The Complete Idiot's Guide to Private Investigating, Third Edition: Discover How the Pros Uncover the Facts and Get to the Truth

This is a very useful book, full of interesting and practical information. I'm a writer and I'm using this book as background (oh, wait, spy talk: "deep background") for a mystery novel. I don't necessarily want to adhere strictly to the facts of what a PI does, but I'd like to know what is legal and what isn't so that I know when I'm just blowing smoke. I found the writing to be very clear, accessible and interesting and it is exactly what it purports to be: a guide to the work and legalities of being a private eye.If you are thinking of a career in private investigation or if, like me, you're a writer and just want to peer innocently into their world, this is a great book. Well worth owning.And now the funny part: I seem to have lost the book somewhere in my house and now need a PI to help me find it--and I'm not kidding.

Book seems to cover all the basics. Good useful information

I very much like this book. It takes you through the ins and outs of being your own private detective. Written by an expert, this book has tons of useful information for both inspired detectives and normal everyday people. This book also puts the reality into everything that you do, and that reality is that it's nothing like on TV. It is a serious business for those who are interested in finding truth, even if that truth is not something you want to hear. I would most definitely recommend this book to others.

While the book is rather dated in respect to tech and internet innovation - it does give a good look into the world of becoming a private detective.

I just retired from 27 years with the FBI and am opening a PI business. The author is a former FBI Agent and I connected immediately. In other words, the material was easy to read, very understandable. He uses multiple examples in the book to illustrate his points. Other books I've read have had relevant information, but none of them have presented their material as clearly as this one. The author gives boo koo amounts of web sites to support your business, as well. After reading this book, I felt I had better understanding of what it takes to be a good PI. If you are considering going into the business of PI work, this is a must for your book shelf!

There are about 90 pages of content stretched out to 338 pages. Some text was verbatim from a previous chapter; some text was filler it seemed to me. Web links are 404 Not Found in several cases. Needs an update. Some useful tips so not a complete waste of time.

I took a four week writer's course from Steven and was delighted with how he presented different scenerios. I ordered this book with the idea of helping me write my amatuer sleuth series. Little did I know that it would also help me in my rental business with tracking down dead beat renters. It also contains info on investigating if someone's divorce is final (a plus for anyone dating today) and other good info.

I was so excited to get this book and it was in great condition. Looking forward to future purchases with this seller.