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Ed James
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Devil in the Detail: An unputdownable gripping Scottish Detective Mystery (Police Scotland Crime Series Book 3) Kindle Edition

by Ed James (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 out of 5 stars 3,630 ratings

A missing schoolgirl. A haunted detective. An enthralling mystery.


When the body of Mandy Gibson, a young disabled girl, turns up in the affluent East Lothian town of Garleton, DC Scott Cullen finds himself caught in the cross-fire of competitive police politics. The heartbroken parents don’t hesitate to point the finger of suspicion at young Jamie Cook, a tearaway teen with a long history of run-ins with the police. But where is he now?

When the victim’s and the suspect’s families are revealed to belong to an offshoot group of the Catholic Church run by an excommunicated priest, Cullen quickly realises that the key to catching the killer is finding out the darkest secrets of this close-knit community, one family at a time.

For fans of Ian Rankin, Ed McBain and Christopher Brookmyre, Devil in the Detail is the third novel in the gritty Police Scotland police procedural series that has set the bestseller charts alight.

Praise for Devil in the Detail:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Brilliant and compelling. A must-read for those who enjoy crime thrillers’ – Amazon reviewer

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘[I have] struck gold! If you like crime fiction this is a must-read’ – Amazon reviewer

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘The characters are convincingly drawn, and show all the human failings and frailties of real people … If I have a complaint, it's only that Mr James will be completely unable to keep up with my reading speed. If there can be a higher compliment, I'm already comparing his quality with that of the late lamented Ed McBain’ – Amazon reviewer

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Loved it from beginning to end. You will not be disappointed" – Goodreads review

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A fantastic author and series … [Devil in the Detail] has some subtle twists and turns and others which knock you sideways. Highly recommended!’ – Amazon reviewer

‘Classic Scottish noir: bad food, bad moods, too much booze and tight plots’ – @ey0k1, Twitter

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 3 of 14
    Police Scotland Edinburgh Crime Thrillers
  2. Print length
    358 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Accessibility
    Learn more
  5. Publication date
    January 15, 2014
  6. File size
    2.6 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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There are 14 books in this series.

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From the Publisher

Covers for all eight Scott Cullen books

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B009O51HFO
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Grey Dog Books
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 15, 2014
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.6 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 358 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 3 of 14 ‏ : ‎ Police Scotland Edinburgh Crime Thrillers
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 out of 5 stars 3,630 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

4.2 out of 5 stars
3,630 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book well-written with lots of twists and turns in the story. They appreciate the character development, with one review noting how each character has a unique personality. The book maintains a great pace throughout, and one customer describes it as a worthy successor to Rebus.

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ReadabilityStory qualityCharacter developmentPacingPace
30 customers mention "Readability"30 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well written and easy to read, with one customer describing it as a "real pager turner."

"...just slightly before the reveal...but jeebuz, that's brilliant reader manipulation...." Read more

"...dead ends, crazy happenings and jarring truths to make it a real pager turner...." Read more

"...come a bit too easy but the first two in the series are worth reading. First one was better, looking forward to the third" Read more

"...- Scott Cullen series, you have to buy the set or you will miss an awesome read ...." Read more

21 customers mention "Story quality"21 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's well-thought-out plot lines with lots of twists and turns, and one customer notes how the conflicting evidence as the story builds is well done.

"...The pace and suspense never stopped, and I got absolutely nothing else done all day and evening because of it...." Read more

"...It's filled with enough dead ends, crazy happenings and jarring truths to make it a real pager turner...." Read more

"...Mr James brilliantly steers his own path with well thought-out plot lines, characters that make you care (one way or another) strong police..." Read more

"The conflicting evidence as the story builds are well done...." Read more

15 customers mention "Character development"13 positive2 negative

Customers appreciate the characters in the book, with one noting how each character has a unique personality.

"...steers his own path with well thought-out plot lines, characters that make you care (one way or another) strong police procedural and of course lots..." Read more

"Ed James is not only prolific, but terrific. His characters are all so well-drawn that we would recognize them immediately if we were to see them on..." Read more

"...The characters in the book are very interesting with each having a unique personality. It's a good mystery and police procedural...." Read more

"Really wonderful book with worthwhile characters. The reviews said it was reminiscent of Ian Rankin and it actually is!..." Read more

4 customers mention "Pacing"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the pacing of the book, with one noting it's a worthy successor to Rebus.

"...First one was better, looking forward to the third" Read more

"...DC Cullen is a fascinating character and a worthy successor to Rebus...." Read more

"Excellent sequel..." Read more

"Great series..." Read more

3 customers mention "Pace"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's pace.

"...The pace is excellent with constant plot progression and very little fluff...." Read more

"Started slow but the interplay of the other members of the police portrayed in the book displayed desperation and a lack a respect for the officer..." Read more

"Incredible mystery. Full of twists and turns. Very well written, fast paced, believable characters Can't wait for the next book." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Deborah T
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent sequel
    Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Wow, this book had a LOT of stuff going on in the plot and Ed hung it all together in a tight celtic knot. The pace and suspense never stopped, and I got absolutely nothing else done all day and evening because of it. I admit to figuring out whodunnit just slightly before the reveal...but jeebuz, that's brilliant reader manipulation. Set 6 months after Ghost in the Machine, it was refreshing to see our Scott still struggling with p.t.s.d. from the events. Most authors would gloss that over and neatly wrap it up to move on, but Ed has woven this thread into the continuing over-arcing story. I love how Scott is admitted rubbish at relationships and yet still trying to get his current one right...there was a line he spoke about a curtain and a swift exit that had me in absolute fits. And Bain: am I the only person hearing Gene Hunt's voice whenever Bain speaks? Seriously, am I? Anyway, enough about this book..I am far too busy reading the third one now. Ed: keep. writing. man.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • HelenH
    4.0 out of 5 stars Definitely no second book slump
    Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Ed James has another winner in this, the second Scott Cullen police procedural. It's filled with enough dead ends, crazy happenings and jarring truths to make it a real pager turner.

    I can understand where one reviewer is coming from, in regards to ye olde copper Bain -- he definitely gets under a reader's skin from beginning to end. But this is part of the "charm" -- hard to call it that -- of the character. There's got to be an end to this man; he's going to implode, and James' faithful readers (and Scott Cullen, of course) will be there to see it.

    Just as an aside, it will help if one has read the first book in the series - Ghost in the Machine. There are mentions and plot points, both large and small, that come from this first book. You will understand more of what's going on with Scott Cullen if you have read it.

    Highly recommended.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great pace and plotting
    Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    After grabbing a free copy of Ed James' first "Scott Cullen" novel (Ghost in the Machine) I was more than happy to pay for another delve into the life of Lothian & Borders' finest! "Devil" definitely did not disappoint.

    Mr James brilliantly steers his own path with well thought-out plot lines, characters that make you care (one way or another) strong police procedural and of course lots of twists and turns in the story. The pace is excellent with constant plot progression and very little fluff. Scott Cullen grows more likeable while his boss, DI Bain, becomes more impetuous and irritating, yet still remains within the realms of believability. Mr James creates sufficient underlying suspicion about several characters, I found it difficult to determine who "dunnit" until the reveal.

    It's great to find a series which is "unputdownable", especially among the wealth of new, self-published talent there is out there. I will be leaping on Mr James' future works as soon as they are available.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Jeff K
    4.0 out of 5 stars great set ups
    Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    The conflicting evidence as the story builds are well done. The ending conversations come a bit too easy but the first two in the series are worth reading. First one was better, looking forward to the third
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  • Twillpicket
    3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing.
    Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Ed James' first book, "Ghost in the Machine,'' was excellent in every way. I read it a few days ago and gave it a five star review. I can't do the same for this, his second book. I bought it as soon as I finished his first but couldn't get more than ten percent in. Thinking it was me, cranky from a head cold, I give it another try this morning. I got a little bit further but had to stop again.

    The problem was James' lead detective, Brian Bain. He was a little irritating in the first book but a major annoyance in ''Devil in the Detail.'' Every time I got into the ''Zone,'' that wonderful place where you forget you're reading, Brian Bain stumbled onto the scene like a bull in a china shop. He dropped F-bombs and coarse references all over the place, abused the other characters and was just a major irritant in general. I'm not so tender that every F word will send me into the vapors but Bain's language, employee abuse and over the top rudeness were too much of a distraction from what looked to be a very promising plot.

    Think of the many fictional characters who have entertained readers and viewers over the last century: Holmes, Marple, Poirot, Hammer, Bond, Fletcher, Colombo or Clouseau. They were tough as nails or sweetly benign, delightfully quirky or polished and urbane. None nor his boss was vulgar or unlikeable. Remember Clouseau's Chief Inspector Dreyfus! Popular modern authors like Sanders, Grisham, Cussler or McBain never descended into the gutter. They didn't need to and neither does Ed James. He's much too good for that.

    This is just one woman's opinion but James should dump Brian Bain. Buck him up the ranks or something. His character is too crass to be believable in my view. The author owes it to his other wonderful characters and to his considerable talent to bring in a better man.

    I wanted so much to love ''Devil in the Detail'' but couldn't. I gave it three stars. I couldn't go higher and had no right to go lower. Many other have loved it so it's a judge-it-for-yourself kind of thing. Ed James has great potential so maybe his third will be a charm. Hope so.
    15 people found this helpful
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  • Peter Baston
    5.0 out of 5 stars The Rodney Dangerfield of the Scots police force
    Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Detective Constable Scott Cullen just cannot get any respect . He gets stabbed mugged but still solves the crime even in the face a morass of mediocrity from his bosses in the police force. This is a Tour de force ( pun ) on how politics greed and good old prejudice in police management can screw up any crime investigation and what the unsung heroes like Scott has to do to bring justice to the fore. You simply cannot get just one of Ed James - Scott Cullen series, you have to buy the set or you will miss an awesome read . Now if only Ed would get really clever and in some future novel get one of Scotts journalist friends to create a fictional fictional detective based on DC ( Should be (Sargent - Inspector ) Cullen, then maybe his superiors will promote him ( at last ) so his devoted audience can breath a sigh of relief .
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • yvonne2907
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent follow-on
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 25, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    I absolutely loved "Ghost in the Machine" and have been eagerly awaiting the second title in the Scott Cullen series. I was hoping the new story would be as good as the first ... and it was! Scott Cullen again emerges as a detective constable with a good policing brain. It will be interesting to see how long the series will keep Cullen at his current rank.
    The storyline is credible, tautly plotted with enough twists to keep the reader engaged. The cast of characters are expertly described in sufficient detail so that they become almost real. The conflict between different policing units working on the case is sharply portrayed. The locations are clearly painted so that even if you don't know Edinburgh, you can picture the landscape and architecture. The story is well finished off with questions answered where they need to be but without spoiling continuing storylines for future novels.
    The setting of the story within a small close-knit religious community gives you pause for thought as to what really goes on behind closed doors within such communities!
    All in all, this is an excellent second novel from Ed James. The future bodes well for this series.
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  • Peter J Campbell
    5.0 out of 5 stars Devil in the Detail
    Reviewed in Canada on September 26, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Another great read. I enjoy reading Ed James. I enjoy the way he introduces his characters. Keep keeps you guessing who are the good guys and who are the bad guys.
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  • Danic
    4.0 out of 5 stars Bonne surprise !
    Reviewed in France on September 16, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Voir mon commentaire pour le titre "Bottleneck", 5ème de la série, du même auteur, avec les mêmes personnages et des enquètes toutes très intéressantes.
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  • Louis Doyle
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very good reading
    Reviewed in Australia on November 29, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    I enjoyed this as much as the first one. I don't understand why Cullen hasn't been promoted to a sergeant.
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  • Robert Hoyle
    4.0 out of 5 stars New to me
    Reviewed in Spain on July 24, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I very much enjoyed this ,to me, new detective character and I may well buy other books in the series. A sense of relism in the characterisation was apparent
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