Nicholas Rhea
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The man who inspired Heartbeat...
For the last 30 years, Nicholas Rhea has been writing books, drawing on his experiences in the police force, his never-ending enthusiasm for Yorkshire and his continuing interest in crime fact and fiction. His best known work, the Constable stories, provided the inspiration for the hugely popular Heartbeat TV series, and he remained involved with the series as a consultant until filming ended in 2009.
This is Nicholas Rhea's official website, and on it you will find not only his news and information about the man, his books and, of course, Heartbeat, but also a country diary kept by Nicholas Rhea himself, in which he shares his observations about the county of Yorkshire, its countryside and traditions.
Last Chance to See
As all fans are aware, at the end of filming the current series of Heartbeat, in May 2009, the cast were told that the show had come to an end. When the final episode was completed, there was a grand party for all those who have been part of the series over the years (you can read Rhoda Walker (Mrs Nicholas Rhea)'s account of the party on the Heartbeat main page).
But this was not quite the end for Heartbeat: the last nine episodes are at last being shown on ITV, starting on Sunday 18th July at 8.00 pm.
Heartbeat returns with an episode titled A Whiter Shade of Pale: A local woman is murdered and Joe finds his professional judgement questioned. When village newcomer Viv Mackay announces that she is to marry local businessman Dominic Bellingham, nobody is more surprised than Dominic himself. Later that evening, Viv's son Scott bangs on Joe's door saying Viv has been killed. The chief suspect is the village simpleton, who had been stalking her - but things soon change when the murder weapon is found.
Don't miss these last installments of a show reported in December 2009 (according to viewing figures reported by the Times Online) to be in the top ten most watched programmes of the decade, watched - and loved - by millions of viewers all around the world.
Nicholas Rhea writes:
"It would seem, even though Heartbeat has finished filming, the Constable stories are still popular and I'll write them as long as people want to read them. For me, personally, it has always been a delight to have my stories and characters portrayed in such a successful television series and I have been involved right from the start. Heartbeat filming is finished but the screening will go on, so keep watching and I will keep writing my Constable books.
Read the article in full in the Yorkshire Post.
All the fun of the fair!
Peter Walker (Nicholas Rhea) with Catherine.
On Saturday 19 June, Nicholas Rhea was in Whitby for a book-signing of his latest book, Constable at the Fair. He reports:
"We were looking forward to a day of blue skies, gentle sea breezes and lots of sunshine. Our reward was rain, wind and freezing temperatures. Nevertheless we were welcomed by a gathering of stalwart fans.
"I am always amazed, but extremely proud, that my readers take such trouble to attend these occasions. Among them was Gurli who had flown in from Denmark but had to rush back for school exams next day. Will and Mary came down again from Perthshire and my youngest fan, Catherine, had persuaded her parents to drive all the way from Chesterfield. Ian Blackburn couldn't make it so sent his representatives instead. Jeff turned up from Scarborough with his wife Linda on crutches, and Whitby lass Helen provided a local touch. It is such a pleasure to see them all and they seem to know more about my work than I do. They remind me of tales I've long forgotten! ITV may have stopped making Heartbeat but it seems the Constable books are as popular as ever.
"I'd also like to express my thanks to Teresa, David and Lynne at Holman's Bookshop who always work hard to make the day such a success, not to mention the endless cups of coffee and my favourite Botham's plumbread."
Those who couldn't be in Whitby can still enjoy this summer's crop of tales from Aidensfield, in the form of Constable at the Fair: Constable Nick reminisces about times gone by in Aidensfield and recalls the variety of fairs he has attended; mop fairs, country fairs, game fairs, fun fairs, horse fairs and Scarborough Fair itself have all formed part of the rich pageant of history on his patch.
More about Constable at the Fair and all the Constable books »
New books, new formats
There are not only new titles but new formats to look out for, too: as well as paperback editions and audio books, look out for an e-book of Constable Beats the Bounds, sighted at Waterstones! And the illustrated guide to Heartbeat - The story behind the series is also now available in a digital format.
And we have news of another first for Constable Nick, too: he has just been translated into Finnish. Aidensfieldin uusi konstaapeli ('New Constable in Aidensfield'), is a translation of the first Constable book, Constable on the Hill. There is a page about it on the publisher's web site, (in Finnish, but your internet browser may be able to help you if you don't speak the language!). Now the ice has been broken, 0ther translations will follow. Keep watching this page for all the latest news.
If you are new to the Constable books, you don't have to feel you've missed the start of the story. Trace the Heartbeat story back to its origins, with Áccent Press's reissue of some of those sought-after (collectors' items) titles, in a smart new "Heartbeat" livery.
More about the Accent Press reissue of Nicholas Rhea's Constable books »
Visible, Audible, Accessible
Nicholas Rhea is very aware that some of his readers find things harder to see than others; he does his best to make his books accessible to visually impaired readers. He is always pleased when his books are published in large print and audio book formats, as many of them are. Constable on View - the latest in the Constable series - is already available as an unabridged Audio Book from from ISIS Soundings and can be downloaded from Audible.co.uk (where you can also listen to a sample clip), and Magna will be publishing a Large Print edition in the autumn.
A new feature on this web site aims to make it easier to find those books which are published in accessible formats; look out for the logos indicating ISIS Soundings or Magna Large Print editions on the individual book listings; visit the Accessible Formats home page to learn about a new large print venture which is bringing some of Nicholas Rhea's books back into print; and keep watching for further developments.
More about books in accessible formats »
Other Books
Nicholas Rhea is also the author of many other books, among them the Pemberton series (described by one critic as "distinctive and deserves to be better known"). In Murder under the Midnight Sun, the most recent of these, DS Mark Pemberton embarks on a cruise to the Arctic Circle. He simply wants to enjoy his holiday, experience the spectacle of the Midnight Sun and admire the splendour of the glaciers and fjords. But then a man is found stabbed in a locked cabin and the captain turns to Pemberton - can he assist in investigating the death without alarming the other passengers? Murder under the Midnight Sun is now available in audio and Large Print editions.
Others include the 'Assured' series, set in the Yorkshire Dales a generation before Heartbeat, and the Montague Pluke books, about an eccentric detective with a passion for horse troughs. The latest Montague Pluke book is Prize Murder. Nicholas Rhea tells us: "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." And Prize Murder is now available in audiobook and large print formats, too.
More about Murder under the Midnight Sun and all the Pemberton books »
More about the Montague Pluke books »
More about all Nicholas Rhea's books »
Links
If you don't find what you are looking for on this site, try these links to other sites »
