Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with detective

Looking for books where a person or people are searching for a long lost person.

reenum — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 08:41:37 -0800

Looking for books where a person or people are searching for a long lost person. I loved Hunting Eichmann and would like to read more books about a person or a group of people banding together to find a long lost person.

I'd prefer nonfiction, but well written fiction will work too.

Thanks!

If you think about it, if someone helps CF Kane get the sled back earlier, a lot of people lead much better lives. So who is that hero?

rileyray3000 — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:53:57 -0800

Say that Citizen Kane really wanted to find Rosebud - who would he call? Is there a kind of specific person who tracks down these personal lost things? So I’m doing research for a project and I’m wondering if there is a specific class of person of searcher, or researcher or private investigator who goes looking for objects that are lost. Kind of like art provenance people but more general if that helps.

If there’s a name or kind that exists and you can tell me, that would help. And if there really is some sort of expert out there you can name that I could then try to reach out to and ask some questions that would help more.

Who was that noir/gothic/steampunk dude?

washburn — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 10:58:40 -0800

Super vague and obscure comicy question: Help me remember this steampunk/gothic/noir graphic-novel type story from the 1980's. So, I'm struggling to remember a comic, which would have appeared either once or perhaps a few times, probably on the pages of Heavy Metal or Epic Magazine (or someplace similar), and which I suppose was printed sometime in the 1980's. According to my very hazy memory, this comic is set in a large city with a sort of Byzantine steampunk vibe (with a gothic/noir feeling too, perhaps, with lots of black, red, and brown in the drawings), and it follows a central character who is a tall, sort of gastly looking person who is some sort of constable, detective, or agent of the law, who sets out to solve a mystery or accomplish a goal of some sort.

Any guesses?

I can has Wimmelbild?

dejah420 — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:27:33 -0800

The Adventures of the Black Hand Gang, are there other books that are similar? We have the collection of all of Herr Press's stories, but we've almost finished them, and my son would love to have more books in the same genre. Basically the way the story works is that the text is on the left side, with a detailed overcrowded picture (Wimmelbild) on the right. A question is posed that can be solved by finding the answer in the picture.

I've not had any luck searching for anything similar, but I'd love to find something similar, and perhaps a little more modern. (For example, one of the clues was a reel-to-reel tape recorder, which is completely outside of the frame of reference for a child born almost 40 years after the story was written.)

Suggestions for books or genre/keywords would be greatly appreciated!

Is the case REALLY afoot?

Ms. Saint — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 10:37:12 -0800

Are there any real-life Sherlock Holmeses, Hercule Poirots, or Adrian Monks? A whole lot of detective stories involve world-famous detectives who work on commission independently of the police force. These are the creme a la creme of private detectives, called in only when the case is too difficult for the police.

I know there are a lot of private detectives, but they all seem to mostly get work tracking down cheating spouses, doing background checks, etc... So I'm wondering if there really are any private detectives who have the reputation that these fictional detectives are said to have and do only the same type of work. Are there any private detectives who make their living solving only the toughest of crimes, the most mysterious of murders, and the most stupefying of heists?

Help me remember this detective comedy film from my childhood!

jspierre — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 07:18:37 -0800

I am trying to find the title of this film I remember scantily from my childhood. I do remember belly-laughing at this film when I was a kid, but can't remember for the life of me more than just a few details. Here's what I know (or think I remember)... I don't know the year, but probably the film I remember is from the very late 70s through perhaps the first couple of years of the 90s. It was a movie about a guy who was enrolling in some sort of "detective school" which was actually a scam being run by what I think was a con artist in a run down building. I think in the end it led to the main character actually solving a crime or mystery of some sort and, of course, figuring out that the detective training he attended was a scam.

I'm not very sure about any of the details except that I remember that it was really funny to me (at the time), oh and I remember a scene toward the beginning where the Lead is first brought into the detective training program and he is offered "hor douvres" of peanut butter on crackers by a very intimidating black woman who then charges him for the one he takes - something like six dollars. Then, she offers him a soft drink for which she demands additional money.

I think the word "Tourist" may have been in the title, but I'm just grabbing at straws there from what my fragmented mind remembers.

Any help anyone could give me on indentifying this childhood favorite would be greatly appreciated!

I knew this dame was trouble...

Happy Dave — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 09:07:55 -0800

Police procedural/gumshoe, sandbox games? I was watching LA Confidential for the Nth time over the weekend, and have recently finished a couple of other Ellroy books. Then, while playing GTA San Andreas, I started to wonder if there were any decent, sandbox, 1950's themed cop/private investigator games out there.

I've got an xBox and a Mac, and will soon be upgrading to an xBox 360, but if there's a good PC game out there that would run on Windows on a Macbook, I'd be willing to go get a license.

So, to summarise -

sandboxy or at least with an explorable setting that's not totally linear.

1950's themed

Ideally console-based

Playing the 'good guys' rather than gang/criminal based, although I'd also be interested in being on the wrong side of the law if it's a game with the flexibility and enjoyment of the GTA series.

Could be FPS, more likely to be 3rd person (or even isometric, if there's a strategy/team management aspect).

Cheers!

Mejore Mi Castellano

andrew cooke — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 11:28:43 -0800

I need to read something in Spanish. I want excellent writing, with involving plots, and it must be in print. Good detective fiction perhaps? I am English, moved to S America 5 or 6 years ago, and speak Spanish fairly well. However, I am now working from home for an English-speaking company and, without day-to-day practice, my Spanish is getting noticeably worse. To compensate I have started to read Spanish fiction (including translations from other languages). My problem is that it is difficult to find books which: (1) I have not already read (so recent is good); (2) are in print; (3) are well written; (4) are involving.

The last of these (involving) is critical - I find it much easier to read in English, so if the book doesn't suck me in I get frustrated and dump it. Because of this, I thought I would try crime fiction which (I thought) has a reputation for blending quality writing with engrossing plots. However, I have had mixed results: Sciascia (One Way or Another) was excellent - subtle, angry, balanced, clear; Mankell (Insp. Wallander; Firewalls) was a disaster (how can the author of a book with such clumsy plotting and heavy-handed editorial voice - "later Wallander would realise he had made a deadly mistake, but for now...." - have a good reputation?)

Maybe I have high standards - favourite authors include De Lillo, Greene, Didion, Auster, Markson, and Chandler (who would be an excellent suggestion if I hadn't already read most).

PS Local Chilean writers are a plus - I have tried Diaz Eterovic, which was OK, but not great (and also Fuguet and Contreras).

System Wide Hotkey reporting tool for Windows?

lasitter — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 00:50:08 -0800

Lots of programs allow you to create system wide hotkeys, or identify hotkeys in shortcuts, but what about a utility that reports what's already taken and what program owns it? I'm already running Hotkey Detective and it doesn't do all of what I want. At a minimum, I'd like some program that can report what keys are already latched and by what application, and ideally, one that could scan thru the registry or even application INI files to determine what others WOULD be latched when other programs do start.

Many programs scan the desktop and start menu for programs with hotkeys defined in shortcuts. I'm looking for something that will give me a better overall view so that I can anticipate / resolve contention.

Whither realistic cops on TV and film?

East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 — Tue, 29 May 2007 05:56:34 -0800

Which cinematographs or televisual serials most faithfully depict the operations of police or detectives?

How would one become Batman?

Ash3000 — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 11:47:04 -0800

Let's say you wanted to actually BE Batman... In an earlier question, someone asked whether Batman had any superpowers, and the consensus was essentially that he did not, but instead had genius-level intellect and a mastery of a simply enormous set of disciplines.

Which makes me wonder - what exact disciplines, specifically, does Batman have at his disposal? Everyone says he's a master martial artist - but are there any specific types, schools or techniques that've been specifically attributed to him in the comics? Karate? Tae Kwon Do? How many, exactly, has he actually used or been said to know? Any by-name specialties he's been specifically credited with, be it in forensics, acrobatics, etc.? If one actually WANTED to be Batman, say they had from about the age of ten to do so (that's when the Waynes were murdered, right?), is there any way they could do even a tenth of what Batman does by the age of, say, 27? (Was that when the Year One stories take place?)

Don't worry, I'm not some thirteen-year-old trying to "be" Batman, I'm just intensely curious about this question.

Boston PI?

Anonymous — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 13:07:53 -0800

Does anyone have a recommendation for a private investigator/detective in the Boston area? Any tips for finding the best one, or helpful experiences working with one to share? All of the ones I've found online look like they were made ten years ago by their brother when he was fooling around with html, they can't write a coherent sentence, and they sound like losers who became PIs so they could satisfy their ego...not very reassuring. This is for identifying the person my spouse is dating, and I don't want to hire some fool who will botch an investigation. Where do I start? (private answers can go to need.boston.pi@gmail.com) Thank you!

ligne claire how To guide about being a detective

andrewzipp — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 09:39:48 -0800

I was reading Tintin and I remembered an illustrated How To guide about being a detective in a similar ligne claire style that I loved as a kid. I bought a couple of these detective books in the 80s at the school book fair. They were definitely French or Belgian, and about 4"x5" like the size of a field guide. They had short bits of information, like how to prevent the assassination of an African ambassador by having him dressed as a bodyguard, and one of the bodyguards dressed as him. It was completely illustrated, and didn't have a central character, but did have a character in a trench coat who would explain how to collect fingerprints, and how to keep a notebook of observations (with a pen attached by a string, and no spaces so that your records couldn't be altered). Any ideas? I would love to find this book.

Taxonomy of Detective Story Plots

juv3nal — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 15:42:29 -0800

Can someone point me to an online copy of the taxonomy of detective story plots done by either the Oulipo or the Oulipopo? My Google-fu is failing me. I think I owned the book that has it at one point but can't seem to find it.
I'm considering running through all of them for my nanowrimo attempt.

What's it like to be a detective?

wildclover — Fri, 13 Oct 2006 13:49:48 -0800

Are you, or have you ever been, a detective? I want to know about detective work. How do you get there? What leads to the profession? What kinds of things does one get to do? What is a normal work-day like? Do you get to have a social life? Is there a stigma? What are the hidden benefits - access to databases or getting to run license plates etc? What's the strangest thing you've ever had to do? Tell me everything....

OMG 21 Jump Street that show rocked!! LOL

Ian A.T. — Mon, 29 May 2006 07:51:33 -0800

In this month's GQ, there's a longer update to the Milford High drug bust story, in which a 23-year-old private detective went undercover at a high school, leading to the eventual arrest of seventeen high school students. (The story inspired a decidedly banal MeFi thread.) My question--not covered in the previous thread, the news coverage, or the GQ article--is simple: how in the world is it legal for a private detective to buy drugs? And for the reported purchase of drugs to lead to an arrest? Here are a few things about the case that's in the GQ article:

-The agent was NOT affliated with a law enforcement agency of any kind. She was strictly an employee of North American Security Solutions, Inc, working on a private contract for the school district. Two policemen in the town knew what she was doing, but she didn't work with them and she was never in contact with them.

-She did buy drugs from the students. This was in dispute on a message board I was reading, but the GQ article makes it clear that she didn't just find out who the stoners were and report them to her bosses...she actually exchanged money for drugs.

-After buying the drugs, she would return home and write up reports for NASS. These reports, along with the drugs, of course, were what led to the dramatic arrests at the school.

What I'm trying to say is: if I walked into the police station with a bag of crack and a written summary of how I purchased said crack from my next door neighbor, I would be arrested for Possession at the very least.

So how are private detectives any different?

Okay, and if I went on to explain that I had only bought the cocaine because my neighbor's boss had hired me to find out if his employee was dealing drugs...well, I doubt this would be enough to get my neighbor arrested. In fact, it would probably lead to a Conspiracy charge for me and my client.

Then why did the evidence of a private detective lead to the arrest of those students? (I double-checked...they were specifically arrested for the drug deals she initiated.)

I'm interested only in the legal aspects of this situation, not the issue of using undercover agents in high schools or whether this was entrapment. I'm not asking out of some political agenda, either; I'm really just curious. (And please no comments like "Welcome to Amerikkka, Ian! George W. Bushitler can do anything he wants!" I'm on your side, but it's not what I'm looking for here.)

Finding someone

joaniemcchicken — Thu, 13 Apr 2006 14:04:13 -0800

Has anyone ever used one of those web detective sites? If so, which would you recommend? I'm trying to find someone I fell out of touch with. Years ago, I found someone through one of these "people finder" kind of things, but now there are thousands of them and they all charge different prices. Some are as cheap as 9.99 for 3 days and some as high as 59 bucks for one search. Has anyone used one of these successfully lately?

How would you track down someone from an online community?

jojopizza — Sun, 26 Mar 2006 11:38:18 -0800

If you wanted to track down someone you knew from an online community, given only a username, how would you go about it? Suppose you knew someone from, say, a large community blog. You wanted to walk up and knock on their door one day, for whatever reason. How would you conduct your search/investigation/stalking?

Feel free to imagine varying levels of commitment and resources.

Do hotels still have house detectives?

Dr. Wu — Mon, 12 Dec 2005 18:59:08 -0800

Do hotels still have house detectives? You always hear about them in old movies and radio shows; do they still exist? If they do, what are their responsibilities?

I Get the Feeling a Friend Is Making Up the Details of His Life -- How Can I Find Out the Truth?

Anonymous — Wed, 02 Feb 2005 15:10:24 -0800

A friend from junior high tracked me down by phone a few years ago (we'd been out of touch for about 15 years), which jump-started our friendship. We’ve never met up again in person (I left our home town years ago), but we stayed in touch via phone calls and email. For various reasons, however, I’ve begun to suspect that I’m being hoaxed in some way. I don't mean that I think this a stranger impersonating my friend, or that I’ve been swindled out of any money or anything. I've just started to get the funny feeling (due to inconsistencies, odd details, explanations that don’t always add up, etc.) that the story I've been given about where they're living, their career (supposedly a high-powered, adventurous one), etc. is just that -- a story that was made up, for some reason, to fool me after all these years.

My amateur detective skills pretty much begin and end with google, however, which has turned up nothing useful. I thought of checking military records (this person claims to have served after college) as a starting point, but I'm a civilian and so can’t access them. Of course I'm wary of the "find out the truth about anyone -- just $39.95!" online ads. Are there any (legitimate) resources I’m overlooking? Any other suggestions with how to deal with what has become an uncomfortable situation?

Fictional Cops

jonmc — Sat, 18 Sep 2004 11:50:40 -0800

If, theoretically, a family member of yours was murdered, which TV or movie cops would you want investigating. I'd choose either Andy Sipowicz or Jack Cates from 48 Hours to do the legwork because of sheer badassery and Frank Pembleton from Homicide to handle interrogations. Who would you choose and why?