Private Eyes and Red Lipstick

About Us

An unscripted collision of real investigations and documentary craft, recorded where evidence meets emotion.

An elegant vintage tape recorder and a modern digital audio interface arranged together on a smoked-glass tabletop, surrounded by neatly coiled studio cables and a polished chrome microphone. The tape reels are labeled with tiny handwritten tags reading “Case Files” and “Testimony,” while a single closed lipstick tube in deep burgundy stands upright like a bold accent. Soft, diffused studio lighting from above creates gentle reflections in the glass and subtle metallic glows. The background fades into a dark, velvety blur with hints of acoustic panels. Photographic realism, slightly elevated angle, balanced composition, conveying a refined, cinematic atmosphere that blends old-school investigation with contemporary documentary production.

How This Story Began

Ali Marsh a Private Investigator published a book called Private Lies and came to Benson in Oxfordshire to give an author talk. Christopher Swann a Documentary maker and writer asked questions. They talked and Christopher asked what Ali wanted to do next. “A Podcast” “Ok – who with?” “With you,” And that’s how we ended up talking around a fire in a house in Oxfordshire and started to share our experiences with you the listener.

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Your Hosts

ALI MARSH

P.I. and AUTHOR

Alison Marsh was living an ordinary life. She loved walks with her dog, drinks with her mates and nights in with her family. But one night, after falling victim to a shocking crime, Ali made a decision that would change everything: she became a private investigator.

Armed with her intelligence, intuition and a strong sense of justice, Ali formed Miss A.M. Investigations. Her new life brought with it a roster of colourful clients and countless mysteries to solve. Sharpening her investigative skills, soon Ali found herself conducting remote surveillance, assuming new identities and infiltrating gangs (or in this instance, a book club). Whether she’s catching love-cheats red-handed, foiling fraudsters or finding missing persons, no two days are the same. Yet with each case comes the same desire to help people in need, however she can.

Home

CHRISTOPHER SWANN

WRITER AND FILM MAKER

Brought up in Surrey, educated at Charterhouse and graduating from York University with a degree in Pure Mathematics and Econometrics Christopher has then spent his life working in the Media making radio and television programmes as a Producer, Director and Writer. He has won BAFTA, Emmy, Echo, Gramophone and Prix Italia Awards, has three further Emmy nominations as well as receiving Grammy and BAFTA nominations.

He began his career as a Producer and Journalist on the BBC Radio Arts review programme “Kaleidoscope”. He moved to BBC Television as a Producer and Director in the Music and Arts department, where he authored a host of films for BBC1 and BBC2. After serving as the Deputy Editor of the BBC1 ‘Omnibus’ programme he left the BBC to become freelance.

He then directed and produced films and performance events all over the world.

He became a stage director and then a playwright in his seventies. He lives in Oxfordshire with his wife Frances. They have three children and two grandchildren.

https://sites.google.com/a/christopherswann.co.uk/christopherswann/home

A sophisticated city-night still life: a rain-speckled window overlooking blurred, glowing skyscrapers, with a narrow windowsill holding a half-full crystal tumbler of amber whiskey, a compact audio recorder, and a deep red lipstick standing beside a neatly folded trench coat belt. Cool blue ambient light from the city mixes with a warm, golden table lamp off-frame, creating layered reflections on the glass and crystal facets. Shot in photographic realism from a low, intimate angle, using rule-of-thirds composition and shallow depth of field. The mood is contemplative and noir-inspired, hinting at off-the-record conversations and unresolved mysteries in a high-end urban setting.
An elegant vintage tape recorder and a modern digital audio interface arranged together on a smoked-glass tabletop, surrounded by neatly coiled studio cables and a polished chrome microphone. The tape reels are labeled with tiny handwritten tags reading “Case Files” and “Testimony,” while a single closed lipstick tube in deep burgundy stands upright like a bold accent. Soft, diffused studio lighting from above creates gentle reflections in the glass and subtle metallic glows. The background fades into a dark, velvety blur with hints of acoustic panels. Photographic realism, slightly elevated angle, balanced composition, conveying a refined, cinematic atmosphere that blends old-school investigation with contemporary documentary production.