Things are changing at Ashfordly Section police station. The sergeant is retiring and Police Constable Nick Rhea finds himself rising through the ranks, only to realise just how little he really knows about the locals of Aidensfield. Rhea is determined to meet the locals but a rogue goat causing traffic disturbances, a spate of burglaries, and a skeleton uncovered during a renovation mean his house calls will have to wait. Nicholas Rhea's delightful Constable tales paint an endearing and hilarious picture of police work in a rural district and was the inspiration for the Heartbeat TV series.
Detective Inspector Montague Pluke, of CID, is England’s most superstitious police officer. With crime at its lowest level for years, he decides to conduct a cold-case review. But there are no major unsolved crimes so, alerted by his wife, Millicent, to a large number of recent deaths – all attributed to natural causes - his expert knowledge of superstitions and folklore lead him to identify areas of suspicion sufficient to justify re-opening a case. Could an undetected mass-murderer be operating in Crickledale?His inquiries reveal that many of the deceased had been attended by Crickledale Voluntary Carers and he quickly produces a list of possible suspects. Indeed, the entire team of carers falls under suspicion – and Detective Inspector Pluke’s wife, Millicent, is one of them.
This heart-warming and hilarious prequel winds back the clock on Nicholas Rhea's beloved mystery series taking readers back to where it all started.Constable Nick is a fresh-faced young policeman, with dreams of making it as a detective.At last, he gets his big break.With holiday madness at its height, the Crime Investigation Department needs a new recruit.Nick jumps at the opportunity. He heads to the hectic seaside resort of Strensford and finds himself on the trail of two thieves.The first is a phantom knicker-pincher. The second steals a van from under the driver's very nose, along with its surprising cargo.And that's not all.The race is on for Constable Nick to solve the toughest case of his fledgling career.The brilliantly entertaining and heart-warming books behind the hit 90s TV series Heartbeat. One of the top ten most watched shows of the decade.
Constable Nick is promoted to a teaching post in a nearby town. But how will the folk of Aidensfield manage without their friendly village bobby? Many surprises lie in wait before Constable Nick takes his final trip over the hill.
Police Constable Nicholas Rhea continues his enthralling account of rural bobbying on the North Yorkshire Moors and finds himself dealing with a host of intriguing characters who live and work on these spectacular heights. Amongst the hilarious anecdotes are the cases of witchcraft used by Katherine Hardwick to rid herself of a troublesome suitor and the insurance man who covers a dog against its persistent theft and unscrupulous love-making. Contrasting with the humour and joy of rustic life there is sadness and Nicholas Rhea tells the poignant tale of the man who came to bury his wife on her beloved moors. The book is packed with stories of a country flavour and it provides a colourful picture of police work in a large rural district. There is humour and pathos and above all a love of human beings and concern for their welfare. Nicholas Rhea Nicholas Rhea is the pen-name of Peter N. Walker, formerly an inspector with the North Yorkshire Police, and the creator of the Constable series of books from which the Yorkshire TV series has been derived.
A bad omen. A sign of sorrow. One for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl, four for a boy...Detective Inspector Montague Pluke has always been superstitious, so when he sees a lone crow fly over the Crowther's home, he's sure death is waiting in the wings.And it doesn't take long for Pluke's premonitions to become a reality: the naked body of a young woman is found in a Druid's Circle - a place thought by locals to be the site of black magic. Rumours circulate about human sacrifice and dark rituals, but Pluke's not convinced the murder was committed in the circle.Trusting his intuition, Pluke returns to the scene of that first omen of death: the house of Cyril and May Crowther. And when two more victims perish in suspicious circumstances, Montague Pluke is ready and waiting to catch the killer... Omens of Death was first published in 1996. PRAISE FOR NICHOLAS RHEA'Splendid reading.' - Police Journal'It's original, it's funny - discovering Pluke has been one of life's little pleasures.' - Yorkshire Post'Detectives, in fiction at least, come in all shapes and sizes, but few make as much impact as Montague Pluke...The strength of the book lies in the characters, especially the eccentric Pluke and his wife, Millicent. But a rich seam of secondary characters wait in the wings. All hold out the promise of a wealth of humour and interest that can be tapped in the future.' - Yorkshire Post
Detective Inspector Montague Pluke finds, face down in the shallow waters of an historic horse trough, the recent heir to the Trippingdale castle. He was a thoughtful man much liked by his employees. So why would anyone want to kill him?
As he awaits his anticipated promotion, Constable Nick Rhea continues his work on the Yorkshire moorland beat of Aidensfield, reminiscing about his childhood in a similar idyllic village and making the inevitable comparisons. On his daily rounds he encounters an eccentric array of locals and visitors, none more so than Claude Jeremiah Greengrass, who splashes out on a colorful new car, only to have a pop group make him an offer he can't resist. The Beast of Aidensfield terrifies villagers by lurking in the darkness, and Constable Nick also has to deal with clever sheepdogs, psychic cows and ghostly racehorses...
Having qualified for promotion, Constable Nick must await a vacancy as he continues his rural duties at Aidensfield deep within the North York Moors National Park. As the spectacular countryside becomes increasingly busy with tourists, so the constabulary's day-to-day problems multiply, but not without minor incidents like people getting lost or the menace of discarded litter. So why would a man dump financial magazines in a moorland stream or a businessman throw sackfuls of rubbish into private woodland? What were the fearsome creatures which trapped tourists in a moorland village? Why would anyone abandon a wedding cake? There is more serious work when Nick discovers the body of a man in a remote moorland house and a dog finds a human leg in a wood, the funeral of a London gangster brings a hint of menace to Ashfordly, a grandfather clock mysteriously disappears after an auction and there's a prowler at a local hospital. with a lady who never closes her back door and the landlord who manages to persuade a royal personage to perform the opening ceremony at his new pub. But was she really HRH The Princess Margaret? This is the latest in the collection of rustic tales which inspired the top TV drama, Heartbeat and its sister series, The Royal. (Nicholas Rhea's website is www.nicholasrhea.co.uk)
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