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Ed James
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Heroes and Villains: A totally gripping and addictive Scottish detective mystery thriller (Police Scotland Edinburgh Crime Thrillers Book 11) Kindle Edition

by Ed James (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 out of 5 stars 1,869 ratings
A lying ganglord. A troubled cop. A masked vigilante.

Working a strategic investigation, DS Scott Cullen of Police Scotland’s Edinburgh Major Investigation Team closes in on a long-time adversary.

Dean Vardy, Edinburgh’s latest kingpin.

Before, every time they thought they had him, his lawyer got him off. Campbell McLintock, another of Cullen’s adversaries.

But this time Vardy goes too far, murdering someone under his control.

Or does he?

After a witness dies, Cullen is soon desperately trying to hold the case together, with Vardy’s conviction dangling by a thread. Will McLintock get Vardy off yet again?

But soon, Cullen and his team are facing a different threat — a brutal vigilante, doling out frontier justice and obeying no laws. Can Cullen catch a killer who could be one of their own?

Perfect for fans of Ian Rankin, Stuart McBride, Alex Smith and JD Kirk, Heroes and Villains continues the bestselling Police Scotland series.

Readers LOVE this Action-packed Mystery Thriller:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Another utterly fantastic book in the Scott Cullen series from Ed James" – Goodreads review

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "if like me you are a big fan of his series, you are in for a delight. So many lovely touches. As well as the storylines I love Ed's characters and their relationships - work and personal" – Amazon review

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "What can I say - another fantastic Cullen book. Another book that I didn't want to put down. Always great storylines and always lots of twists" – Goodreads review

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "a captivating belter of a read. A real page turner" – Amazon review

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Ed James writes a tightly wound novel full of excitement, murder and mayhem" – Goodreads review

The Police Scotland series:
  1. Dead in the Water
  2. Ghost in the Machine
  3. Devil in the Detail
  4. Fire in the Blood
  5. Stab in the Dark
  6. Cops and Robbers
  7. Liars and Thieves
  8. Cowboys and Indians
  9. The Missing
  10. The Hunted
  11. Heroes and Villains
  12. The Black Isle
  13. The Cold Truth
  14. The Dead End
Read more
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  1. Book 11 of 14
    Police Scotland Edinburgh Crime Thrillers
  2. Print length
    332 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    November 3, 2018
  5. File size
    4.2 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
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From the Publisher

Covers for all eight Scott Cullen books

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07G9JLLB1
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Grey Dog Books
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 3, 2018
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 4.2 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 332 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 11 of 14 ‏ : ‎ Police Scotland Edinburgh Crime Thrillers
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 1,869 ratings

About the author

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Ed James

Ed James

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Ed James is a Scottish author who writes crime fiction novels across multiple series and in multiple locations.

His latest series is set in the Scottish Borders, where Ed now lives, starring DI Rob Marshall – a criminal profiler turned detective, investigating serial murders in a beautiful landscape.

Set four hundred miles south on the gritty streets of East London, his bestselling DI Fenchurch series features a cop with little to lose and a kidnapped daughter to find.

His Police Scotland books are fronted by multiple detectives based in Edinburgh, including Scott Cullen, a young Edinburgh Detective investigating crimes from the bottom rung of the career ladder he’s desperate to climb.

The DS Vicky Dodds books put Dundee on the Tartan Noir map, featuring a driven female detective struggling to combine her complex home life with a heavy caseload.

Formerly an IT project manager, Ed filled his weekly commute to London by writing on planes, trains and automobiles. He now writes full-time and lives in the Scottish Borders with a menagerie of rescued animals.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
1,869 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Another excellent Cullen and Bain ('bane') story
    Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    DS Scott Cullen is relentless in tracking the villains who are causing harm and those who aid them. Along the way Cullen's relationships and values are tested, redefined or strengthened. And as usual his old nemesis Brian Bain rears his bumbling head... Another great story with believable characters that you will swear that you know. Thanks for the thoroughly enjoyable book and series.
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  • HelenH
    4.0 out of 5 stars Murders and More
    Reviewed in the United States on November 10, 2018
    Boy, this was a tough one for Cullen and the rest of his colleagues, the ones he likes (a very short list) and the ones he dislikes (a much longer list). Hard to talk about the plot without giving away a lot, so suffice it to say it starts with a sting operation to bring down a slimy drug dealer and rapist that balloons into something much, much more as the bodies begin to pile up.

    There's twists galore, Cullen's personal life takes a turn or two, and Things Happen.

    And of course, let's not forget the colorful language, that readers need to be aware of. But this is book #8, so that should be a given by now!

    Be very glad that Ed James knows how to create compelling plot lines that are solvable by compelling characters like Scott Cullen, who rises above the awfulness of what's happening around him and manages to get through it all. Because he will. Book #9 beckons.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Phil&Deb
    5.0 out of 5 stars Cullen series is excellent
    Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    I have really enjoyed the Cullen series. I have read the 9 of them and look forward to more in the future
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  • Keith Beattie
    5.0 out of 5 stars Long may he continue.
    Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    As good as always. Really enjoy this author’s series on Police Scotland.
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  • DrsMum
    3.0 out of 5 stars Good story line, needs work on characters
    Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    I really like the Cullen series and have read them all. Sometimes this author tries to too hard to interject personal traits in his characters that have no bearing on the story and reactions from fellow characters that are not in line with any semblance of reality. For instance, the character Bain is continually making inappropriate comments that in reality would end up with him in a Sexual Harassment lawsuit and the reaction of his superiors and co-workers is merely "knock that off." He also give Cullen a reputation of being a cowboy, going off and doing the investigation his way vs what the system calls for, from my knowledge of police procedures in both the UK and the US he doesn't flesh that out. Cullen is brunt of everyone's anger but so far have no idea why...he gives the character good investigative instincts and he doesn't do illegal searches or the like so no clue where the cowboy antics seem to come into play. He also has all these people drinking their brains out every night... I wish he didn't feed into that stereotype. Oh well enough said, read the series as Ed James does create interesting stories.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Know Escape
    5.0 out of 5 stars Cullen is Back!
    Reviewed in Canada on November 3, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    After three long years DS Scott Cullen returns to the forefront of Ed James' Scotland. Full of twists and turns, the story explores the blurry lines between hero and villain, love and hate, success and failure, right and wrong. The answers may surprise you, and of course DS Bain never fails to disappoint with his usual brand of depravity. You'll find yourself racing through this book not only to find out "who dunnit" but "why". This story is chock full of Edinburgh's dark underbelly for those who enjoy Ian Rankin's John Rebus, with a comedic edge and fallibility that fans of Stuart MacBride's Logan McRae will appreciate.
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  • T. Wood
    5.0 out of 5 stars Another Brilliant Instalment Well Worth Waiting For
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 5, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Oh, Scott Cullen how I've missed you!

    It's been three years since the previous book in this series but DS Cullen's life is just as precariously balanced and fast paced as ever. I was delighted to see the promise of further books mentioned in the author's notes because a lot of previously loose ends were dealt with in this very satisfying instalment of one of my favourite detective series and the chance of it being the end seemed highly possible.

    As always Ed James writes a tightly wound novel full of excitement, murder and mayhem.  Scott Cullen was his first major protagonist and has always been a relatable character.  He has no deep, psychologically traumatic background, instead he is a normal guy in a world most of us would consider abnormal, with his own everyday problems conflicting with his work ones.

    In Heroes and Villains he comes up against the nemesis of many of his colleagues as well as himself; Dean Vardy, a Teflon coated lowlife who seems to always be one step ahead of an arresting officer or crown prosecutor.  This time however, the prospect of a vigilante also hunting down his prey makes Cullen's life even more complicated.

    There is no holding back on the descriptions of murder scenes, decrepit apartment buildings and the helpless members of society preyed on by the likes of Dean Vardy. The images of squalid living, underage mothers and traumatised employees juxtapose with the overstated wealth of criminals and underhand lawyers, before spilling into the overwhelming,  24/7, stress laden existence of the Police Scotland officers. They are fighting a losing battle against violent crime, prostitution and the job itself, which never gives them a chance to recharge and reflect before hurtling head first into the next problem.

    This is an excellent addition to the series, I just hope it's less than three years before the next one!
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  • Reader
    5.0 out of 5 stars Another great DS Cullen story
    Reviewed in Australia on December 13, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    DS Cullen back on the straight and narrow, but are his colleagues? Can DS Cullen stay on the straight and narrow? Another great story that mixes humour in a great story. This is a series to get into.
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  • Peter J Harrison
    5.0 out of 5 stars A great author.
    Reviewed in Australia on December 25, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Another great Scott Cullen book. Didn't want to put it down until I finished it completely.
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  • RichW
    4.0 out of 5 stars Bizarre Love Triangle
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 20, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Cullen's chaotic personal life hasn't improved any in the latest instalment in this excellent series. Meanwhile, some of his fellow officers are heading down a rocky road and the city's number one criminal is putting his head way above the parapet. Another really enjoyable read.
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