Going public with private investigations

The world of private investigators has been glamorised beyond all sense on-screen and in novels.

Therein, the PI is a hardened soul, weighed down with emotional baggage. From Sam Spade to Jim Rockford, and onto Lawrence Block’s creation, Matthew Scudder, the PI is portrayed as a man struggling with minor moral issues in a world full of bigger ones.

Ultimately, the PI is the good guy, exhibiting human flaws that heighten his triumph against superior forces.