'Ask Ernie'
Private Eyes
By Ernesto Patino - Mystery Author, Lecturer & Private Eye

As readers we are fascinated with private eyes who, at least in fiction, appear to lead exciting lives. They solve murders, find missing witnesses, uncover deadly plots and secrets, have steamy one-night stands… Well you get the picture. But are they realistic?  How glamorous is the life of a real private eye? If you are a mystery writer should you even care whether or not the private eye in your novel is portrayed in a realistic manner?  Good questions.  Because of my background as a former FBI agent turned private investigator, I’ve had many writers ask me questions about my work and about law enforcement in general.

I would like to share my responses to some frequently asked questions:

1.  Are you required to have a lot of training or education to become a private investigator?
Answer:  The basic requirement in most states is that you have at least three years investigative experience. It is for this reason that most private investigators have a law enforcement background. In some instances a person may work directly under a licensed investigator and acquire the necessary three years of experience to become a licensed P.I.

2. The protagonist in my novel is a female private eye. Are there a lot of female private eyes and how are they generally regarded?
Answer:  Over the years I’ve met very few female private investigators. They all had previous law enforcement experience and were highly respected for the type of work they did.  As an observation, a female P.I. has an advantage in certain situations where someone is not comfortable talking to a male P.I.  They also have an advantage when going undercover in a variety of situations.  In real life or in a novel, a male-female team would seem to be a good idea.

3.  Is a private investigator authorized to carry a gun?
Answer:  A private investigator can carry a gun only if he/she has applied for and been issued a concealed weapons permit from the state where they reside.  A lot of private investigators who do background investigations or work white collar type cases generally would not apply for such a permit. 

4. Would it be unrealistic if the P.I. in my novel happened to be gay? Answer:  I can’t say whether or not it would be unrealistic. But what difference would it make?  As a writer, I think that a gay P.I. could have endless possibilities for a subplot, which most readers seem to enjoy.  Look for my next column, which will include the question of whether a P.I. can travel from one state to another while working on a case: a man is murdered in Arizona and the killer is believed to be hiding in a small town in Texas. To Part 2 To Part 3 To Part 4 To Part 5 To Part 6 Ernie Patino grew up in El Paso, Texas and worked for 23 years as an FBI agent. He currently lives in Tucson, Arizona, where he divides his time between writing and working as a private investigator. In addition, he is a ballroom dancer and gourmet cook.  His previous novel, In the Shadow of a Stranger, was published in England. His upcoming novel is set in South Florida where lived for 22 years prior to moving to Arizona. Learn more at www.ErniePatino.com