🎯 Where Should I Start?
Best Starting Point
Publication Order of Police Scotland Edinburgh Crime Thrillers Books
Start with: Ghost in the Machine (2012)
Popular Choice
Publication Order of Scott Cullen Mysteries Books
Start with: Ghost in the Machine (2012)
Popular Choice
Publication Order of Cullen & Bain Books
Start with: City of the Dead (2020)
ⓘ About Ed James
Ed James is one of the highly successful novelists from Scotland, who likes to write his books based on the crime fiction and thriller genres. He is particularly well known for writing down the Scott Cullen series that features the police procedurals of Scotland. Set in Edinburgh and in the surrounding Lothian region, the series depicts the life activities of a young Detective Constable from Edinburgh, Scotland, named Scott Cullen, who investigates the crimes in the city. Starting from the bottom, he climbs up the career ladder of his detective career desperately. The first book in the series, titled as ‘Ghost in the Machine’, was made free to download by author James and it has been downloaded for around 400,000 times.
All Book Series by Ed James
1
Ghost in the Machine
Series opener · book 1 of 17 · published 2012
Buy on Amazon2012
2
Devil in the Detail
Book 2 of 17 · published 2012
Buy on Amazon2012
3
Fire in the Blood
Book 3 of 17 · published 2013
Buy on Amazon2013
4
Dyed in the Wool / Stab in the Dark
Book 4 of 17 · published 2013
Buy on Amazon2013
5
Bottleneck / Cops and Robbers
Book 5 of 17 · published 2014
Buy on Amazon2014
6
Windchill / Liars and Thieves
Book 6 of 17 · published 2014
Buy on Amazon2014
7
Cowboys and Indians
Book 7 of 17 · published 2015
Buy on Amazon2015
10
Heroes and Villains
Book 10 of 17 · published 2018
Buy on Amazon2018
11
City of the Dead
Book 11 of 17 · published 2020
Buy on Amazon2020
13
Hell's Kitchen
Book 13 of 17 · published 2020
Buy on Amazon2020
15
Dead in the Water
Book 15 of 17 · published 2021
Buy on Amazon2021
16
The Last Drop
Book 16 of 17 · published 2021
Buy on Amazon2021
17
The Broken Line
Latest in the series · book 17 of 17 · published 2026
Buy on Amazon2026
1
Ghost in the Machine
Series opener · book 1 of 8 · published 2012
Buy on Amazon2012
2
Devil in the Detail
Book 2 of 8 · published 2012
Buy on Amazon2012
3
Fire in the Blood
Book 3 of 8 · published 2013
Buy on Amazon2013
4
Dyed in the Wool / Stab in the Dark
Book 4 of 8 · published 2013
Buy on Amazon2013
5
Bottleneck / Cops and Robbers
Book 5 of 8 · published 2014
Buy on Amazon2014
6
Windchill / Liars and Thieves
Book 6 of 8 · published 2014
Buy on Amazon2014
7
Cowboys and Indians
Book 7 of 8 · published 2015
Buy on Amazon2015
8
Heroes and Villains
Latest in the series · book 8 of 8 · published 2018
Buy on Amazon2018
1
City of the Dead
Series opener · book 1 of 7 · published 2020
Buy on Amazon2020
5
Dead in the Water
Book 5 of 7 · published 2021
Buy on Amazon2021
7
The Broken Line
Latest in the series · book 7 of 7 · published 2026
Buy on Amazon2026
1
The Hope That Kills
Series opener · book 1 of 10 · published 2016
Buy on Amazon2016
2
Worth Killing For
Book 2 of 10 · published 2016
Buy on Amazon2016
3
What Doesn't Kill You
Book 3 of 10 · published 2017
Buy on Amazon2017
4
In for the Kill
Book 4 of 10 · published 2018
Buy on Amazon2018
5
Kill with Kindness
Book 5 of 10 · published 2018
Buy on Amazon2018
6
Kill the Messenger
Book 6 of 10 · published 2019
Buy on Amazon2019
7
Dead Man's Shoes
Book 7 of 10 · published 2020
Buy on Amazon2020
8
A Hill to Die On
Book 8 of 10 · published 2021
Buy on Amazon2021
9
The Last Thing to Die
Book 9 of 10 · published 2022
Buy on Amazon2022
10
Hope to Die
Latest in the series · book 10 of 10 · published 2023
Buy on Amazon2023
1
The Turning of our Bones
Series opener · book 1 of 11 · published 2023
Buy on Amazon2023
2
Where the Bodies Lie
Book 2 of 11 · published 2023
Buy on Amazon2023
3
A Lonely Place of Dying
Book 3 of 11 · published 2023
Buy on Amazon2023
4
A Shadow on the Door
Book 4 of 11 · published 2023
Buy on Amazon2023
5
With Soul So Dead
Book 5 of 11 · published 2024
Buy on Amazon2024
6
His Path of Darkness
Book 6 of 11 · published 2024
Buy on Amazon2024
7
Fear of Any Kind
Book 7 of 11 · published 2025
Buy on Amazon2025
8
Our Debts to the Past
Book 8 of 11 · published 2025
Buy on Amazon2025
10
His Wild Blood
Book 10 of 11 · published 2026
Buy on Amazon2026
11
Dead on the Vine
Latest in the series · book 11 of 11 · published 2027
Buy on Amazon2027
1
No Cure For Regret
Series opener · book 1 of 3 · published 2026
Buy on Amazon2026
2
No Time To Grieve
Book 2 of 3 · published 2026
Buy on Amazon2026
3
No Need To Fear
Latest in the series · book 3 of 3 · published 2026
Buy on Amazon2026
1
Blood and Guts
Series opener · book 1 of 5 · published 2015
Buy on Amazon2015
2
Tooth and Claw / Snared
Book 2 of 5 · published 2015
Buy on Amazon2015
5
Guilt Trip
Latest in the series · book 5 of 5 · published 2022
Buy on Amazon2022
1
Missing
Series opener · book 1 of 3 · published 2016
Buy on Amazon2016
3
The Black Isle
Latest in the series · book 3 of 3 · published 2019
Buy on Amazon2019
1
Tell Me Lies
Series opener · book 1 of 3 · published 2020
Buy on Amazon2020
3
Before She Wakes
Latest in the series · book 3 of 3 · published 2021
Buy on Amazon2021
1
Maple Street
Series opener · book 1 of 2 · published 2016
Buy on Amazon2016
2
Season 2
Latest in the series · book 2 of 2 · published 2026
Buy on Amazon2026
1
False Start
Series opener · book 1 of 2 · published 2022
Buy on Amazon2022
2
False Dawn
Latest in the series · book 2 of 2 · published 2024
Buy on Amazon2024
1
Shot Through the Heart
Series opener · book 1 of 3 · published 2013
Buy on Amazon2013
3
Lost Cause
Latest in the series · book 3 of 3 · published 2022
Buy on Amazon2022
1
CWA Anthology of Short Stories: Mystery Tour
Single-title series · published 2017
Buy on Amazon2017
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Ed James?
Ed James is one of the highly successful novelists from Scotland, who likes to write his books based on the crime fiction and thriller genres. He is particularly well known for writing down the Scott Cullen series that features the police procedurals of Scotland. Set in Edinburgh and in the surrounding Lothian region, the series depicts the life activities of a young Detective Constable from Edinburgh, Scotland, named Scott Cullen, who investigates the crimes in the city.
Which Ed James series should I start with?
The best place to start is the Police Scotland Edinburgh Crime Thrillers series, the earliest of Ed James's multi-book series: it opens with Ghost in the Machine (2012) and runs to 17 books across 2012–2026, ending with The Broken Line (2026). Ed James's other series stand alone, so they can be read in any order.
How many books has Ed James written?
Ed James has 75 books catalogued in this guide, published between 2012 and 2027. 71 of them belong to 11 named series — the largest being the Police Scotland Edinburgh Crime Thrillers series with 17 books — and 4 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.
In what order should Ed James's series be read?
Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. Ed James's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are Police Scotland Edinburgh Crime Thrillers (2012–2026, 17 books), Scott Cullen Mysteries (2012–2018, 8 books) and DS Vicky Dodds/Dundee Law (2015–2022, 5 books), plus 8 more.
How are Ed James's books organised into series?
This guide splits Ed James's 75 books into 11 named series and 4 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: Police Scotland Edinburgh Crime Thrillers (17 books, 2012–2026); DI Rob Marshall (11 books, 2023–2027); DI Fenchurch (10 books, 2016–2023); Scott Cullen Mysteries (8 books, 2012–2018); Cullen & Bain (7 books, 2020–2026), plus 6 further series.
