Friday, December 2, 2016

Could You Succeed as a Private Detective?

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: There’s no question that writing a wonderful novel requires a lot of sitting down at your desk and just writing the darn thing. But there’s a lot more, especially when an author is devoted to the story.

I’m so enchanted by Susan Breen’s novel. I wouldn’t have predicted that I’d be drawn to something so…sweetly thoughtfully sensitive.  But Maggie Dove is a treasure.  And I am so delighted to hear the bravery and risk-taking that went into it!
And the self-awareness.

Today, Susan Breen shares her adventures! Could you be the main character in your own book? Susan decided to find out first hand. And see below for a wonderful giveaway!

AN AUTHOR’S EDUCATION

               By Susan Breen

When I finished writing my first mystery, Maggie Dove, I discovered, to my surprise, that I had ended the book with Maggie opening a detective agency. This seemed like a fabulous idea until I started writing the second book and realized I had no idea what being a private detective entailed, beyond having watched a significant number of Thin Man movies some time ago. It was a conundrum, especially because the book deadline was in six months.

I did the obvious thing. I googled private detective and came up with a lot of useful information, but what I really wanted to know was what it would be like for a normal person (using the word normal in the broadest sense of the word) to open a detective agency. So, I decided to become a detective myself, which it turns out you can do on line.

Every month or so, a brown-wrapped package shows up in my mailbox with readings on such topics as “Becoming a Process Server, “Conducting Marital Investigations,” and my favorite: “What are Gut Feelings?” Every session ends with a test. (I’m happy to report I’ve aced each test!) 

Best of all, each session includes a number of detective exercises. These included such things as how to go through your neighbor’s trash (which I refrained from doing) and how to conduct surveillance, which I did. Along the way, I’ve learned a number of intriguing things, about myself and about detectives.
1    
       
 First, and to my surprise, I discovered I am fabulous at surveillance. I spent an afternoon following various people around Times Square (because I work near there) and I can affirm that nobody noticed a thing. This is the great advantage of being a short middle-aged woman. Quite honestly, I think I could hurl myself at someone and they wouldn’t notice. 

           Less surprising, I discovered I am terrible at car surveillance. Somehow, turning on an ignition makes things more serious. The exercise was to follow someone in a car and take pictures, “when convenient.” I can tell you that it is never convenient to drive and take pictures. By the time I entered the password to turn on my phone, the “suspect” was long gone. However, I did put that experience to good use in Maggie Dove’s Detective Agency.

3        Maybe the most surprising thing I’ve learned is how much information is public. You would not believe what you can learn about yourself, or your relatives, or your boss. Just starting with the stuff that’s easy to find, and free, there are real estate records, title records, criminal records, divorce records. Things that you would cringe to have other people know are right there, and I’m leaving out the special PI data banks, that you have to pay for but give you access to even more.

4        Finally, I was surprised to discover how many opportunities there are for women in this field. I thought there would be a lot more physical intimidation involved (which is not an area in which I excel.) But most of being a private detective is about gathering information—interviewing people, phoning them, following them. In fact, the primary requirements seem to be intelligence, patience and creativity.

Perhaps my main take-away from all of this is how much I enjoy being a private detective. Should things go south with Maggie Dove, you may find me stalking you. But you won’t notice. So don’t worry.

Have you ever had to learn something weird in order to be able to do your job?

HANK:  Yes. Every day. And happily so.  How about you, Reds? And leave a comment to be entered for a copy of  MAGGIE DOVE'S DETECTIVE AGENCY! But Susan, I have to say, your personal story is hilarious. An on-line detective? Who'd have thought?

But Reds and readers, what’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever tried?  (Debs, peanut butter and mayonnaise doesn’t count…)




Susan Breen is the author of the Maggie Dove mystery series, published by the Alibi digital imprint of Penguin Random House. Her short stories have been published by a number of magazines, among them Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, American Literary Review and Best American Non-Required Reading. An upcoming Maggie Dove mystery story will be published by Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine. Susan teaches creative writing at Gotham Writers in Manhattan. She lives in a small village in the Hudson Valley with her husband, two dogs (cockapoos) and a cat. Her three grown children are flourishing elsewhere.

41 comments:

  1. As much as I enjoy mystery stories, I must confess that I never considered becoming a detective. I laughed out loud at your story if trying to drive and take a picture; I am so bad at directions, I’d probably be hopelessly lost the first time I tried any sort of surveillance! 
    And now I'm anxious to meet Maggie Dove . . . I’m looking forward to reading your books.

    I’m must confess that I am not terribly adventurous so weird things and I don’t often meet up with each other. Perhaps one of the strangest things I ever did was to spend a summer sorting blueberries as they tumbled along a conveyor belt. [Think “I Love Lucy” and the chocolates zipping along the conveyor belt.] Now I guarantee that grabbing the odd branch or bunch of blueberry bush leaves that come along is not terribly difficult, but managing to seize that one lone green berry in sea of tumbling blue can sometimes be quite problematic.

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  2. I was a patrol officer for awhile and thought about becoming a detective. I decided to become a psychologist instead. While studying psychology I was recruited to divinity school and became confused. That works for me as a writer but not so well as a minister, so I developed a triple specialty of counseling and advising medical and divinity students with a sub-specialty of medical students who wanted help getting into divinity school and div students who wanted to be med students. Really. Amazing how many there are.

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  3. Thank you, Joan. I think anything involving a conveyor built is inherently adventurous!
    And thank you, Reine. What a fascinating job.

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  4. Thank you, Joan. I think anything involving a conveyor built is inherently adventurous!
    And thank you, Reine. What a fascinating job.

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  5. That's dedication, Susan - and I guess it's true, you can find anything on the internet! What a funny instruction, to take pictures "when convenient" - as you say, how about never? You;d have to have a permanently mounted dash cam that you could just switch on.

    I spent a weekend in 1877 for my historical series, right down to the chamberpot. Not really a profession, but it was actually a lot of fun, and boy, did I learn details about family life in Maine. We all, staff and guests alike, stayed in character.

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  6. Susan: Kudos to you! That is taking research for a book to greater heights.

    As much as I love reading many PI stories, I do not think I have the ability or patience to train and become one myself!

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  7. Oh my goodness, I have spent so many hours on stakeouts! It can be excruciating… and always always something happens to the camera just at the chaotic moment on the subject appears. It is hours of boredom followed by minutes of panic.
    And it is incredibly difficult to follow song without having them know it. I'm running out, but in a little while I'll tell you a great story about trying to get some surreptitious photos.
    Susan, did you have to send in homework or assignments?

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  8. Thank you all! Yes, Hank, I have to do a lot of homework. They want lots of details, and they want to know how I feel as I'm sleuthing. I have a feeling people are laughing over my reports because I get very nice notes back. There are also scenarios to test your deduction skills. There are pictures and you have to interpret the clues. It's like doing a puzzle.

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  9. Susan, what a lovely post! I cracked up about you hurling yourself at someone and no one would notice:). I suffer from the same issues...

    The most interesting to me is the chapter on gut feelings. Crucial for a psychologist (right Reine?), and really, people in general should pay attention to gut feelings. What's the motto these days? "If you see something, say something." But we are all socialized to be polite and not mention things that seem off. And the people in our books MUST be really good at noticing things, otherwise, they stink at being detectives!

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  10. Thank you, Susan! This is fascinating AND entertaining. That's a great combination and makes me look forward to getting to know your work.

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  11. Susan, I love this! Yes, being an older woman is like wearing an invisibility cloak... which has its up-side and down. And how smart of you to try to actually DO what you were writing about. Because, as they say, you can't make this stuff up.

    I was once writing about killing someone in an MRI lab and I talked a local lab into letting me hang out for a day and they even let me slide into the machine. Learned a ton about safety procedures and the power of those magnets, not to mention that liquid gas they have to use to keep it cool. Dangers I never would have imagined.

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  12. What fun, Susan! I've often thought being a middle-aged woman would be a distinct advantage in surveillance. It's sad, in a way, but could be useful to have the ability to fade into the crowd.

    My life goal as a kid was to become a detective, so my major when I started college in 1969, was Police Science. Surveillance class was in the second year, when I only audited one (different) class, but I learned Fingerprinting, Investigative Chemistry, Anatomy, Speech, Firearms, and Judo/Self-Defense, among other things. My class ranking was 2, out of a group of mostly men (#1 was the only other woman, my best friend Kathy). A lot of the men were there through the GI Bill, and had military experience.

    The closest I've come to that experience since was the Citizen's Police Academy. So many cool, interactive activities in the program I attended. If you ever get the chance to participate in one, I highly recommend it. Have you done this, Susan?

    Maggie Dove sounds like my kind of gal.

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  13. I love that you took the course, Susan! Very interesting!

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  14. Peanut butter, mayo and bananas...from my childhood. I am long past middle age and have white hair, I bet I am even more invisible than you Susan.

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  15. I think I talked to a detective once and was told something like "you earn 90% of your pay in 10% of the job." Something like that.

    I am surprised to admit that I've never done anything weird - for writing or my day job. Unless you count a CPA and a ride-along as weird.

    I don't think I could be a detective who does physical "out in the real world" surveillance. But I could probably pick up the skills for computer work.

    And yes, there is a staggering amount of information out there for free. It's rather frightening.

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  16. Now, next time I'm in NYC I'll be looking over my shoulder for you! This is wonderful.... you are an actual PI. Who knew! And no wonder Maggie's Detective Agency is such a lovely follow up to your first book. I am a bit impressed by your six month turn around on book two. Way to go! And I can't wait for the next one.

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  17. Ah, nice to see Susan here on JRW today. I've been wanting to read this series since Dru Ann mentioned the books to me in passing - or maybe on her blog - can't remember. I'm picky with the cozies I read these days, but something about this one caught my eye/ear.

    Being a private eye or detective is likely one of those things that seems interesting at the start and then quickly becomes deathly boring. Like Susan, I would probably be better at some aspects and hate others.

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  18. This is fantastic! I am so looking forward to picking up your books, Susan. I used to be a librarian so I am all about the research. I still dig into online databases just for kicks. My favorite at the moment is: mugshots.com Weirdest thing I had to learn/fake it 'til you make it on the job was when I did a stint as a children's librarian and had to wear the giant dragon costume - aka Bookbreath - and dance around community events in Phoenix in 90 degree heat. Good times!

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  19. Thank you so much to everyone for your warm words. When I showed my kids my detective ID card, they looked at me like I had finally gone off the deep end. But I can see I'm in the right crowd here!

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  20. It sounds interesting for you to have actually tried being a private detective. It certainly comes in handy for your books. I don't think it's ever convenient to take photos from the car when driving! I have enough trouble trying to get photos when I'm in the passenger seat.

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  21. With so much information out there(and I use some of it regularly for my job-- my favorite part of the job, probably because I love mysteries) I don't understand why some people still receive phone calls that the caller has called by mistake. On many occasions I've received calls at home that are clearly meant for someone else, but the caller will call me a liar, rather than admit that he or she called the wrong number or was given the wrong number! (This is why I now screen all calls.) On one occasion I asked the caller to spell the person's last name so I could look it up in the phone directory. I was called "uncooperative"! (I later googled the person he was looking for, and found a number for her.)

    I love doing research and have daydreamed about doing the research part of investigative work, while someone else does the dangerous fieldwork!! (Although a short, slightly stooped over sixty-something woman could probably blend into a crowd.) I might almost look into an on line private investigator course, just for fun!

    Deb Romano

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  22. Susan, that's real dedication to research! Since I hit middle age myself, I've come to agree that being a suitably dressed middle-aged white woman is as close to invisible as one can come.

    I'm waiting for a series about a sixty-year-old hit woman!

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  23. Susan, this sounds like a wonderful adventure. Thanks for sharing it with us.

    Umm, Hallie, let me get this straight. You talked an MRI lab into letting you spend time with them to learn how to kill someone in an MRI lab and then put it in a book??

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  24. That last comment was me, Susan D. Blogger somehow lost my id. I don't do anonymous.

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  25. Talk about invisible… I was at a friends house the other day, and her son had his girlfriend there. She is a PhD in English candidate at Harvard. As far she was concerned, I was absolutely not there. Completely irrelevant and invisible. I asked her what she wanted to do with her degree, and she said write books, fiction.
    So I said that's great.That is a tough road. She acted like I was boring her to tears. And clearly have no idea what I was talking about.
    Then someone else in the room told her "Hanks ninth novel has just come out"
    There was a hint of interest. What publisher, she asked.
    I smiled, and told her Forge.
    This had her contemplating briefly, as if I was almost a person.
    What kind of books are they she asked.
    Thrillers I said.
    She Paused, and smiled, and said "that's badass. "

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  26. Susan, what a great story! And your books sound delightful.

    Probably the weirdest thing I've ever done--at least for a book!--was rowing. I got this crazy idea that I wanted to write about Olympic level sculling. A friend got me an invitation to stay at Leander Club in Henley-on-Thames. Leander is probably the most famous and prestigious rowing club in the world, and is also where team GB trains. I should add that I am THE most unathletic person imaginable and had never in my life been anywhere near a rowing scull. So when I was introduced to an Olympic gold medalist (4 times!), Stevie Williams (who is absolutely lovely), and he asked me if I wanted to go out on the river to see what it would really be like for my character, I said, "Well, sure!"

    It was amazing and terrifying and enormously fun. I've never forgotten it. And I've never done it again, either!

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  27. Hank, that's hilarious!! I hope she gets published...in about thirty years...

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  28. I think Olympic level anything is impressive, Deborah. What a wonderful story, Hank! I have someone with a Ph.D. in philosophy in my Gotham class, and it's not an easy transition. He has so much to say. But not all of it is in story form.

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  29. I relate! In preparation for writing my Nicki Valentine mystery series, I became a registered private investigator in Virginia. I was also fascinated by the career and worked briefly as a P.I. before becoming a mom. Then, instead of investigating as a job, I wrote about a stay-at-home mom turned P.I. The skills I learned still come in handy! I look forward to checking out your series!

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  30. Julia, while she is not a hit woman, you might enjoy meeting Brigid Quinn (from Becky Masterman's series), if you have not already. She is close to 60 and kicks some series a**.

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  31. Susan, we're kindred spirits! I also wanted to learn the ropes for my private investigator character, so I earned a certificate degree in private investigation from the University of Washington. The course lasted a year and was taught by a defense attorney, a criminal investigator, and a private investigator. It was fascinating and great fun, and we learned about the different specialties within the field including domestic (cheating spouses), cyber and corporate espionage to name a few. I decided not to take the final step of becoming a licensed PI since I knew that wasn't my career preference, but I use what I learned every time I sit down to write my PI, Fina. I always tell readers that Fina breaks some rules, but she does so by choice, not ignorance.

    One of the many things that stayed with me from the course: A former WA state trooper who worked as an accident reconstructionist told us that 50% of the semis in WA have faulty brakes. He urged us to never drive with one right behind in the rearview mirror, and I don't!

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  32. Susan, after writing my response up above I went ahead and bought the first book on my Kindle. I didn't want to wait to get out to the store; it sounded too good to have to wait another hour or so!

    Deb Romano

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  34. What a great post for a Friday! Susan, I think it's great that you became a private investigator. You are "full of awesome"!

    As far as the weirdest thing I've ever tried, that would have to be the singles adventure trip I took to Canada before I got married. We were in the Calgary/Lake Louise area of Canada. We did a week of hiking, biking, horseback riding - and the unusual part for me was the white water rafting trip. I still find it hard to believe that I stepped that far out of my comfort zone to give that a try. As I recall, there were some category 3, 4 and 5 level rapids that we went over. Whew! The tour company had someone take pictures of us along the path, so I have those to see what I looked like in the raft with the others.

    Hank, that girl working on her PhD really missed an opportunity to really connect and learn from you. Her loss.

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  35. Drive and take a picture at the same time?
    I can't push my granddaughter in her stroller and get the camera in place quickly enough!

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  36. Thank you so much, Deb. I hope you like it. I have to confess I'm becoming addicted to on-line courses. You can learn anything! Right now I'm taking a Tudor history course from Oxford University. That's for something else, but perhaps Maggie Dove will become a tour guide/PI.

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  37. Susan, reading your post about becoming a detective online brought back that little kid thrill of secret code rings and discovering unexpected treasure. I admit that it's something I'd like to try. You have breathed new life into this old gal in searching out some cool adventure. I did an online course on forensics, very basic, but I had one of those life interruptions and didn't get to finish it. I'm thinking a winter project is in order.

    And, Susan, I think I would love your Maggie Dove books. I'm very taken with the silhouette covers, most inviting. I just added book one to my Kindle and look forward to reading it soon.

    The weirdest thing I've ever tried? Oh, gee, I can't think of one outstanding weird thing. I'm a pretty fair oddball, and I think weird is more my mantra than an exception.

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  38. Thank you so much, Kathy. I know all about life interruptions!

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  39. Angela, thank you! You are so right! That is what I kept thinking… It actually kind of haunts me…
    Did I do that when I was that age?

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  40. I know I would be hopeless at following someone and especially at a stake out in a car. When I am nervous I immediately want to pee. I'd have to leave my stake out to find a bathroom.
    But I am observant. I listen in on conversations on trains and in restaurants. I observe human interactions and find myself writing scenes for them.
    Hank I must say I do enjoy watching the face of someone who has been treating me as a harmless older woman until they find out how many books I have written and how many books I have sold!

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  41. Roberta, yes. Gut feelings give direction and allow more clarity in making observations and understanding the possibilities behind what you see or think you see.

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