Hidden Buddha

Lama Rinzen in the Hungry Ghost Realm is a ghostly mystery tale set in an isolated and possibly haunted old hospital in Colorado (not the mountainous part). It is an unusual mix of atmospheric storytelling with diversions into Buddhist teachings and philosophy which certainly made for a different style of reading. I chose Lama Rinzen in the Hungry Ghost Realm because I am interested in Buddhist ideas so hoped to learn more while also being entertained by a good story. It did take me quite a while to actually get into what was going on as the initial pace is slow and meandering, but from about a third of the way through I felt myself being drawn into Lama Rinzen' odd experiences.

Rinzen is a difficult character to pin down as they have been reborn as a female doctor in this life, but were previously of both genders and have an awareness of this so their internal musings didn't always seem to fit with their current incarnation. I wondered if perhaps this would have been easier for me to reconcile had I already read the first book in this series. Lama Rinzen in the Hungry Ghost Realm is ostensibly a standalone story, but there are repeated references to Lama Rinzen's Hell Realm incarnation.

While I loved the premise of Lama Rinzen in the Hungry Ghost Realm and felt the Buddhist insights gave a unique depth to this novel, I'm not sure that the overall package really worked for me. I was left with too many unanswered questions that were specific to this Humbolt's Hospital storyline so I don't think they would be resolved in the next book in the series.