Books by Nicholas Rhea
Old Friends
Nicholas Rhea went to Holman's bookshop on December 1st, ready to sign copies of his latest book, plus any other books that readers might bring with them: but he wasn't expecting to see a copy of his very first book, Carnaby and the Hijackers! 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.
Carnaby and the Hijackers was published forty years ago; Constable on View was published a few months ago. It is the latest in the popular Constable series, and this is what Nicholas Rhea has to say about it:
"In my latest Constable title, Nick continues to deal with the diverse incidents of a rural community, such as bats in the belfry and the disappearance of thousands of trees plus, of course, the ever present nuisance in the person of Claude Jeremiah Greengrass. Constable on View will be published by Robert Hale in October."Read more about Constable on View and all the Constable books »
More about the Carnaby series »
Look out, too, for a new Pemberton novel, Murder under the Midnight Sun, to be published by Constable, in September 2008.
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. And it is now possible to trace that story back to its origins, without having to pay collector's prices for the books. The first two installments, Constable on the Hill and Constable on the Prowl have been selected 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.
This is a very gratifying compliment, since the Black Dagger list is designed to select outstanding examples of every type of crime and mystery story, so that enthusiasts will have the opportunity to read once more classics that have been scarce for years, while at the same time introducing them to a new generation who have not previously had the chance to enjoy them.
More about the Constable books »
Prize Murder
Another recent publication is Prize Murder, another case for the eccentric Detective Inspector Montague Pluke, a man with a passion for horse-troughs.
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 »
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 »
The Pemberton books
There is also a recent addition to the list 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." In Dead Ends, Nicholas Rhea ponders an intriguing question. He told us:
"I have always been intrigued by the way criminals refuse to co-operate with the police and I wondered how they might react if one of their own went missing in mysterious circumstances. How does one persuade someone brought up in a criminal fraternity that the police can be on their side? This Pemberton book is such a story."
More about the Pemberton books »
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. His most recent "stand alone" title is Sergeant Simpson's Sacrifice, but there are links here to help you discover what he has written under a variety of names - 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.