CONSTABLE AROUND THE VILLAGE a perfect feel-good read from one of Britain's best-loved authors

DISCOVER YOUR NEXT FAVOURITE SERIES. MEET BRITAIN’S BEST-LOVED VILLAGE POLICEMAN.

“It’s original, it’s funny . . . one of life’s little pleasures.” Yorkshire Post

THE BOOKS WHICH INSPIRED HEARTBEAT

The brilliantly entertaining and heartwarming books behind the hit 90s TV series Heartbeat, one of the top ten most watched shows of the decade.

A CANINE CRISIS FOR CONSTABLE NICK

Nick is settling into his role as a police constable in Aidensfield, getting to grips with rural life and his new colleagues and neighbours.

Constable Nick maintains his warm approach through the village's many incidents, whether it's the historic tradition of the First Footing on New Year's Eve or the scandal of an undug grave.

More problems stem from the unlawful activities of Arnold Merryweather's bus, with its imposing conductress, Hannah, a jockey who steals supplies for his hungry horse and the old railway worker who vanishes as the last train passes through the village.

THE VILLAGE ISN’T AS SLEEPY AS IT SEEMS

Nick soon finds himself facing a canine crisis. Farmer Lowe's overworked sheepdog is feigning deafness. Without the dog, the cows cannot be milked, bringing his farming business to a screeching halt. Meanwhile, five sheep turn up dead, and Sidney Chapman's dog is accused of the crime, much to his dismay.

Can Nick salvage Aidensfield's farming future, not to mention the reputations of two dogs, while juggling his other cases?

“Stories of a constable on his village beat in North Yorkshire. All very gentle and far, far removed from the hurly burly of modern day city policing.” Daily Telegraph

In the beautiful North Yorkshire countryside of the 1960s, Constable Nick's roles are as varied as the eccentric villagers.

IT’S NOT THE BIG CITY BUT THE YORKSHIRE COUNTRYSIDE IS STILL FULL OF INCIDENT

Perfect for fans of James Herriot, TE Kinsey, Gerald Durrell, J. R. Ellis or anyone who loves a great read.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT NICHOLAS RHEA

"Just love Nicholas Rhea's Constable books . . . easy reading delivers a heart-warming, amusing trip back to a very different kind of policing in the 60s." Joy Ellis

“Recommended if it's laughter you're after.” Bolton Evening News

“Richly entertaining.” Yorkshire Evening Post

”Splendid reading.” Police Journal

“To be really blunt, this is not my normal reading fare, but I loved it.” Nancy

“I enjoyed this tremendously.” Melissa

“A wonderful and relaxing dip into the beautiful North Yorkshire Moors.” David


IN THE AUTHOR’S OWN WORDS
“As I had served as a village constable in a delightful part of the North York Moors, it seemed logical to use that experience as a background to the stories, and to add a touch of humour which is always present in police work.”

CONSTABLE NICK MYSTERIES
Book 1: CONSTABLE ON THE HILL
Book 2: CONSTABLE ON THE PROWL
Book 3: CONSTABLE AROUND THE VILLAGE
Book 4: CONSTABLE ACROSS THE MOORS
Book 5: CONSTABLE IN THE DALE

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Author Nicholas Rhea (the pseudonym of Peter Walker) drew on his own experiences as a local bobby for a small Yorkshire village in the 1960s to chronicle the career of Constable Nick, from his first arrival in Aidensfield in Constable on the Hill through his years on his rural beat, to his retirement in Constable over the Hill. In 2007, he was given the Crime Writers' Association's John Creasey Award (named after the CWA founder) for services to the association. By his death in 2017, he had written over 110 books, using as many as five pseudonyms, and had become one of the north's most prolific writers.