a screenwriter was writing.
The love interest was handled well and many appreciated the way it didn’t work out at the end–much more realistic and also showed the flaws in Ten’s character that he struggles with. His heartbreak felt real.
There is a strong sense of place. One reader who grew up in the area said she loved recognizing where Ten was going. Another reader commented how realistic was the way Ten was constantly talking about what routes/highways he was taking to get places–very common in that area of the country and created the sense of really being an insider.
There is humor here too; Ten fits in Western society but there is conflict and confusion too-there is humor, sometimes very understated, in this paradox.
Our one thumbs down comment had to do with the lack of depth in Ten’s backstory. This reader felt the Buddhism was superficial, that Ten showed the trappings of the practice but it was very token. More conflict arising from his spiritual self and struggle would have made the character more real.
