Books by Nicholas Rhea
Constable books
The Constable books are probably Nicholas Rhea's best known work, since they form the rootstock from which the much-loved TV series, Heartbeat, sprang. No more episodes of the show are being filmed, but life in Aidensfield goes on, as Nicholas Rhea continues to publish new installments of the Constable Nick story: May sees the publication of the next instalment, Constable at the Fair. Or catch up with Constable in the Country in the long-awaited paperback edition. For those who prefer to listen to their books, Nick McArdle's recording of Constable Beats the Bounds is now available in a variety of audio formats.
Reading Constable Nick's story in full from the start had become a pleasure reserved to collectors, since the original editions, published by Robert Hale, are out of print (though it is still possible for the dedicated enthusiast to hunt them down! The first two installments, Constable on the Hill and Constable on the Prowl have already received the tribute of selection by Chivers Press (now a division of BBC Audiobooks) and a sub-committee of The Crime Writers' Association for publication in a Black Dagger edition - a very gratifying compliment, since the Black Dagger list is designed to select outstanding examples of every type of crime and mystery story. Now Accent Press have brought eight of the classic titles back into the book shops, in a smart new Heartbeat edition.
Read more about Constable at the Fair and all the Constable books »
More about Constable Beats the Bounds »
The Pemberton books
Murder under the Midnight Sun, featuring DS Mark Pemberton, is now available in a range of audio formats. In it, Pemberton embarks on a cruise to the Arctic Circle, thinking he's very much off duty. He simply wants to experience the spectacle of the Midnight Sun and the splendour of the glaciers and fjords. But then a man is found stabbed in a locked cabin...
This new twist on the classic "locked room" mystery is the latest in a series of Pemberton books, of which reviewer Martin Edwards wrote in the specialist magazine Crime Time: "The Pemberton series is distinctive and deserves to be better known." It was first published by Constable Crime on 25th September 2008.
More about the Pemberton books »
Heartbeat Special
Another book from Nicholas Rhea is something rather different: a lavishly illustrated book about the making of Heartbeat. It includes input from the makers and stars of the show, as well as the author's own unique inside information. It is published by Mortons of Horncastle, and can be ordered from them via its own dedicated web site, where you can also see some of its many pictures, and read extracts from the text. It is also available from WH Smiths and, as a special concession, from the Aidensfield Stores in Goathland!
Life Assured
The Assured books are the newest series from Nicholas Rhea, drawing on his childhood memories of life in rural Yorkshire a generation before Heartbeat. This has appealed to his readership, and the fourth installment is now available. Life Assured reveals how Matthew and Evelyn cope, when Matthew's motorcycle accident leaves him unable to make his rounds of his far-flung moorland agency.
Meanwhile, the third book (Self Assured) is now available in a Large Print edition.
More about the Assured books »
Prize Murder
Another popular creation is the eccentric Detective Inspector Montague Pluke, a man with a passion for horse-troughs - and his latest case is Prize Murder.
Nicholas Rhea's cryptic comment about this new adventure is:
"Lots of us have received letters offering chances of winning wonderful competitions, but suppose first prize was your own murder! When Detective Inspector Montague Pluke receives such a letter, he needs all his luck if he is to survive."
Prize Murder was published by Constable Crime in October 2006; it is now also available as an audiobook, on cassette or CD.
More about this and other Montague Pluke books »
Old Friends
In addition to all these current series, Nicholas Rhea has a long backlist of books written under a variety of names (see below). And he knows that some of his readers are serious collectors of his earlier works. But when he went to Holman's bookshop in December 2007, ready to sign copies of his latest book, plus any other books that readers might bring with them, he wasn't expecting to see a copy of his very first book, Carnaby and the Hijackers (published forty years ago)! That's what regular visitor Willie MacFarlane had brought all the way from Perth in Scotland. "It's amazing where they find my very old books!" says Nicholas Rhea.
More about the Carnaby series »
Other names, other books
Over the last 30 years, Nicholas Rhea has created a portfolio of books remarkable both in its size (more than 90 titles, 158 publications) and its diversity. Follow the links for a full list of his publications arranged alphabetically by title or in date order, from the very first to forthcoming titles. And here is an aide mémoire to help you:
- Nicholas Rhea:
- Constable series, crime novels, Yorkshire non-fiction.
- Peter N Walker:
- non-fiction books, Carnaby series, crime novels.
- Christopher Coram:
- crime novels.
- James Ferguson:
- Emmerdale books.
- Tom Ferris:
- crime novels.
- Andrew Arncliffe:
- crime novels.
Written from a desire to mix humorous fictitious characters with facts and real-life experience in the North Yorkshire Police, Rhea's books invariably satisfy readers who love detective and police novels and the Yorkshire countryside. Not all of his books are currently in print. Some are extremely collectable, and there is information elsewhere on the site which may help to track these down. Or you can order current titles from Amazon by clicking on the links provided, or by using the search box below.