In the fictional world of television and novels, clients (usually beautiful blondes) seek out a private investigator (trench coat and fedora included) to help them find something that doesn’t fall within the bounds of the police’s jurisdiction. They may have already tried working with the police or may be afraid of them, but they turn to private investigators because of the specialized skills they have.

My typical client is not a beautiful blonde; however, I do occasionally wear a fedora. The reasons that clients hire investigators are about the same in fiction and fact. While I operate on the periphery of law enforcement, my job is not to enforce laws anymore (I was a federal agent and did enforce the law). There is a subtle but significant difference.

Read More