Writer's Detective Bureau

The Writer's Detective Bureau podcast is BACK and now ad-free!  Adam has retired from law enforcement and is back answering writers' questions.  Adam shares a core character question that he contemplated at the end of his career that could inform how you plot a character arc. Adam then answers questions about celebrity-related investigations and an unnoticed serial killer. Submit a question for next week's episode: writersdetective.com/ask  

Adam answers questions about: California's Alcoholic Beverage Control agency, who investigates murders involving the military, and the surprising limitation on Tribal Police law enforcement powers.

In this episode, Adam answers questions about investigating international crime rings, FBI Legal Attaches, INTERPOL, the difference between reactive and proactive investigations, and where prosecutions might happen for transnational RICO cases.

Adam talks about a DA Investigator moving over to a police department as a detective, the legalities of making a warrantless arrest inside a suspect's home, and how to conduct a cover-up.

Adam talks about the new THREADS app, whether detectives can find out if someone is listed as a beneficiary on a life insurance policy, victim notifications when an inmate is released from prison, confidential name changes, and violating protective orders.

In this episode, we dive into the ongoing WGA strike. We'll also explore the role of artificial intelligence in writing and storytelling, and how it's poised to change the way we create and consume content. Then, we'll answer some of your writing questions, including the logistics of obtaining phone records in a homicide case and which agencies can use California state crime labs.

This week we are talking about what happens when a federal inmate escapes from prison, a body in Hawaiian waters, who handles the investigation if a murder victim is found in a visiting world leader's hotel room.

This week, Adam answers questions about financial crimes, how a detective could go about becoming a police chief in another state, and he explains what it means to be a percipient witness.

Adam answers questions about a fictional FBI undercover story involving a prisoner release, pyromania, and gun types.

This week, we do a deep dive into why your character might want to be a police detective. Plus, I talk about police batons and martial arts in law enforcement. Transcript: writersdetective.com/129

Adam interviews Matthew Gentile about writing and directing his new feature film, AMERICAN MURDERER.  This true-crime inspired movie stars Tom Pelphrey, Ryan Phillippe, Idina Menzel, and Jackie Weaver.  Watch it now on iTunes, Amazon Video, or any other on-demand rental service.

The Writer's Detective Bureau is now also a video podcast on YouTube. In this episode, Adam talks about the differences between UK and US Crime Scene Investigation, the ramifications of a detective lying about immunity to a witness, and how police might obtain Ring doorbell footage.

Adam talks about exonerations after perjury, getting to a downed victim during a SWAT call, and the legalities of eavesdropping with a room bug.

Register for Adam's upcoming writing workshop on Detective Character Mindset & Motivation. writersdetective.com/workshop In this episode, Adam talks about a cold-ish case scenario, civilian jobs in law enforcement, and how arrests made outside of your local jurisdiction are handled...plus some advice on writing for streaming services.  

Adam talks about sketching a crime scene, how immigration status violations were handled in California circa 1995, and what would happen if a journalist went trespassing to get the scoop on a major crime.

Adam talks about how 9-1-1 calls get dispatched over the police radio, what would happen if the morgue becomes unusable, and how detectives worked with the phone company on investigations in the 1950s and 60s. writersdetective.com/122

Adam complains about his least favorite bureaucratic paperwork and then talks about fatal hit & run investigations and suspect extraditions.

Adam talks about investigating false allegations made against a detective, what would happen if Alphabet Soup feds barged in to take possession of a decedent, and the realities of investigating the remains of someone that died sixty or seventy years ago. writersdetective.com/120 writersdetective.com/ukraine

Adam talks about what happens if a homicide detective has personal ties to a homicide victim, if chalk outlines are really used, whether cops can serve on a jury, and how reviewing this podcast on Podchaser.com can raise money for ChefsForUkraine during the #Reviews4Good campaign. writersdetective.com/119

Adam explains what a Coroner's Inquest is and why inquests aren't used much anymore, the difference between a small-town Sheriff and Police Chief, and he talks about the various investigative units and their divisions. writersdetective.com/118

Adam explains what DHS Fusion Centers do, what a Brady List is and how to use them in your writing, and we go old school tech with Teletypes.

Adam talks about transporting an inmate from federal custody to testify in state court, creating realistic clandestine drug lab scenes, and the realities of cops using drones for an aerial search.