Greg Fallis

Greg Fallis (Gregory S. Fallis, born December 9, 1951) is an American former private investigator turned mystery writer and writing-craft author. He spent more than twenty years working as a PI before turning the casework into a series of nonfiction guides and a mystery novel. He holds a B.S. from Iowa State University and an M.S. from American University.

His Writer's Digest Howdunit title Just the Facts, Ma'am: A Writer's Guide to Investigators and Investigation Techniques (1998) walks novelists through the reality of investigative work: the qualifications and clientele of both public and private investigators, the differences between federal, state, county, and municipal agencies, how crime scenes are actually processed from both police and private-detective perspectives, interrogation and interview methods, surveillance and tailing, the sources investigators actually pull data from, and the operational and emotional reality of undercover work, sting operations, and decoy work. The book is built on his own field experience rather than on television conventions.

His other books include Be Your Own Detective (1989, revised 1998), co-written with Ruth Greenberg, a practical guide for non-professionals, and A Murder: From the Chalk Outline to the Execution Chamber (1999), which alternates a step-by-step explanation of what happens after a murder, from investigation through trial and sentencing, with a fictionalized account of a real case to illustrate the process. His mystery novel Lightning in the Blood (1993) was published by St. Martin's Press.

Fallis has contributed short fiction to Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, and Murderous Intent, where he also wrote a column on private investigation. His work appeared in The Best American Mystery Stories 1999, edited by Ed McBain.