William J. Burns

Before becoming a writer, William J. Burns worked in law enforcement and built a national reputation as an investigator. Born in 1861 and later based in the United States, he served as a Secret Service agent before founding the Burns Detective Agency, which became well known for tackling major criminal investigations.

His career crossed paths with some of the most dramatic stories of his time, and that experience shaped the books he published for general readers. Rather than writing detached crime history, he usually wrote in a direct, story-driven way that brought readers close to the methods, dangers, and personalities behind real investigations.

Burns died in 1932, but his name remains tied to the rise of the modern private detective in America. For listeners interested in true crime, detective work, and early 20th-century policing, his work offers a vivid window into that world.