Hear the Beard: Treat yourself! Here are a few gift suggestions from the editors of Pursuit — stuff we love to buy for ourselves.
What have you done for YOU lately? As busy business owners and grown-@$$ humans, we often put our own needs last — and our wants even later. It’s understandable. Resources are limited. There’s more to do than there is time to do it. That crazed busy-ness feels worse than ever right now, as we’re catching up on work after lockdowns, finishing end-of-year projects, and gearing up for the holidays.
But YOU matter, too. Just as much. And at PursuitMag and PI Education, we’re here to remind you of that every once in a while.
With that in mind, we’re sharing a few spy-friendly items you can give yourself anytime — there’s no 12/25 deadline on taking care of you. And with our tight-knit little community in mind, we’ll highlight some things BY us and FOR us, as you’ll see.
GIFT IDEA #1: Books by PIs
(Click the book images or titles to order.)
The Burden of Innocence
by John Nardizzi
“Investigation is continuing with the return of PI Ray Infantino in a crime thriller written by ‘a bold new poet of American noir.’ This is the book Chandler would have written if he’d been a real-life private eye.”
– Ellen McGarrahan
Watch our interview with Nardizzi about his book & his work investigating wrongful convictions.
Two Truths and a Lie
by Ellen McGarrahan
“In this spellbinding memoir, a private investigator revisits the case that has haunted her for decades and sets out on a deeply personal quest to sort truth from lies.”
– New York Times Book Review
Watch our interview with McGarrahan about her book & the nature of obsession.
The Modern Detective
by Tyler Maroney
A fascinating examination of the world of private investigators by a 21st-century private eye. Each of the investigations Maroney explores in this book highlights an individual case and the people involved in it.
Hear our interview with Maroney about his book and his PI work.
Embezzlement
by Kelly Paxton
“The crowning achievement of Paxton’s work is the easily understandable and sometimes witty integration of the academic and practitioner milieus. For academics, investigators, businesses, and victims this book is a must-read.” –Professor Mary Dodge, PhD
Watch our interview with Paxton about her book & her expertise in pink-collar crime.
Tell Me Everything
by Erika Krouse
Part memoir and part literary true crime, Tell Me Everything is the mesmerizing story of a landmark sexual assault investigation and the female private investigator who helped crack it open.
We’ll interview Krouse in our March webinar. You can pre-order her book here.
The Ten Must-Haves to Be a Great Detective
by Ramesh Nyberg
Retired homicide detective Ramesh Nyberg shares tips and techniques from his 27-year law enforcement career and his ten years of operating a private investigation agency.
Watch our interview with Nyberg about his book & his experience as a homicide detective and PI.
To browse for more PI-penned memoirs, how-tos, and novels to give yourself, click the article below by our editor Kim Green, for CrimeReads.
GIFT IDEA #2: Customized Thank-You Notes
Our friend Faye owns a handmade gift-card business called Queen Fayzel. Her designs are fun, simple, and super-creative. We LOVE the customized thank-you notes she created for Pursuit and PI Ed!
Faye will work with you to design and hand-make a set of thank-you notes (or any kind of greeting card) that fits your style and brand. And she’s offering 50% off the design fee for PI Ed customers! To get started, email her at faye@queenfayzel.com.
GIFT IDEA #3: Hand-Sewn Masks for a Good Cause
Twenty years ago, our friend Chantha Nguon, a Cambodian survivor-turned-social entrepreneur, created a women’s nonprofit weaving center in rural Cambodia (the Stung Treng Women’s Development Center). The center’s silk-weaving project is on hold due to Covid, but the center still supports women and families with meals, medical care, a school, and adult education. In the interim, they have teamed up with another women’s nonprofit to make these beautiful hand-sewn masks. Proceeds will help support SWDC/Mekong Blue.
Read more about Chantha’s inspiring personal story here, and go to mekongblue.com to order a mask—an incredible value at just $10.
GIFT IDEA #4: A Bad@$$ Night-Vision Camera
In summer of 2020, we did a fantastic series on PI tools and toys — browse those stories for lots of shopping ideas for yourself. One item we particularly loved was the SiOnyx night vision camera. They sent us one to play with — it was pretty fabulous, and we can highly recommend it. Here’s a demo:
Hope you find something for yourself on this list! Merry Christmas to you all! We wish you a healthy and happy season.
— Hal, Kim, Ruben, & Stephanie