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.
He has been sticking to his resolution to write his diary more regularly, so click the link to read about his explorations of Yorkshire - and beyond!
Who was Betty?
Nicholas Rhea writes:
"Last year I was invited to contribute to a book published by Bettys of Harrogate. Many of you may have visited Bettys and enjoyed a pleasant afternoon tea in one of the famous restaurants. But have you ever asked yourself: Who was Betty? No one seems to know, not even the family who own the business. Frederick Belmont, who founded Bettys in 1919, steadfastly refused to divulge her identity and so the mystery remains.
"Jonathan Wild, Group Chief Executive of Bettys, has always been curious as to who Betty really was. He also happens to be a keen conservationist and hit on a bright idea for bringing these two interests together. He asked Yorkshire writers to suggest the identity of Betty with a view to publishing their theories in a book, the profit to be donated to a special Yorkshire Rainforest Project. Jonathan and his family have been instrumental in raising funds to replace thousands of trees which have been destroyed in the rainforests, but still more effort is needed as acres of rainforest are being destroyed every day.
"Several famous authors were approached, including Joanne Harris, Kay Mellor, Barbara Taylor Bradford, Jilly Cooper and others, so I was extremely flattered and delighted to be invited to contribute my own theory."
You can read his solution in Who was Betty?, a whimsical collection of tall stories, published by Bettys & Taylors of Harrogate; it costs £5.99 from all Bettys outlets or can be ordered at Bettys online shop or from Amazon. And you can read more about the Yorkshire Rainforest Project here.
Heartbeat on DVD
It was a long wait for the DVD release of the first series of Heartbeat, but evidently demand has been great, because that first release has been followed by Series two to eight. October also saw the release of the first series of the related hospital drama, The Royal (see the Heartbeat page for details).
Caution: the disks are in Region 2 / PAL format; this means that it may not be compatible with DVD players outside Europe. We know that there are Heartbeat fans all over the world, and hope that this first release will be followed by other formats.
More about Heartbeat - the TV series and the DVD »
Last words from Aidensfield
The Constable series from which Heartbeat was created, traces the life of a country policeman from the day he takes up his post, through many years of adventures - and now it is time for Constable Nick to take his retirement in print. In a January 2008 interview, Peter Walker (Nicholas Rhea) joked that the last volume of the series would have in its title a nod to the first: from Constable on the Hill to Constable over the Hill.
It's an emotional farewell for Constable Nick and his many fans, and for the author, too. Nicholas Rhea says"I've had lots of pleasure writing these books and, of course, I was thrilled when they were taken up by Yorkshire TV for Heartbeat. I spent many happy hours on set watching the actors bringing my characters vividly to life in Aidensfield. Constable Nick, Greengrass, Oscar Blaketon, PC Ventress and Alfred, the dog, are now part of television history and have been seen on screen all over the world. However, with the demise of Heartbeat I've decided it is time also to bring this long-running Constable series to an end.
"This doesn't mean I'm retiring from writing books altogether, but the change will allow me to develop other characters and new stories, and I'll keep you informed of new titles through the website and, of course, I'm sure my books will continue to be sold at Holman's."
The audiobook edition of Constable over the Hill was published at the beginning of September.
More about Constable over the Hill and all the Constable books »
In the press
For more news from Nicholas Rhea - and to find out what a Police Constable does once he's retired! - read a new interview with Peter Walker in the York Press.
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, other 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 »
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