Tenzing Norbu–Ten to all–is Tibetan-American, failed monk, and former LAPD detective who has decided to go private. His first case would have been his last had it not been for his new cell phone and his breaking the heart of a girlfriend.

Ten narrates the story in a light-hearted manner with plenty of homage to Hammett, Chandler, and Parker.

One at a time, the pieces of the puzzle are laid before us with enough detail for a really smart sluth to figure out what it all means by the middle of the book, but I was not that smart. Well, maybe I exaggerated some; many of the characters and events needed more fleshing out before Ten knew for sure what happened. I knew after Ten revealed all.

It’s a good read, though not as hard-bitten as Spade or the others.

Mike Lawrence