Lost loves. War buddies. Biological parents. Estranged siblings. Distant cousins.

Where are they now? Locating Lost Family Members & Friends has all the answers. Author Kathleen W. Hinckley combines her skills as a professional private investigator and Certified Genealogical Record Specialist to lead the way on the search for lost loved ones, no matter who or where they might be today.

"This book will teach you how to be your own detective," says Hinckley. "You'll not only discover how to search for people on the Internet, but you'll learn how to access public records in courthouses and how to find information in libraries and archives." Quick-reference lists, tables and charts make it easy to locate the crucial documentation needed. Names, addresses, phone numbers, occupations and other current data are included as Hinckley shows how to access and utilize resources such as telephone and city directories, birth and death certificates, marriage and divorce records, military records, high school and college transcripts and much more.

"Locating a living person can feel like looking for a needle in a haystack. You sift through records and databases that list hundreds, thousands, or even millions of people, yet you do not find the person you seek," explains Hinckley. "This book will describe several avenues that your search can take. An organized search will point you down the proper roads."

Chapters include instruction for conducting research on the Internet, and Hinckley also demonstrates how to overcome common 20th-century research obstacles, such as privacy acts, record destruction and more. Whether searching for a person from the past or piecing together family genealogy, this guide is the key to unlocking the answers.