This is one of the best mysteries I've ever read.

The Third Rule of Ten starts with what ought to be a straightforward missing person case ... and gets more and more convoluted and elaborate as time goes one. Meanwhile Ten (short for Tenzing) -- currently a private investigator, but with a background both in the LAPD and as a Buddhist monk -- deals with his own personal issues while pursuing the case even after his clients ask him to stop.

This is the third book in the series by Gay Hendricks and Tinker Lindsay, but I did not feel lost; enough back-story is included to catch me up (though it does make me eager to read the previous books).

The pacing is excellent, both on the personal and the mystery areas, and they are nicely intertwined. Ten does grow as a person -- sometimes reluctantly (like all of us!), and so do his friends, his co-workers and his girlfriend. This makes it satisfying in a way that many mystery novels are not.

Difficult and complex situations lead to difficult and complex resolutions. I especially loved Ten because he is not always convinced he's right.

The teaser excerpt from No. 4 at the end definitely makes me want to read it! Highly recommended for mystery fans.