Ed James

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About Ed James

Hi, my name is Ed James and I'm the author of multiple series of crime novels.

If you want to contact me, copy the addresses into your app of choice!
Mailing list -- https://geni.us/EJmailer
Email -- ed@edjames.co.uk
Twitter -- http://www.twitter.com/edjamesauthor
Facebook -- http://www.facebook.com/EdJamesAuthor

The bestselling DI Simon Fenchurch series is set on the gritty streets of East London, with seven books in the series.

The Scott Cullen series of Scottish police procedurals features a young Edinburgh Detective Constable investigating crimes from the bottom rung of the career ladder he's desperate to climb. The first book, "Ghost in the Machine", has been downloaded over 400,000 times, hitting both the Amazon UK & US top five.

Spinning off the Cullen books, the Craig Hunter books star a PTSD-suffering ex-squaddie now working as a cop investigating sexual abuse cases, with lots of slapstick and office banter. The first three books are out now.

DS Vicky Dodds has two books set in Dundee, with another two planned for release in 2021.

I live in the Scottish Borders, Scotland and I write full-time, but used to work in IT project management, where I filled my weekly commute to London by literally writing on planes, trains and automobiles.

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Blood and Guts: A Scottish Detective Mystery (DS Vicky Dodds Scottish Crime Thrillers) Mar 25, 2021

by Ed James

( 12 )

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Christmas Eve. A dead teenager, another missing. One hell of a case.

Settling down for a nice Christmas Eve with her daughter and her best friend, a phone call pulls DS Vicky Dodds into work and to a deadly new case.

A teenage girl, her body cooling in a cold, dark supermarket car park. Found next to her friend’s car, but she’s missing too — has the killer taken her? Or is she the killer?

As the clock ticks down, Vicky digs deep as she investigates Dundee’s grim underbelly, and shows real blood and guts as she cuts through the lies of teenagers and a colleague’s furious rage in her pursuit of the truth.

BLOOD & GUTS is an explosive crime thriller novel from bestselling author, Ed James, one of Scottish crime fiction’s grittiest writers. Perfect for fans of Ian Rankin, Val McDermid, James Oswald and Stuart MacBride.

Tell Me Lies: A completely addictive and unputdownable crime thriller (Detective Max Carter Book 1) Jan 21, 2020

by Ed James

( 229 )

$2.99

FBI special agent Max Carter is on the hunt – he’ll stop at nothing to catch a kidnapper with a taste for danger and a need for revenge. Fans of Lee Child and David Baldacci will be gripped by this heart-racing thriller from bestselling author Ed James.

As Senator Christopher Holliday walks through the halls of the US Federal Building in Seattle, his phone beeps with an alert. Frustrated by the interruption, he takes a quick glance and is horrified by the image on the screen – his two children, Brandon and Avery, unconscious. The message simply reads: Meet me or they die.

The race is on to find the children and leading the investigation is Special Agent Max Carter from the FBI’s Child Abduction Rapid Deployment team. He will stop at nothing to find children stolen from their families – after all, he was once one of those taken children, so he knows exactly what’s at stake.

Rushing to the Senator’s home in Washington State, Carter faces a wall of police cruisers and blacked-out SUVs. Megan Holliday, the senator’s wife, was ambushed by a man with a gun as she returned home from taking her kids out for ice cream. Bound and drugged, the attacker left her unconscious on the doorstep before messaging her husband.

When Senator Holliday flees the federal building, but fails to show up at home, Carter grows suspicious. The busy politician has vanished without telling anyone what he’s up to. If Carter knows one thing, it’s that Holliday has something to hide. And he just became Carter’s prime suspect.

What readers are saying about Tell Me Lies:

‘Wow, what a book – revenge, corruption, death and politics… Loved it.’ NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars

‘Brilliant from start to finish and I loved it... so many twists it kept me turning the pages way past my bedtime! This book knocks it out of the park on every level and I can't wait for the next one.’ NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars

‘Excellent... I could not put this book down.’ Robin Loves Reading

‘Fast-paced and enthralling… A page-turner impossible to put down.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘The action comes thick and fast as the storyline moves at a rapid pace.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘Twists and turns, corruption, greed, revenge, danger, cover-ups, web of lies all kept my attention. I loved this book.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘Mystery and intrigue, double dealing and corruption at the highest levels of US Government. Loved it.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘I can’t wait for the next one in the series.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘Fast-paced and full of twists... I had no idea where it was going to end and that’s what I love most about reading.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘Exhilarating and high octane read with plenty of twists and turns.’ Goodreads reviewer

‘A potent mix of emotion, surprising reveals and twists… There is plenty going on and the action barely allows you a moment to compose yourself when another shocking twist takes you completely by surprise.

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Paperback

Before She Wakes: An absolutely unputdownable gripping crime thriller Jan 29, 2021

by Ed James

( 240 )

$2.99

She opens her eyes and focuses on the room around her. Everything is in place, yet something isn’t right. She walks towards her daughter’s room, calling her name, as she does every morning. But this morning is different. This morning there is no response. Marissa’s daughter has vanished.

Single mother Marissa stands in her daughter’s untidy room. Olivia’s phone is still charging at the wall and her clothes are still hanging in her closet. The mirror above her daughter’s desk is cracked and a message written in red ink reads ‘Never Forget’.

When the investigation into Olivia’s disappearance makes local headlines, people begin to gossip about the missing teenager and it soon becomes clear she had been lying to her mother for a long time. Not only did she have a secret boyfriend, but she had also been talking to her guidance counsellor constantly in the weeks before she disappeared. What was so big that Olivia couldn’t tell?

And when a blood test reveals that Marissa was drugged the night Olivia went missing, fingers point at Marissa’s estranged husband, but he too has vanished without trace. Could a long-buried family secret have put the teenager’s life in danger? And will the truth be revealed before it’s too late for the missing girl?

Fans of Melinda Leigh, Kendra Elliott and Mark Edwards will love this pulse-racing crime thriller from bestselling author Ed James. Before She Wakes will keep you up all night!

What readers are saying about Before She Wakes:

“It took me to the edge more than once, dangled me over, yanked me back up and repeated the process until it left me broken. Broken but wanting more!” ChapterInMyLife, 5 stars

“An engrossing read.” NetGalley reviewer

“I absolutely loved it.” NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars

“Third book in the series and they keep getting better and better.” B for Book Review, 5 stars

“A fast-paced, engaging whodunit.” Life Between the Lines

“Hooked from the first page, it drew me in and didn’t let go. A fast-paced storyline with plenty of twists and turns.” Goodreads reviewer

“A thrilling read from start to finish… This had so many crazy parts, you won’t know which way the story is going… Absolutely great!” @Oh.Happy.Reading

“Just when I thought I knew who did it, the author added another twist… A fast-paced, well-written book that kept me guessing and with an ending I didn’t expect.” Goodreads reviewer

“So many twists and I had to keep reading.” Goodreads reviewer

“A great read filled with twists and turns.” @CreaseInTheSpineBooks

“A whodunnit that will keep you guessing.’ Goodreads reviewer

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Paperback

Gone in Seconds: A gripping and addictive crime thriller (Detective Max Carter Book 2) Jun 12, 2020

by Ed James

( 317 )

$2.99

‘Spectacular read. It had me on the edge of my seat and I just couldn’t stop reading. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

A baby missing. A family in pieces. A shocking secret that can’t be told.

Landon and Jennifer Bartlett have everything—money, influence and a picture-perfect family. But it means nothing when their lives are torn apart the day someone breaks into their plush mansion and takes their newborn child right from his cot.

FBI Agent Max Carter investigates child abduction cases. He has a reputation for working all hours to find every missing child on his watch—after all, he was once one himself. When he visits the Bartletts’ sprawling home in an exclusive estate in the suburbs of Seattle, he’s immediately suspicious of Landon Bartlett and his brother Chase.

As Carter delves deeper into the lives of the brothers, he finds a web of dubious business deals and lies that could cost the Bartlett’s their entire family fortune. And it’s clear they will do anything to keep their secrets—but would they withhold vital information that could lead him to baby Ky’s kidnapper?

As Carter begins a cat-and-mouse game with the kidnapper, he receives some startling news from home, which stops him in his tracks. And when a young woman is spotted boarding a bus out of town with a baby fitting Ky’s description, he must decide whether to risk everything to find the missing child or save his own family.

Fans of Kendra Elliot, Melinda Leigh and Robert Dugoni will love this heart-pumping, pulse-racing crime thriller from bestselling author Ed James.

What readers are saying about Gone in Seconds:

‘Talk about a total thriller. I could NOT put this one down… I really loved this book. It was super fast-paced and a quick read. I read it all in one sitting.’ Mama’s Book Ramblins’ Blog

‘Wow, wow, wow, wow. What a book!! I enjoyed every minute… A definite must-read!!’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘Captivating… I was utterly gobsmacked by the ending… A real cracker of a page-turner.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘I couldn’t put this book down! I began reading in the afternoon and had to finish it tonight. It’s THAT GOOD.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘A great story with some gobsmacking revelations and a chilling finish that will make you want to pull your hair out because you have to wait for book three… Just loved it.’ B for Book Review, 5 stars

‘A spectacular read. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘I loved this book… Every page kept me wanting more and I finished it in a day.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘Another great story full of twists and turns… A book you can’t put down until you finish it.’ NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars

‘Kept me up until the early hours of the morning because once I was hooked, I couldn’t put it down!’ Goodreads reviewer,

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Paperback

Dead Man's Shoes: An East London Detective Mystery (DI Fenchurch Crime Thrillers Book 7) Dec 2, 2020

by Ed James

( 370 )

$2.99

One dead body. Enough blood for two.

Struggling in his new role, where he feels nowhere near worthy of following his predecessor, DCI Simon Fenchurch is called to a hipster brewery's basement. A dead body has been found in a pool of blood. And there are two pairs of shoes at the scene. Does the second pair belong to the killer? Or another victim?

As the case veers off in an unexpected direction, Fenchurch comes to face-to-face with someone from his past, someone intent on causing havoc by revealing case secrets to the public. Secrets even Fenchurch doesn’t know.

As the hidden past becomes a present threat, can Fenchurch catch a brutal killer before they murder again? And can Fenchurch fill dead man’s shoes?

Perfect for fans of Mark Billingham, Peter James and Stuart MacBride, murder is intercut with humour in this fast-paced crime thriller set on the gritty streets of East London.

Other Formats: Paperback

This title and over 1 million more available with Kindle Unlimited.

Skin and Bone: A Scottish Detective Mystery (DS Vicky Dodds Scottish Crime Thrillers Book 3) May 1, 2021

by Ed James

$3.99

A dead boy. A missing girl. A dark mystery.

When a teenage boy is abducted from a Dundee street in broad daylight, DS Vicky Dodds and her team are put on the case when the drowned body is found with just one clue — an inscrutable code scratched onto his arm.

Vicky must hunt across Dundee for the brutal killers, drawing on old friends and family to probe the deep corners of the dark web and Scottish gangs.

As Vicky learns to doubt who she can trust, she connects with a new friend, someone who can maybe help her resolve her own murky past.

From the acclaimed author of the DI Fenchurch series, Skin & Bone is an unyielding police procedural that explores the darkest corners of the human psyche, perfect for fans of Ian Rankin, LJ Ross, JD Kirk and Stuart MacBride.

Kill With Kindness: An East London Detective Mystery (DI Fenchurch Crime Thrillers Book 5) Mar 11, 2020

by Ed James

( 383 )

$3.99

A sadistic killer. An infamous victim. A crime that gets darker and darker…

The body of a young woman is found in a London hotel room, the victim of a suspected poisoning. Called in to investigate, DI Simon Fenchurch soon discovers the case is far more sinister than he could have imagined.

He should have recognised the woman at once—a teacher at a local school, her scandalous affair with a pupil has been splashed across the tabloids. As Fenchurch interrogates those closest to her, a web of suspicious connections begins to emerge.
Meanwhile Fenchurch’s own life is still in turmoil: his family fragmented, his baby son in intensive care, and his mentor replaced by an unsympathetic new boss. The streets of London are in chaos too, with a spate of acid attacks on seemingly random victims.

Struggling to hold on to hope on both fronts, Fenchurch faces the toughest few days of his career. Can he keep his family safe and catch whoever is behind the murder before more lives are lost?

Murder is intercut with humour in this fast-paced crime whodunnit set on the gritty streets of East London.

This title and over 1 million more available with Kindle Unlimited.

Senseless: the most chilling crime thriller of the year Mar 19, 2020

by Ed James

( 196 )

$2.99

THREE MISSING PEOPLE... ONE TWISTED PREDATOR.

'Chilling, highly original, and highly recommended.' Caz Frear, SWEET LITTLE LIES

'Just when your heart rate is getting back to normal, SENSELESS smacks you in the face with another twist' JENNY BLACKHURST, No.1 bestselling author

DAY ONE
Six weeks after vanishing, Sarah Langton is suddenly found - delirious and starved close to death.
The police struggle to find any answers.

DAY TWO
When another missing person reappears, half-crazed and hysterical, a terrifying pattern emerges: a twisted predator is pushing his victims to insanity.

DS Corcoran, haunted by a previous case, and Dr Marie Palmer, a leading criminal psychiatrist, must try to establish a link between the survivors.

DAY THREE
As it becomes clear others are in grave danger, every second will be critical. But can Corcoran and Palmer unravel the deadliest of puzzles in time?

This twisting and page-turning thriller is perfect for readers of Chris Carter, M.J. Arlidge, Sharon Bolton and Fiona Cummins.

Other Formats: Paperback

The Hope That Kills: An East London Detective Mystery (DI Fenchurch Crime Thrillers Book 1) Mar 11, 2020

by Ed James

( 2,006 )

$1.38

A missing daughter. A haunted cop. A deep, dark mystery.

When a young woman's body is found in a disused East London building, in the shadow of the City of London’s gleaming towers, DI Simon Fenchurch takes charge but soon faces an impossible situation.

The victim has no ID on her, just hard-earned cash, but there is no doubting the ferocity of the attack. As Fenchurch and his team in the Met police service try to identify her and piece together her murder, they’re faced with cruel indifference at every turn. Nobody cares about yet another dead prostitute.

To Fenchurch, however, she could just as easily be Chloe, his daughter still missing after ten years, whose memory still haunts him, his burning obsession having killed his marriage.

But the discovery of a second body forces Fenchurch to peel back the grimy layers shrouding the London sex trade, confronting his own traumatic past while racing to undo a scheme larger, more complex and more evil than anything he could possibly have imagined.

Murder is intercut with humour in this fast-paced crime whodunnit set on the gritty streets of East London.

Other Formats: Hardcover , Paperback , Audio CD

This title and over 1 million more available with Kindle Unlimited.

Flesh and Blood: A Scottish Detective Mystery (DS Vicky Dodds Scottish Crime Thrillers Book 2) Jul 1, 2020

by Ed James

( 295 )

$3.99

A body in a bunker. A killer back from the past. A daughter doubting her father.

When a body turns up in a golf course bunker, covered in blood and sand, DS Vicky Dodds must switch from her usual Dundee patch to search for a murderer in her home town of Carnoustie.

But when a second, connected body turns up, Vicky must confront the one who got away from someone close to her — the serial killer her ex-cop father lost his mind hunting down back in the 90s.

As Vicky is torn between her job and her family life, other figures come out of the past. But can she stop this killer before he strikes again?

From the acclaimed Scottish Crime author of the DI Fenchurch series, Flesh & Blood is an unyielding police procedural that fearlessly examines whether the past should remain dead and buried, and is perfect for fans of Ian Rankin, Stuart Macbride, LJ Ross and JD Kirk.

Other Formats: Paperback

This title and over 1 million more available with Kindle Unlimited.

Tooth and Claw: A Scottish Detective Mystery (DS Vicky Dodds Scottish Crime Thrillers Book 1) Jun 3, 2018

by Ed James

( 772 )

$4.14

Meet Vicky Dodds. Single mother, commitment-phobe, Detective Sergeant.

The disappearance of a Dundee-based dog breeder sets DS Vicky Dodds and her team on a desperate hunt through the city and the surrounding Tayside.

But soon other crimes are committed, with clear signs of escalation, and as the perpetrators' message becomes clearer, Vicky begins to question where her own sympathies lie.

From the acclaimed author of the DI Fenchurch series, Tooth & Claw is an unyielding police procedural that fearlessly examines the uncomfortable grey areas between right and wrong.

[NOTE: Previously published as SNARED. This edition contains significant editorial revisions.]

Other Formats: Paperback

This title and over 1 million more available with Kindle Unlimited.

Worth Killing For: An East London Detective Mystery (DI Fenchurch Crime Thrillers Book 2) Mar 11, 2020

by Ed James

( 791 )

$2.99

A vicious murder. A case close to home.

On a busy London street, a young woman is attacked in broad daylight and left bleeding to death on the pavement. Among the eyewitnesses are DI Simon Fenchurch and his wife.

Fenchurch pursues the attacker through a warren of backstreets and eventually arrests a young hoodie with a cache of stolen phones—an ‘Apple picker’ on the make. The case should be closed but something feels off…Was this really just about a smartphone? Why did the victim look nervous before she was targeted? And why don’t the prints on the murder weapon match the young man in custody?

Before Fenchurch can probe further, his superiors remove him from the case, convinced he has let the real culprit run free. But Fenchurch is determined to get to the truth and, before long, uncovers a conspiracy that reaches high above the street gangs of London.

Murder is intercut with humour in this fast-paced crime whodunnit set on the gritty streets of East London.

Other Formats: Paperback , Audio CD

This title and over 1 million more available with Kindle Unlimited.

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