Nicholas Rhea (1936–2017)

To be really blunt, this is not my normal reading fare, but I loved it. It's the story of a British policeman who moves to the village of Aidensfield in North Yorkshire to take the job as constable there and the immediate environs. It's a small village where everyone knows everyone, and although you wouldn't find (or at least, at the time of the writing of this book, at least) a lot of big-city type crime there, the author notes that there was enough going on to keep him quite busy. For show more example, take the case of the roaming pony; you might also enjoy the case of the woman wandering the streets naked; then there's the time Constable Nick staked out a pack of Canadian timber wolves at the train station.

What I liked most about this book was that it focused on people rather than events, and that Nick used his knowledge of the individuals involved in the pursuit of justice rather than just coming down hard with the full force of the letter of the law, with which he doesn't always agree. He even notes that

"Keen socialists are attempting to remove that valuable exercise of discretion from the policeman's armoury -- it will be a sad day when it has gone. When it does go, the feared police state will have arrived when all rules will be obeyed, down to the last cruel letter of the law. Human policemen will no longer exist." (29)

Nick (and his sergeant) really epitomize the meaning of "human policemen," and that's what makes this book special, along with the multiple personalities that populate this novel.

I would highly recommend this book, and I do believe I'll read more of the "Constable" series -- maybe even pick up the first episode of "Heartbeat," the British tv series based on Rhea's books. Constable on the Hill is a joy for everyone who likes small-town life or likes to read more upbeat kind of stories that often come from the heart. show less

I have a weakness for novelisations, but this is pushing it. The dialogue flows well enough - presumably taken from the scripts - but the actual writing is more Postman Pat than Emmerdale Farm. Still, a quirky way of catching up with old episodes, rather than buying the DVDs or streaming online. Still centred around the Sugdens on the farm, Jack in married to Pat (Robert's mother), Annie goes into hospital, Jackie gets a girlfriend and then a motorbike, the harvest is successful thanks to a show more loan of equipment from Alan Turner, and there's the Beckindale Show. Ah, those were the days! show less

Constable on the Hill by Nicholas Rhea is the first in his “Constable” series that are about the experiences of a rural policeman in Yorkshire. The author himself was a Yorkshire Bobby and the books draw on many of his own experiences. This series is the basis for a popular British TV show called Heartbeat. Nicholas Rhea is actually a pen name which he used to write the Constable series, his real name is Peter N. Walker.

This first book introduces Constable Nick Rhea and give us both some show more heartwarming and some humorous antidotes about the events in the life of a rural policeman. The book reminded me somewhat of both James Heriot’s books about being a Yorkshire Vet, and Patrick Taylor’s series about the Irish doctors. It is the 1960s and Constable Rhea has been posted to a small village. He, his wife, Mary and his three young children settle into the provided house/office on the hill outside of the village. His job goes from investigating robberies to inspecting dog licences, some of the cases described in this book involve a naked woman running through the middle of the town, policing dog racing events and helping a lost donkey find it’s way home.

Constable on the Hill is a light and entertaining read, filled with quirky characters and showing how the country police solved all problems that came their way. While I definitely don’t need a new series to keep track of, I will keep this one in the back of my mind for when I need a light read. show less

2.75★s. In my opinion similar to, but not as entertaining as, James Herriot's Vet books.
(The inspiration for British TV's 'Heartbeat'.)