History Main / PrivateDetective

* In ''Series/ACaseForTwo'', protagonist Josef Matula (Claus Theo Gärtner) is a former cop who ventured into the private investigation business.

* ''Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar'' followed the adventures of the eponymous [[InsuranceFraud insurance investigator]].

In RealLife, some private investigators may also function as a BountyHunter, as the two professions are incredibly similar (although a BountyHunter will usually confront the individual they are tracking directly - a Private Investigator typically will ''not'' if they can help it). Private investigators are more likely to get hired for skip traces (tracking down bail jumpers, people evading service, people hiding from warrants, and similar parties so that the police and courts can do their thing), and that part of the job is typically nowhere near as exciting and involves lots of social media hunts and public record searches. The rest of their jobs are usually insurance investigations (usually for worker's comp cases, plus the occasional personal injury case when fraud or misrepresentation is suspected), as well as the occasional divorce case (typically investigating suspected parental unfitness, adultery, or concealment of assets), or (for investigators who specialize in it) bankruptcy proceedings or due diligence for investors seeking risky investments. Like with skip traces, a lot of these typically involve social media and public records searches, and active tailing or in-person surveillance only occurs when necessary (someone is suspected of fabricating or exaggerating a work-related injury, someone in a divorce is suspected to have a new significant other that they haven't disclosed, a bankruptcy petitioner is suspected of concealing or surreptitiously selling off assets, etc.)

* Creator/AgathaChristie's Literature/HerculePoirot is retired from the Belgian police force, emigrated to England during UsefulNotes/WorldWarI, and became a Private Detective in London.

* Adrian Monk of ''Series/{{Monk}}'' used to be police detective, but after his wife's murder he resigned and became a private detective that helps the police.

* In the ''VideoGame/BioshockInfinite'' DLC ''BioShockInfinite/BurialAtSea'' an alternate version of Booker [=DeWitt=] is, supposedly, working as a private detective in [[VideoGame/Bioshock1 Rapture]]. By the time the storyline begins he seems to be spending more time drinking and gambling than actually investigating crimes.
* [[VideoGame/ProfessorLayton Professor Hershel Layton]] is ''not'' this, but he's constantly mistaken for one.
** His daughter [[VideoGame/LaytonsMysteryJourneyKatrielleAndTheMillionairesConspiracy Catriel 'Lady' Layton]], however, ''is'' this.
* The PlayerCharacter from the Videogame/DarkParables games is a detective who specializes in solving mysteries related to {{fairy tale}}s.
* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 4}}'' has Nick Valentine, a [[spoiler:synth]] who runs Valentine Detective Agency and specialises in finding missing people. He wears the traditional trench coat and fedora combo, smokes like a chimney and speaks like the protagonist of a black and white noir film. This is justified as [[spoiler:his personality and memories are copied from the original human Nick, who himself was a Pre-War cop.]]

%%* Douglas in ''Videogame/SilentHill3''. He even has a nice hat!

* WesternAnimation/GarfieldAndFriends did a parody character named Sam [[JustForPun Spayed]].

* In an AffectionateParody, "[[http://cuteybunny.com/HBoiled/HBFrame.HTM Vikki Marlowe]], Hard Boiled [[IncrediblyLamePun Dyke-Tective]]". A MeaningfulName; there are at least two authors and one character (the above-mentioned Philip) in detective fiction named "Marlowe".