rural, England, law-enforcement, situational-humor, verbal-humor

What a wonderful read! Time ago in rural England the constable held a very different position than here in the 21st century. One man was responsible for an area and his designated housing and motorcycle were provided by the police. He and his family could be reposted at any time and the removal company would transport their belongings. The villages were often welcoming to the extent of bringing anonymous gifts of food but somewhat insular as are small town folk of anywhere who mistrusted those "not from around here". The tales are well told and humorous without offense. Good stories and good laughs that can be appreciated some forty years later by an American who grew up rural.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Joffe Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
I went and bought a few others in the series because I liked this one so much!

This started out so charming, reminiscent of "All Creatures Great and Small," and I thought it would be a delightful relaxing feel-good read. Shortly in to the story, I began to notice a touch of preachiness...which progressed gradually to judginess. By the time we were up to the story of the lady who suffered from delusions, the narration that her delusions stemmed from being a s frustrated elderly virgin, the book was no longer whimsical. The beating of the (wrong) dog was another un-charming anecdote. Sadly tone-deaf for today's reader.

A thoroughly enjoyable read but, I think, best as short reads rather than a longer stint. Each chapter makes a nice chunk. I've never seen the TV Series that was apparently based upon these books, not having a TV, but I can see how they would fit nicely with a series of programmes. The trails and tribulations of a young police constable and his family being thrown into rural Yorkshire in the 50s or 60s, not sure which, were hilarious. Archetypal characters maybe but they were real (and not that different from rural Warwickshire where I grew up). The farmer who installed electricity at great expense, bought his wife all of the fancy electrical goods (kettle, iron and the like!) then only used the light at the top of the landing. We didn't get electricity until 1967 but then went wild - a fridge! Gentle policing, minimal crime and a lot of humour. Lots of common sense and ways round things that, sadly, could never happen these days when common sense is lacking and the protocols, procedures all too important. I'd be happy to read more but definitely in bite-sized bits over time. Thanks to NetGalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was a delightful discovery. The books that the series Heartbeat was based on.
A young policeman moves in with his family and then gets to know his beat and all the neighbours! It was lovely to read a nice, gentle book from a different era and I love the fact that there are a lot more books in this series. A wonderful way to while away anxious evenings

My first encounter with P C Rea and Sargent Blackton apart from watching it on the TV back in the day. A very whimsical look at countryside policing back in the 1970s. Beautifully descriptive area of the area around Aidensfeield and country pursuits. A look back in time.

If you are a fan of the tv series Heartbeat, you will feel right at home reading the Constable series. Full of humour, great characters all set in the beautiful village of Aidensfield. If you enjoy this first book in the series, you have lots to look forward to!

Gentle, so very gentle.

I am enjoying this book, but have also found trying to read in one sitting was not the approach. Rather the anecdotal nature is best appreciated one chapter at a time. There are definitely some lovely smiley moments and reminders of a different time, with a different approach to policing.

I do understand the comparison to the James Herriott series but I think because I am smitten when it comes to animal anecdotes, I didn't quite connect as well as, understandably this is not the focus of this book.

With thanks to #NetGalley, Joffe and the author for my free advanced reader copy to review in exchange for an honest opinion.

The constable on the hill is the first book in Constable Nick series. Reading this book made me remember Inspector Clouseau from Pink Panther movies. The story is a hilarious take on mystery investigation. Light and humorous read. You definitely wont be disappointed with this story. I am looking forward to read the books in rest of the series.
Thank you NetGalley, Nicholas Rhea and Joffe for reader’s copy of thus book. The review is my own opinion and was not influenced in any way.

I'm not crazy about this book,, although I loved it when it first came out in the late 70's. A young constable is posted in a small village where just about anything can happen and it does. He deals with the people on a more personal level - as one would expect in a small non-crime ridden town. I fouind this book a bit simplistic on my reading 40 years after the first. No longer my cup of tea.

"Arrest?' he sounded horrified. "We don't arrest people here!"

If they did then where would Senior Constable Alwyn Foxton put his prized Chrysanthemums? After all, the solitary woman's cell was perfect for these delicate flowers.

When Constable Nick Rhea found himself posted to Aidensfield he had felt some trepidation, as anyone would when starting a new job. But what he had not been prepared for was the realities of walking the beat in this small community. To his delight and, more often than not, bemusement, he encountered some of the most eccentric people that he would ever meet and they would challenge him in ways that he could never imagine.

From dealings with the local hunt who insisted on riding through his garden to an escaped donkey and a dog who was fast becoming a public nuisance, not to mention the pack of Canadian timber wolves who had escaped from the local zoo, Constable on the Hill by the late Nicholas Rhea is a book that is as engaging as it is enthralling.

Constable on the Hill is the first book in Rhea's fabulous series, and it starts where all good books do — at the beginning. With an elegant turn of phrase and a visceral understanding of what makes a reader laugh, Rhea began his tale of life as a bobby on the day he moved to Aidensfield. Immediately Rhea set the tone for his book — the comical adventures of the removal-van men whose answer for everything was that the "insurance will see you all right," to the rather somewhat unconventional police station where flowers grew in one cell, and roadkill was stored in another! This book is so vastly entertaining because of its honesty, its integrity and of course, its marvellous depiction of the larger-than-life characters who grace the pages.

With a compelling narrative and lavish attention to the historical detail, Rhea clearly demonstrated why his books were, and still are, so incredibly popular. Written in the same style as the fabulous James Herriot series which I loved so much as a teenager, Constable on the Hill has an awful lot to recommend it. This book is filled to bursting with anecdotal stories — which were not only incredibly entertaining but laugh-out-loud funny. This is a novel that not only entertains but allows us a glimpse into the not so distant past. In these pages, the reader is introduced to eccentric and fascinating characters such as Claude Jeremiah Greengrass — who, of course, was immortalised forever by the late Bill Maynard's superb portrayal in Heartbeat.

I absolutely adored this book. I loved the easy prose style in which it is written, as well as the wonderful stories about the inhabitants of Aidensfield. I also enjoyed reading about how different policing was in the 1960s as opposed to now. I thought Rhea captured the very essence of this era and as this book is written in an informal manner, it seemed, at times, that I was listening to Rhea's account rather than reading about it.

The Constable on the Hill is the book that inspired Heartbeat — which was to become essential Sunday night viewing on ITV and at its peak audience, drew in a staggering 13.82 million viewers. After reading Constable on the Hill, I can appreciate why it was made into a television series that lasted for two decades. Rhea had penned a fresh, vibrant account of what life was like during this time. An account which has stood the test of time and I am sure will continue to do so. I loved every single minute of it.

I Highly Recommend.

Review by Mary Anne Yarde.
The Coffee Pot Book Club.

I have been a big fan of the television series called 'Heartbeat', which was inspired by the bestselling 'Constable' books released by Nicholas Rhea, for about 20 or so years. I still watch the repeats of 'Heartbeat' on ITV3 of an afternoon. I discovered the television series first and then decided that I would read the books that inspired the show. The books are slightly different to the television series but both are equally as enjoyable. I recently re-read 'Constable On The Hill' and I thoroughly enjoyed every single minute of it but more about that in a bit.
I absolutely love the cast of characters in this book. I have a bit of a soft spot for Sergeant Blaketon and Claude Jeremiah Greengrass. After having watched the show for so long, as I read the books I imagine the actors who played the respective characters in the show as I imagine the scene playing out in my head. Blaketon is a bit of a stickler for rules and regulations and he had a long standing rivalry or grudge fest against Greengrass, who was a loveable rogue. Each would try to outmanoeuvre the other in a sort of game of 'cat and mouse'. I found their shenanigans to be quite amusing at times and more than once I ended up chuckling away to myself.
It didn't take me long at all to get into 'Constable On The Hill'. In fact as soon as I started reading that was it, I was transported back to 1960s North Yorkshire and I just couldn't stop reading. I couldn't turn the pages quick enough as I was waiting for the first appearances of my favourite characters. I was enjoying the book so much that I lost all track of time and I lost track of just how quickly I was getting through the story. I reached the end of the book far quicker than I had wanted to, which I had mixed feelings about. Don't get me wrong I was pleased to finish because it meant that I knew how this first 'Constable' book concluded but I was enjoying the author's writing style, the characters and the storylines so much that I just wish the book could have been longer.
As with all of Nicholas's books, I was drawn into this one from the first word on the first word on the first page. Nicholas uses such vivid and realistic descriptions that I literally felt as though I had borrowed Dr. Who's Tardis and I was transported back in time to 1960s North Yorkshire with all the relevant sights, sounds, cars, characters and the pre-decimalisation currency. A true step back in time. I felt as though I was part of the story myself.
The 'Constable' books especially appealed to me because my great grandfather was born in the same sort of area as the books are set. I never knew him as he died long before I was born but reading books such as these help me gain a better level of understanding of the environment in which he lived and the people he lived amongst.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'Constable On The Hill' and I would definitely recommend it to other readers. I will certainly be reading the rest of the 'Constable' series just as soon as I can. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

Constable Nick Mystery #1

2.5 stars rounded up to 3

This is the first book in the series which inspired the British TV series Heartbeat.

Set in the 1960's in the North Yorkshire Moors. Nick Rhea, his wife and three children have just moved to Aidensfield. But the village is not as quiet as he was expecting it to be. Nick is the only police officer in Aidensfield so he's always on duty. The crimes are trivial compared to today's crimes. Refereeing arguments and finding missing animals are all in a days work.

Maybe it's just me but i did not like Nick's attitude to women. He came across as male chauvinist. There is also a lot of repetition. We learn about how a small village was policed back in the day. All the characters that are in the tv show are in the book. There's quite a lot of quirky characters but ot a lot of action.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Joffe Books and the author Nicholas Rhea for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book in the highly popular "Constable" series upon which the TV series "Heartbeat" was based, and which are now in the process of being republished by Joffe Books. Altogether there were 37 books in the series so there will be plenty for fans to go at! It starts where Constable Nick Rhea is relocated to the hilltop police house in Aidensfield in North Yorkshire with his wife and young family. Even the removal van brought its share of characters. It is billed as "Constable Nick Mystery 1" which I don't think is an accurate title, since this book is in fact a series of anecdotes rather than a mystery story and reads each chapter is more like a short story. However apart from that it really it is everything it says on the tin! A funny, heart-warming and entertaining book set in a bygone time where some people didn't even have (or want) electricity and cars, and led very different lives from today, and where the duties of a policeman varied greatly from what they would be expected to do now. Essentially though, people don't change, and there is the usual mix of good, bad and plain old crafty ones in these stories. Justice normally prevails (or is at least seen to) by one means or another, and very often without an actual arrest! In fact some of the solutions to the incidents involved are downright clever and sure to bring a chuckle from the reader. Good gentle reading which will appeal to a great many readers. 4.5*

A wonderful story an english Bobby the town the characters-loved him & his wife ..A charming novel a series that I will continue to read such a pleasure to visit this town the peopke.A treat of a read,

I received this book from Netgalley for review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Nicholas Rhea is a prolific British crime writer. His works can be found through several publishers. This Joffe edition starts new readers on a lovely journey through North Yorkshire and into the village antics of Nicholas Rhea as he begins his life as a village bobby. He and his family moved to Aidensfield to begin a quiet village life with growing children. The quaint village isn't so quiet and the curmudgeons cause many a laughable tale to be told in the local. Humorous, lively, warm and generous; each chapter is a story. It reads like a James Herriot veterinarian story and will endear you to the genre and the writer for life.
I may be bias, as I've been reading his works for awhile now. Not a dud in the bunch!!
I recommend for short story lovers and cozy mystery lovers alike.

Fun and entertaining stories from an English country Bobby or policeman. Lived meeting the interesting characters and situations described so clearly in this volume.

This novel starts the ‘Constable Nick Mystery Books’ series and was the forerunner and inspiration behind the popular 90’s TV series of ‘Heartbeat’ that spanned 18 series and can still be watched today on Freeview. The characters are mostly the same as in the book: PC Nick Rhea (not Nick Rowan as in the TV Series), PC Alf Ventress, Sergeant Oscar Blaketon and loveable rouge, always on the make but often bumbling it, Claude Jeremiah Greengrass, and even his Lurcher dog Alfred.
Nick’s patch is the area around the village of Aidensfield in the North Riding of Yorkshire where Nick lives with his wife and three young children, although the Police Station he reports to is in Ashfordly. His time in Aidensfield starts at the very beginning of the novel with him moving into his house on the hill ready to start his new posting. I loved the TV series as it was gentle, interesting and humorous with good storylines and fair-playing policemen. This novel is just the same: it makes you laugh, it is extremely well written and the characters are richly created and developed. What more could you ask for?
Nicholas Rhea is the pseudonym for author Peter N Walker. He left school at 16 to become a police cadet and in 1956, he joined the North Yorkshire force in Whitby. The series of 5 ‘Constable Nick Mystery Books’ was written in and about this era. The author was inspired to write these stories by his own job as a village constable in the picturesque North York Moors. He sticks faithfully to his own personal knowledge of police work of the time and that is not now undertaken in our modern era of crime or detective investigations. Each new chapter in the book features Nick working on a new case, more often on his own and under direction from his superiors and arriving at the scene on his trusty Francis Barnett police motorbike. Some of his experiences are eye-wateringly funny; others tragic and some others are almost unbelievable. You are guaranteed to be richly entertained by these stories. Nicholas Rhea’s descriptions are precise and lyrical so you envisage the happenings with the greatest of ease.
I received this book through my membership of NetGalley and from publisher Joffe Books in return for an honest review. Thank you most sincerely for my copy. It’s a thumbs up from me as I really enjoyed returning to the days of my childhood with things as they were then: magical times, skilled artisans, warm policemen keeping the peace using common sense and their own discretion and being good role models to the youngsters by setting a sterling example.

189 pages

4 stars

This book is a delightful entry into the Constable series. I understand that this is the first book in the series.

We are introduced to Constable Nicholas Rhea. He and his family move to a lovely old house in a rather isolated little village where the people are sometimes a little eccentric and always authentic. These are delightful books.

We learn about the day-to-day policing in a small village where Constable Nick was the only man on duty. He chases down missing animals, referees arguments and smooths worried villagers. The people he comes into contact with are, for the most part, priceless. Some are very set in their ways, seemingly to go out of their way to be difficult, but we learn that is just their way -the way it is done in that part of England.

I am strongly reminded of Dr. Herriot's books when I read Mr. Rhea. They are interesting, relaxing and fun to read.

I want to thank NetGalley and Joffe Books for forwarding to me a copy of this great book for me to read, enjoy and review.

Oh, the anecdotes of a rural Bobby in 1960's: loving portrayal of Yorkshire and village life🏠🏡

Author Nicholas Rhea has such a wealth of memories and anecdotes of the farmers and villagers he encountered as a rural policeman in the 1960's. I loved the television series Heartbeat that came from this set of stories. So many quirky characters, and a good account of 1960's life when modern communication technology was virtually non-existent (phone boxes and iffy radio reception), hardy rural types lived contentedly with no telephone or electricity and police work was more community support and seldom geared toward serious or violent crime.

Rhea's careful and kind reminiscences remind me of a James Herriot novel, just geared more towards people than their livestock and pets. It's not a quick read because each anecdote is crammed with detail and almost a whole short story in itself. This would make a great bedside companion to be savored slowly in bits and pieces.

Thanks to publishers Joffe Books and NetGalley for providing an advance complimentary copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

This book was the first title in Nicholas Rhea's Constable series, which inspired the largely successful TV series Heartbeat. It is based on the author's own experience as a village constable in the North York Moors. The author passed away in 1919.

First in a series, this book introduces Constable Nick Rhea and his wife, Mary, and their three young kids. It is the 60's and Rhea has been posted to a small village filled with little major crime and quirky residents. His job covers just about anything and everything as he is the only policeman there.

Nick's cases run the gamut from an escape artist in the name of a donkey .... a naked woman running through the middle of town ... even a pack of wolves hanging around the bus station.

I especially liked his stories concerning animals .. domestic animals such as dogs, goats, cattle, horses, donkeys, pigs and sheep and the more exotic animals (generally courtesy of the zoo when they escape .... deer, badgers, foxes, hares, even a kangaroo or two and a camel here and there.

The residents are a hoot. Some are quirky, some are friendly, some are not so sure about the new constable ... after all, it takes being a resident many years to be accepted as one of them. There are store owners, craftsmen, and it's a place where everyone knows what everyone is doing.

Highly entertaining, I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

Many thanks to Joffe Books / Books n All Promotions / Netgalley for the digital copy of this cozy mystery. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.