Nicholas Rhea Books In Order

Publication Order of Assured Books

Publication Order of Constable Nick Mystery Books

Publication Order of The Constable Files Books

Publication Order of Detective Superintendent Mark Pemberton Books

Publication Order of Maddleskirk Abbey Books

Publication Order of Montague Pluke Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Nicholas Rhea
Nicholas Rhea is the most prominent of the six pen names that was used by author Peter N. Walker.

Under this name, he famously wrote the “Constable” series of novels, which inspired the television series “Heartbeat”. Peter served as a police consultant for the series.

He drew on his experiences as a local bobby for a tiny Yorkshire village during the 1960s to chronicle Constable Nick’s career, from his first appearance in Aidensfield in “Constable on the Hill” (first published in the year 1979). The series ended with his retirement in the year 2011, when “Constable Over the Hill” was released.

The idea for the “Constable” stories came up because Peter wanted to write a book that showed the police undertook a lot of work that wasn’t associated with detective investigations or crime. Since he had served as a village constable in a wonderful part of the North York Moors, it seemed to him to be logical to use this experience as a background to these stories and to add in a bit of humor that is always present while doing police work.

He liked “Constable on the Hill” quite a lot because it was the start of something quite special, and was written while he was still a serving policeman.

He wrote “Constable on the Town” first and it highlighted many hilarious goings-on witnessed by cops working night shifts. He sent it to many publishers, one of whom rejected it and commented ‘there is no market for Yorkshire humor”. Peter put the book in the loft and forgot all about it, continuing to write crime books for Robert Hale.

One evening, the landlord of the White Swan just opposite his cottage queried about him advising a customer about getting a book published. Off he went with the landlord treating them to a pint each. Peter asked what sort of book he had written, the guy said it was all about the hilarious happenings to this country vet on the North York moors, including Peter’s village.

He considered himself very wise about reasons for rejecting such humorous Yorkshire books, he informed this new friend ‘there isn’t any market for Yorkshire humor’. The guy went ahead anyway, writing under the name of James Herriot. The guy’s success prompted him to pen a similar series that featured a rural bobby. He had been a village copper, after all, and called his book “Constable on the Hill” since his police house was up on a hill top.

It was successful, so he unearthed his book from its loft grave and re-wrote the thing as “Constable on the Prowl”, not considering a rural series at the time.

For “Blessed Nicholas Postgate: the Martyr of the Moors”, he told the story of his namesake, Nicholas Postgate, one of the best-loved martyrs in England. Peter’s desire to write about this charismatic priest of the North York Moors has stayed with him since the earliest days of his career as a writer. He was able to make time to research his life, using previous publications as well as records. He also used visits to Postgate’s native moorland, along with help from his computer and his family.

“Constable around the Village” is a novel in the “Constable” series and was released in the year 1981. Nick Rhea is busy settling into his role as Police Constable in Aidensfield, coming to grips with rural life and all his new neighbors and colleagues.

Rhea maintains his charismatic approach through all of the village’s various incidents, whether it is the historic tradition of the First Footing on New Year’s Eve, the case of a missing child, or the scandal of an un-dug grave.

Rhea quickly finds himself facing a dog crisis. Farmer Lowe’s overworked sheepdog feigns deafness, and without this dog, the cows can’t be milked, bringing his farming business to quite the screeching halt. At the same time, five sheep end up dead, and Sidney Chapman’s dog gets accused of doing the crime, much to his dismay.

Is Rhea going to be able to salvage Aidenfield’s farming future, not to mention the reputations of two dogs, as he juggles all of his other cases?

“Constable across the Moors” is a novel in the “Constable” series and was released in the year 1982. Nick Rhea has come to know and love all the people that live and work on the beautiful North Yorkshire Moors.

This amiable constable handles each and every encounter with characteristic professionalism and humor Whether he investigates a plot to scare away some troublesome suitor or aiding a neighbor return his dead wife’s ashes to her beloved moors? However, when Ted Williamson’s sheep begin vanishing, will Rhea locate the culprit without making any enemies of the farmers in Yorkshire?

“Constable in the Dale” is a novel in the “Constable” series and was released in the year 1983. Out in the magnificent North Yorkshire countryside, Constable Nick’s roles are as varied as the preoccupations of his usually eccentric villagers.

He finds himself getting called on to play crime prevention officer, to retrieve some lost sheep, guard some giant gooseberries, as a legal adviser in the Best Kept Village competition, and be a sympathetic social worker to anybody in distress.

He truly is invaluable. His many hilarious stories include the account of the invitation he received to be the best man at a wedding because he arrest the groom’s new mother-in-law and the brush he had with some bright yellow pigs.

“Constable by the Sea” is a novel in the “Constable” series and was released in the year 1985. Constable Nick, while on a break from his typical village beat, finds he is involved with holidaymakers and their issues.

As well as the typical seaside duties, how can he deal with a guy that has lost his fake teeth in the sea? Or the guy that wants to give away his money when he is drunk?

Then there is the stray Labrador that believes he is a police dog and accompanies the police officers during night patrols. Then there is the anxious fisherman that doesn’t dare tell his wife that he is the owner of a racehorse.