Constable over the Stile — Nicholas Rhea

In the peaceful village of Aidensfield, deep in the North Yorkshire Moors, Constable Nick continues his daily patrol.

With mysterious cash popping up from nowhere, a Girl Guide tumbling down a waterfall, and a group of men taking the law into their own hands, life in the village always promises to be eventful.

Constable Nick is faced with even more when a wronged wife wreaks vengeance upon her unfaithful husband, a distinguished conman brings art to the community, and a convicted murderer returns home to their quiet village.

But it's when Nick and Sergeant Blaketon hear an escaped Great Train Robber is hiding on Nick's patch that they realise they have a major problem.

In this twelfth book of the engaging tales of country life in a small village, Constable Over the Stile is a humorous, warm, and at times quite dramatic, mystery book.

Praise for The Constable Series

‘Stories of a constable on his village beat in North Yorkshire. All very gentle and far, far removed from the hurly burly of modern day city policing.' â€" Daily Telegraph

‘A fascinating insight into the life of a rural constable … the book makes splendid reading,' â€" Police Journal

‘The colourful as much as the criminal side of life is his professional lot, and in a whole series of attractively written anecdotes he reveals how the waywardness which leads both young and old into awkward individualism, as well as into evil, keeps him busy.' â€" Countryman

‘Rhea's real strengths are his sharp portraits of people, and absorbing detail of a country copper practising his craft … As with the Herriot series, the best humour comes from the author's close understanding and affectionate portrayals of the character of Yorkshire country folk. Life as a North Riding copper must have been rich indeed.' â€" Northern Echo

‘An account of the hilarious happenings to the county's rural policemen over the years.' â€" Yorkshire Post

‘Filled with Yorkshire characters to make you laugh and cry … shows rural life through the eyes of a village bobby.' â€" Whitby Gazette

‘An excellent, well-written, humorous journey through the life of a village bobby.' â€" Police Box

Nicholas Rhea, now retired, spent 30 years in the force, having started as a Police Cadet for the North Riding Constabulary. His best known work, the Constable series, provided the inspiration for the hugely popular TV series, Heartbeat, and he remained involved with the series as a consultant until filming ended in 2009.