Ed James Books in Order

How to Read Ed James’s Books: Recommended Reading Order

Ed James has crafted a vast, interconnected Scottish Crime Universe featuring characters that cross paths, transfer departments, and collaborate on major investigations. For the most immersive reading experience, the author recommends interweaving his flagship Police Scotland series (which merges the original Scott Cullen, Craig Hunter, and Cullen & Bain books) with the Dundee-based DS Vicky Dodds series. Following this sequence ensures you witness character arcs, promotions, and major universe events in the correct chronological order.

Here is the recommended master reading path for the interconnected Scottish series:

1. Police Scotland Book 1: Dead in the Water (2021)
2. Police Scotland Book 2: Ghost in the Machine (2012)
3. Police Scotland Book 3: Devil in the Detail (2012)
4. Police Scotland Book 4: Fire in the Blood (2013)
5. Police Scotland Book 5: Stab in the Dark (2013)
6. Police Scotland Book 6: Cops and Robbers (2014)
7. Police Scotland Book 7: Liars and Thieves (2014)
8. Police Scotland Book 8: Cowboys and Indians (2015)
9. Police Scotland Book 9: The Missing (2016)
10. DS Vicky Dodds Book 1: Blood and Guts (2015)
11. DS Vicky Dodds Book 2: Tooth and Claw / Snared (2015)
12. Police Scotland Book 10: The Hunted (2017)
13. Police Scotland Book 11: Heroes and Villains (2018)
14. DS Vicky Dodds Book 3: Flesh and Blood (2020)
15. Police Scotland Book 12: The Black Isle (2019)
16. Police Scotland Book 13: The Cold Truth (2020)
17. DS Vicky Dodds Book 4: Skin and Bone (2021)
18. Police Scotland Book 14: The Dead End (2021)
19. DS Vicky Dodds Book 5: Guilt Trip (2022)

The Police Scotland Series: The Great Consolidation

Over his career, Ed James wrote multiple series that eventually converged. To make things easier for new readers, he officially consolidated three of his key series—the Edinburgh-based Scott Cullen Mysteries, the Special Operations-focused Craig Hunter Thrillers, and the detective duo series Cullen & Bain—into a single 14-volume master series titled Police Scotland. During this consolidation, some titles were renamed or packaged together to maintain continuity.

Here is how the consolidated books map to their original releases:

• Book 1: Dead in the Water – Originally published in 2021 as a prequel novella details how Cullen and Bain first met. It serves as the perfect chronological starting point.
• Book 2: Ghost in the Machine – The original 2012 debut introducing DC Scott Cullen in Edinburgh.
• Book 3: Devil in the Detail (2012) – The second Scott Cullen investigation.
• Book 4: Fire in the Blood (2013) – The third Scott Cullen mystery.
• Book 5: Stab in the Dark – Originally published in 2013 as Dyed in the Wool (Scott Cullen Book 4).
• Book 6: Cops and Robbers – Originally published in 2014 as Bottleneck (Scott Cullen Book 5).
• Book 7: Liars and Thieves – Originally published in 2014 as Windchill (Scott Cullen Book 6).
• Book 8: Cowboys and Indians (2015) – The seventh Scott Cullen book.
• Book 9: The Missing – Originally published in 2016 as Missing, introducing former military man Craig Hunter.
• Book 10: The Hunted – Originally published in 2017 as Hunted (Craig Hunter Book 2).
• Book 11: Heroes and Villains (2018) – The eighth Scott Cullen book.
• Book 12: The Black Isle – Originally published in 2019 as The Black Isle (Craig Hunter Book 3).
• Book 13: The Cold Truth – A compilation that collects the first three novels of the Cullen & Bain spin-off: City of the Dead (2020), World's End (2020), and Hell's Kitchen (2020).
• Book 14: The Dead End – A collection comprising Gore Glen (2020) and The Last Drop (2021), featuring new connecting scenes and transition material.

DS Vicky Dodds Dundee Law Series

Set in Dundee, this series stars DS Vicky Dodds, a fierce female detective who balances the heavy demands of her caseload with the challenges of raising a young daughter. While Dodds works in a different jurisdiction, her universe overlaps with Scott Cullen and Craig Hunter, which is why the author recommends reading them in the interwoven order above. Note that the second book, Tooth and Claw, was also released under the alternative title Snared.

• Blood and Guts (2015)
• Tooth and Claw / Snared (2015)
• Flesh and Blood (2020)
• Skin and Bone (2021)
• Guilt Trip (2022)

DI Rob Marshall Series (The Borders Crime Files)

For readers looking for a fresh starting point that is entirely independent of the Edinburgh and Dundee storylines, the DI Rob Marshall series is set in the picturesque yet treacherous Scottish Borders. Marshall is a former criminal profiler who returns to active duty as a detective, dealing with complex serial killers and local politics. It is best read in publication order, beginning with the prequel novella False Start.

• False Start (Prequel Novella)
• The Turning of Our Bones (2023)
• Where the Bodies Lie (2023)
• A Lonely Place of Dying (2023)
• A Shadow on the Door (2023)
• With Soul So Dead (2024)
• His Path of Darkness (2024)
• False Dawn (Side Story)
• Fear of Any Kind (2025)
• Our Debts to the Past (2025)

DI Simon Fenchurch Series (London Grit)

Trading the Scottish hills for the concrete streets of East London, the DI Simon Fenchurch series is a hard-boiled police procedural saga. Fenchurch is a detective haunted by the unsolved kidnapping of his daughter years prior. This personal struggle, combined with gritty local crime, forms a continuous narrative arc across the ten books. Because it takes place in London, this series does not intersect with the Police Scotland timeline and can be read completely independently.

• The Hope That Kills (2016)
• Worth Killing For (2016)
• What Doesn't Kill You (2017)
• In for the Kill (2018)
• Kill with Kindness (2018)
• Kill the Messenger (2019)
• Dead Man's Shoes (2020)
• A Hill to Die On (2021)
• The Last Thing to Die (2022)
• Hope to Die (2023)

Detective Max Carter & Standalones

In addition to his British crime books, Ed James wrote the Detective Max Carter series, an FBI thriller trilogy set in Seattle. Like the Fenchurch books, this is entirely separate from the Scottish Crime Universe and follows a more Americanized thriller structure.

• Tell Me Lies (2020)
• Gone in Seconds (2020)
• Before She Wakes (2021)

Standalone Thrillers

If you prefer a complete story without the commitment of a series, Ed James has published two standalone books:

• Shot Through the Heart (2013) – A supernatural fantasy thriller featuring vampires and werewolves, set during the Highland Clearances.
• Lost Cause (2022) – A psychological thriller following a desperate father searching the Highlands for his missing daughter, whose disappearance links back to an investigative cult novel he previously wrote.

What to Know Before You Start

If you are planning to dive into the main Police Scotland timeline, you face a choice: start with Dead in the Water (the prequel) or Ghost in the Machine (the original publication start). While Dead in the Water introduces the Cullen and Bain dynamic early, starting with Ghost in the Machine lets you experience DC Scott Cullen’s career from its true beginning, when Ed James first self-published the book in 2012. Both approaches work, but purists often prefer starting with Ghost in the Machine and treating the prequel as a flashback. Whichever path you choose, the gritty, realistic, and fast-paced tartan noir atmosphere will keep you hooked.