Steve Goodenow’s father was an FBI agent. When the FBI let his father choose his final posting prior to retirement, the family moved to Hawaii. Goodenow had just graduated from high school.
Goodenow bounced back and forth between Hawaii and the mainland — he went to college, worked as a truck loader, got a degree in education and taught school. Meanwhile, his father retired from the FBI and started a private detective agency. Goodenow returned to Hawaii in 1967 with plans to teach school. His father asked him to help on a surveillance case and Goodenow found his calling.
Goodenow, 77, is still a full-time private eye and the founder and owner of the Hawaii Investigative Group. He partnered with co-author Lance Tominaga to share some of his most memorable cases in “Hawaiian Eye: My Fifty Years as a P.I. in Paradise” ($18.95 paperback; bookshawaii.net.) It is a fascinating account of the doings of the good, the bad and the sleazy in Hawaii.
What’s a day in the life of a private detective?
Today I did some research on a case I’m working on, and then met with a client on a case that involves some drownings out in Kaaawa. I then went to another law firm and spent several hours over there discussing a fraud case — I’m jumping a plane tomorrow to fly to Maui to do some interviews to verify that. Meanwhile, I got a call from another client I’ve been working with on plane crash cases. Meanwhile I got a call from another client on a personal injury case. And now I’m here talking with you.
Is there any similarity between what we see on TV and what a private investigator actually does?
Actually there are some parallels. Police have certain rules and regs to follow. They just can’t go into a person’s car or a person’s house without a search warrant, whereas the private investigator such as myself doesn’t really have those restrictions. If I see someone putting something in the trunk of a car that I think is stolen, and then (the person) leaves the car, if I want to pop the trunk of the car I can do it — and then I can take pictures of what’s in there.
So a private investigator doesn’t need a subpoena or a search warrant?
No, but … I’m not going to do something that is going to cause you more trouble than the evidence I get for you is worth. I try as much as possible to follow the law.
When did you decide to do the book?
About six or seven years ago my youngest son Chris sent me a blank book for Christmas with a note that said, “The best Christmas gift you could ever give me would be to write your story.” I’d talked with my father about writing a book, but ultimately he died and we never got to write that book. That’s one reason. Another reason is that I found a publisher who said they’d publish it.
Your publisher describes you as a “real-life Thomas Magnum.” Have you ever met Tom Selleck?
No, but I did a case involving him. He’s my favorite actor who I watch on “Bluebloods” all the time. I’d love to meet him.
What is something about you that might surprise people who know you as a real-life Thomas Magnum?
I am an expert in Hawaiian artifacts. I keep detailed records, I do appraisals and I established the hawaiiancollectibles.com website. I’ve donated the only known Hawaiian sling to Bishop Museum. They had the stones but they didn’t have the sling because they disintegrate so easily. I also gave them a complete set of Mauna Kea adzes and money to build a case for them.
