Complete Idiot's Guide to Private Investigating

As a licensed private investigator and college instructor of private investigation courses, I must commend Mr. Steven Kerry Brown for writing a book that is, in my humble opinion, the best book currently in print covering the basic techniques/procedures of the private investigation profession. This book is of great value to both the experienced and novice investigator alike. While there are many great titles available for specific areas of the private investigation profession, there are few good titles that cover the general aspects of private investigation; of those, this one is the best I've had the pleasure of reading. This book also contains detailed explanations of how to effectively employ the aforementioned techniques/procedures, including: tools of the trade, skip-tracing, employing public records, performing background investigations, interviews/interrogations, surveillance, and more. For the price, you should not think twice about adding this title to your investigative library. I would also like to personally thank Mr. Brown for taking the time to send me multiple signed copies of this book. As always, check with your local library or bookstore to see if you can read/review this or any title before deciding to make a purchase. This method has effectively allowed me to make the most of my investigative library budget. I hope you found this review helpful. [...]

In 1992 my ex-husband took our daughterand fled to Georgia. Of course leaving me in Washington state. I got thechild back but since then child support was hit and miss. In August of lastyear the child support stopped all together. I would call my caseworker atsupport enforcement every few months and finally realized that if you wantsomething done, do it yourself. Not knowing where to start I called aprivate agency specializing in collecting child support payments. Theywanted 34% of what is owed to your child. I felt that was robbery, so Ibought The Complete Idiot's Guide to Private Investigating. I was on page98 of the book when I started my hunt. It took me four hours and the onlything I paid for was 2 phone calls at seven cents a minute. Not too bad formy first try. I now have a lien against his property, drivers license,hunting and fishing license, and his income tax return.The amount owed to me was $7,566.62 as the author said in this book "not tooshabby for 4 hours worth of work"THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR WRITING THIS BOOK .

The following book review was released by the L.A. Times-Washington Post Service on November 24, 2002:Title: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Private InvestigatingAuthor: Steven Kerry BrownData: Alpha, 384 pps. [$$$] soft-coverReview by Michael PakenhamBrown, an experienced professional PI with offices in Ponte Vedra Beach and St. Augustine, urges that this book really could guide the reader into a career. But its greatest charm - and I suspect its main utility - is as a truly entertaining, briskly presented, rundown on how the business is conducted. Or at least how it is done by Brown. One of the 24 topical chapters: "Moving Surveillance: How best to perform one-man and two-man moving surveillances, anticipating your subject's next move, communication between units, and dealing with stoplights." The others involve public-records checking, access to ostensibly confidential information, electronic devices and their use, tracing missing or elusive persons. Any armchair gumshoe will find the details entertaining - sometimes debatable, often provocative. L.A. Times-Washington Post Service

Private Investigating by Steven Kerry Brown is a great resource for anyone wanting to be a Private Investigator, hire a private investigator or do their own investigating. The book is peppered with vignettes from Brown's expansive investigative career. What a life! By sharing his personal experiences as an FBI agent and private investigator, he has let the reader into a world few can imagine or experience. He is certainly the one to write this book. From practical information on understanding caller ID and what to do if your home is burglarized to more complicated techniques of interrogation and surveillance, this book has it all. I found the chapters on locating missing persons especially useful. Don't waste time or spend a cent trying to find someone until you exhaust the free search tools outlined in this book. Just the resources he lists are more than worth the price of the book. It's a great read and an essential reference tool.

Old detectives, like old magicians, rarely reveal their best tricks and techniques. I spent twenty-five years as a corporate security director and licensed private investigator and, dispite the fact that I am now retired, I would never have opened the door as wide as Steven Kerry Brown has for the readers of THE COMPLETE'S IDIOT'S GUIDE TO PRIVATE INVESTIGATING.The information detailed in this book, with regards to sources and methods, would require semesters in college classes or years of experience to aquire. College classes are expensive and mistakes made on the street can cause bad things to happen.This book is not only a good primer for people entering the private investigative field, it is a good desk reference for lawyers, insurance adjusters, and corporate security directors who frequently employ the services of a private investigator. Mystery readers will find this book illuminating. Mystery writers need to buy a copy now! Licensed private investigators should keep a copy of this book with dictionary and thesaurus.