As a licensed private investigator in western North Carolina, Brian Lee Knopp could outrun enraged pit bulls, slink unseen and unheard through the tangled forests, and find missing evidence in the bottom of a dumpster. To get the goods on his subjects, he would perch in trees, lie motionless for hours in camoflage, drive rented sports cars and U-haul trucks, ride horses and bikes, even paddle whitewater kayaks. He could talk his way out of almost every predicament imaginable--except how to succeed as a P.I. without failing as a human being. Mayhem in Mayberry is a fearless, take-no-prisoners account of P.I. culture, an unforgettable portrait of personal loss and failure, and a blistering ride through Southern Appalachia. Elizabeth Gilbert, bestselling author of Eat,Pray,Love, praises the memoir: "I love this author and I love this book! Brian Lee Knopp is one of the most natural writers I've ever encountered, and he tells this all-to-true story with sinewy wit and sublime grace . . . ."