Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ghost in the Machine | 2012 | Ed James | Buy |
| 2 | Devil in the Detail | 2012 | Ed James | Buy |
| 3 | Fire in the Blood | 2013 | Ed James | Buy |
| 4 | Dyed in the Wool / Stab in the Dark | 2013 | Ed James | Buy |
| 5 | Stab In The Dark | 2013 | Ed James | N/A |
| 6 | Bottleneck / Cops and Robbers | 2014 | Ed James | Buy |
| 7 | Cops and Robbers | 2014 | Ed James | N/A |
| 8 | Liars and Thieves | 2014 | Ed James | N/A |
| 9 | Windchill / Liars and Thieves | 2014 | Ed James | Buy |
| 10 | Cowboys and Indians | 2015 | Ed James | Buy |
| 11 | Heroes and Villains | 2018 | Ed James | Buy |
| 12 | Dyed in the Wool | 2013 | Ed James | Buy |
| 13 | Bottleneck | 2014 | Ed James | Buy |
Scott Cullen starts out as a Detective Constable with Police Scotland in Edinburgh, bright and ambitious but often frustrated by the bureaucracy around him. The early books, Ghost in the Machine and Devil in the Detail, establish the office politics and interpersonal dynamics that run through the whole series alongside each investigation.
The series has a slightly procedural-comedy feel at times, with Cullen’s irritations at his superiors and colleagues providing regular friction. As the books progress through Fire in the Blood, Dyed in the Wool, and into the Cowboys and Indians era, Cullen’s career and personal life both develop, giving the series a cumulative momentum that rewards reading in order.
Several books in the list appear in combined or alternate editions (Dyed in the Wool / Stab in the Dark, Bottleneck / Cops and Robbers, Windchill / Liars and Thieves). The individual component novellas are also available separately for readers who want the complete picture.