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Masters at Work
Becoming a Private Investigator
A fascinating guide to a career as a private investigator written by award-winning journalist Howie Kahn and based on the real-life experiences of an expert in the field—essential reading for someone considering a path to this profession.
Becoming a Private Investigator puts a seemingly out-of-reach profession within the your grasp. Weaving practical how-to advice with inspiring case studies, Kahn provides actionable steps anyone can take to pursue a career as a P.I. as he shadows two experienced American P.I.s, Sheila Wysocki and Mark Gillespie, both of whom are investigating a series of deaths about which many questions remain. What skills must they master to find out the truth? What risks must they take to succeed? In a narrative full of shocking details, Becoming a Private Investigator sheds light on the professionals who fight for justice and change the lives of others forever.
Becoming a Private Investigator puts a seemingly out-of-reach profession within the your grasp. Weaving practical how-to advice with inspiring case studies, Kahn provides actionable steps anyone can take to pursue a career as a P.I. as he shadows two experienced American P.I.s, Sheila Wysocki and Mark Gillespie, both of whom are investigating a series of deaths about which many questions remain. What skills must they master to find out the truth? What risks must they take to succeed? In a narrative full of shocking details, Becoming a Private Investigator sheds light on the professionals who fight for justice and change the lives of others forever.
144 pages, Hardcover
First published May 7, 2019
3 people are currently reading
90 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
March 27, 2020
Surprisingly uninformative. I did find out that PIs are licensed by state, with requirements generally being no prior convictions, no addictions, and perhaps a test. Many are former cops, but former cops often fail as PIs because they aren't good at monetizing. Also, PIs tend to be in their 50s-60s (that really surprised me), though as the world gets more computer-based average age is starting to drop. To be a good PI, you need to be thorough (think through and investigate all possibilities), willing to make a nuisance of yourself (police departments don't like their mistakes being exposed), take the long view (it can take years for information to surface, and even cultivating an informant is a slow process), have a thick skin (you will make enemies) and strong stomach (for murders/assault) and be very, very persistent.
The interviews with PIs were interesting, to be sure, largely because they concerned gruesome murder cases. The ones about the town where "the Preacher" and "the Rancher" controlled the entire town, ran a drug cartel, and even had informants in and protection from the FBI was very scary. It sounds like a dystopian novel, not something that one would expect could happen in the US in the 21st century. It's disconcerting that "justice" is so fragile.
I was disappointed that there was no description of the less sensational cases that PIs take, or the methods used there. The book mentioned that the bread and butter of many PIs is trailing cheating spouses. I would have been interested in the proportions of PIs hired for cheating spouses vs murder cases (do statistics like that even exist?). How many hours do they typically spend in parked cars, waiting for people to arrive and leave? What special precautions do they have to take (car windows fog up? What if it's winter?) How do they deal with boredom/bathroom breaks? It mentions one PI observing a martial arts gym and taking Tai Chi there to observe the community there - is that common or is that a one-off? Typically how many hours does it take to catch a cheating spouse? What kind of equipment do they typically use (do you have to be good at cameras with telephoto lenses)? It did mention special databases of personal information that only PIs can access, and the dark web.
Anyways, I didn't feel like I learned much more from this book than I learned watching a couple partial episodes of NCIS while on the elliptical at the gym.
The interviews with PIs were interesting, to be sure, largely because they concerned gruesome murder cases. The ones about the town where "the Preacher" and "the Rancher" controlled the entire town, ran a drug cartel, and even had informants in and protection from the FBI was very scary. It sounds like a dystopian novel, not something that one would expect could happen in the US in the 21st century. It's disconcerting that "justice" is so fragile.
I was disappointed that there was no description of the less sensational cases that PIs take, or the methods used there. The book mentioned that the bread and butter of many PIs is trailing cheating spouses. I would have been interested in the proportions of PIs hired for cheating spouses vs murder cases (do statistics like that even exist?). How many hours do they typically spend in parked cars, waiting for people to arrive and leave? What special precautions do they have to take (car windows fog up? What if it's winter?) How do they deal with boredom/bathroom breaks? It mentions one PI observing a martial arts gym and taking Tai Chi there to observe the community there - is that common or is that a one-off? Typically how many hours does it take to catch a cheating spouse? What kind of equipment do they typically use (do you have to be good at cameras with telephoto lenses)? It did mention special databases of personal information that only PIs can access, and the dark web.
Anyways, I didn't feel like I learned much more from this book than I learned watching a couple partial episodes of NCIS while on the elliptical at the gym.
December 9, 2020
Talks about a few private investigators, how they got into that business, and what types of clients they have. Overall, a good, interesting read.
November 7, 2022
As others have mentioned, the title is somewhat deceiving. However, there is a lot of practical information and advice inside if you pay attention. I took a lot of notes on possible other resources.
I also found the case material fascinating, so it was far from a waste of time for me.
I also found the case material fascinating, so it was far from a waste of time for me.
March 26, 2024
A short read mainly about PI Sheila Wysocki and Mark Gillespie and some of their cases. I'm not sure how useful this book would be if you are trying to decide to pursue a career as a private investigator, which is what the book is purported to provide. You do get a sense of the doggedness required for the job, the possibility of long, drawn-out cases, and even the possibility that once facts are found, the authorities may not pursue the perpetrator. There are quite a few instances mentioned of authorities being negligent or even harassing the PI for denouncing them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2025
I read the reviews. I can't say I wasn't warned. I knew going in that this book wasn't about how to become a private investigator, it was about how people became private investigators. And by people, I mean two. And that part was kind of interesting.
Then it delved into their cases, but not quite delved in like it was going to be a deep dive, because the author couldn't decide whether he was going to narrate the story, or be a part of the story as it would go back to a convention that one of the detectives was speaking at and that the author was attending. Then it would zip into another case and go back to the first so that everything got mixed up in my head.
During the first part, I thought I was really going to like it, but, while interesting, it would have benefitted going less deep into the cases and including more private detectives and learning how they got into the business.
Then it delved into their cases, but not quite delved in like it was going to be a deep dive, because the author couldn't decide whether he was going to narrate the story, or be a part of the story as it would go back to a convention that one of the detectives was speaking at and that the author was attending. Then it would zip into another case and go back to the first so that everything got mixed up in my head.
During the first part, I thought I was really going to like it, but, while interesting, it would have benefitted going less deep into the cases and including more private detectives and learning how they got into the business.
April 19, 2019
Quick read, well-written, and while it's not a book I'd normally pick up, once I did, I couldn't put it down. Interesting!
December 29, 2021
This was an unbelievable waste of time. I saw the title on my phone after I’d returned from the library. I’d been so excited about reading this for research and background for my main character in my WIP Cursing the Darkness that I’d immediately gone back to the library and checked this out. Turns out, it’s not at all about how to become a detective. It’s about the open and unsolved cases of one PI, Sheila Wysocki, and the swagger of another. That’s it. No how-to. No step-by-step. There are some stats about how to take the test in Texas and Tennessee, and how many PI offices close after three years, and other very irrelevant stuff. But the title is misleading. This is not about how to become a private investigator. It’s about how a big case remains open for each of the two PIs interviewed in it, and that’s it. No driving along with them. No shadowing. No week or month spent with them and their jobs. It’s just straight-up advertising for Wysocki, and how many podcasts she has, and how wrong the cops are all the time, but…there’s nothing here.
And Wysocki had better be right about who she thinks killed the man in her most talked about case, because this book slanders the possible killer, mentioning her and her family members by name, and there’s a real lawsuit here if she’s wrong. And, yeah, the book mentions that these two big cases have been going on for years, and that both PIs are going broke and their personal lives are a mess, and that their clients are also pissed at them, and…
This book has no direction. No order. It doesn’t even try to live up to its title. There’s no proof to any of the arguments Wysocki makes, and though there may be a point or two to make, they’re not made. I just looked up the case to see if it’s been solved since the book’s publication a few years ago, and it hasn’t. The alleged killer is married and has two children and she seems to have moved on, as have the police.
In the other bloated section of the book, also not about becoming a private investigator, we read about Mark Gillespie, who took on a Texas case involving an 85 year old victim who may have been killed by the rancher, decades younger, she was having a relationship with. She was about to turn him in for helping the local sheriff and a priest with their drug trafficking and killing. The whole Texas town was against this PI, and he says that the town is so remote that the priest and the sheriff essentially hold the town hostage against itself. This case has also gone on for years, has ruined the PIs business and personal life, and is also very much not about how to become a private investigator. This case, too, remains unsolved.
So, if you’re looking for a book about how to become a private investigator, do not read this book. If you’re looking to be distracted by two interesting cases that have detailed information, witnesses, crime scenes, evidence and something that closely resembles a solution, don’t read this book.
In fact, do not read this book. At all. For any reason. I rated it one star because I couldn’t rate it less.
And Wysocki had better be right about who she thinks killed the man in her most talked about case, because this book slanders the possible killer, mentioning her and her family members by name, and there’s a real lawsuit here if she’s wrong. And, yeah, the book mentions that these two big cases have been going on for years, and that both PIs are going broke and their personal lives are a mess, and that their clients are also pissed at them, and…
This book has no direction. No order. It doesn’t even try to live up to its title. There’s no proof to any of the arguments Wysocki makes, and though there may be a point or two to make, they’re not made. I just looked up the case to see if it’s been solved since the book’s publication a few years ago, and it hasn’t. The alleged killer is married and has two children and she seems to have moved on, as have the police.
In the other bloated section of the book, also not about becoming a private investigator, we read about Mark Gillespie, who took on a Texas case involving an 85 year old victim who may have been killed by the rancher, decades younger, she was having a relationship with. She was about to turn him in for helping the local sheriff and a priest with their drug trafficking and killing. The whole Texas town was against this PI, and he says that the town is so remote that the priest and the sheriff essentially hold the town hostage against itself. This case has also gone on for years, has ruined the PIs business and personal life, and is also very much not about how to become a private investigator. This case, too, remains unsolved.
So, if you’re looking for a book about how to become a private investigator, do not read this book. If you’re looking to be distracted by two interesting cases that have detailed information, witnesses, crime scenes, evidence and something that closely resembles a solution, don’t read this book.
In fact, do not read this book. At all. For any reason. I rated it one star because I couldn’t rate it less.
September 2, 2020
I’m doing research for a project and I stumbled across this book in the course of my research. It’s a fast read at just 113 pages, but the brevity also has its downsides. I don’t really believe the claim that you’re learning from the masters – yes, the two main investigators are masters, but I can’t learn a whole lot in a short number of pages. The cases discussed were interesting (even if most of them don’t have conclusions), but I wanted more. I will say as someone who’s new to podcasts (thanks COVID), I will be checking out some of the ones mentioned in this book.
A quick, not-too-in-depth read. Another resource if this is your area of interest.
A quick, not-too-in-depth read. Another resource if this is your area of interest.
June 26, 2022
Becoming a Private Investigator is part of the Masters at Work series--books intended to dive into different careers to allow older teens and young adults to get a clear look at the profession. This is one of the series that I will *not* be sharing with my children, due to the "adult" matters (sex, violence, death) that private investigators often deal with, which are discussed with some frankness in the book.
July 7, 2019
Random find while browsing the library shelves. This is why the library is better than just the internet!
My take away impressions: hard work, be okay with confrontation and being nosy (both of which let me out right away), and investing a lot of time and effort and possibly still not coming to any satisfactory resolution.
Still cool, though.
My take away impressions: hard work, be okay with confrontation and being nosy (both of which let me out right away), and investing a lot of time and effort and possibly still not coming to any satisfactory resolution.
Still cool, though.
August 4, 2019
Very interesting stories about recent past and ongoing private investigations in the U.S. and how the private investigators in those cases chose and pursue their profession. The author discusses the history of the profession, plus the concerns and sometimes usual backgrounds of those who enter the field. The book could have used a bit more editing, but all-in-all, a fascinating read!
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May 15, 2025Research
If you're looking for a book about becoming a PI, this really isn't it. It's more a book about a couple of PIs, how they became PIs, and some of the cases they have worked. I read a book in this series on being a crime scene investigator, and it was similar. SO these are interesting stories, but it's more like...anecdotes. Fun anecdotes, but anecdotes nonetheless.
If you're looking for a book about becoming a PI, this really isn't it. It's more a book about a couple of PIs, how they became PIs, and some of the cases they have worked. I read a book in this series on being a crime scene investigator, and it was similar. SO these are interesting stories, but it's more like...anecdotes. Fun anecdotes, but anecdotes nonetheless.
June 2, 2020
This was a brief, but enjoyable peek into the vocation of private investigation. It really drew you into the featured PIs' cases, and gave a snapshot of the varied personalities within the industry. It also helped me confirm I should attend the next CrimeCon. A fun evening's read.
March 19, 2024
This book does not tell you how to become a private investigator. It's just three anecdotes the author picked up at a crime convention, none of which have an ending. And it's incredibly disorganized. All around just a terribly written book. Ridiculous.
June 16, 2019
Kahn writes very unbiasedly. You have to step back and remember this is *not* a novel, it really is a non-fiction how-to book. Otherwise you'll find it boring.
July 23, 2019
Quick interesting read about a handful of folks who becaome P.I.'s and their cases. Did learn there is a CrimeCon for true crime shows etc annually.
July 27, 2019
Super fast page turner. Read it straight through in 3 hours at the pool. Only wish it was longer... maybe a volume 2?
December 25, 2021
I picked this book up because I liked its cover and found it to be embarrassingly good. It reads a bit like Sherlock Holmes but even better because everything in there is real. Really a cool read.
October 8, 2022
pretty good
a dream job of mine.
btw it is not a how to but stories from a dew PI's.
the book is so short but somehow took months to read.
a dream job of mine.
btw it is not a how to but stories from a dew PI's.
the book is so short but somehow took months to read.
February 21, 2025
2.5 - Enjoyable anecdotal book, but the title and synopsis are misleading.
August 9, 2024
Wait this was actually so good I wish it was longer
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews