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Peter Walker as Nicholas Rhea has authored, among others, Constable Along
the Highway, Death of a Princess, Constable Goes to Market, Constable Over the
Stile, Constable in Control, Dead Ends, Self-Assured, Heartbeat: Constable
Across the Moors, The Curse of the Golden Trough, Superstitious Death,
Constable in the Farmyard, Constable in the Wilderness, Constable Under the
Gooseberry Bush, Constable Versus Greengrass, Constable at the Dam, Constable
Along the River-bank and Some Assured.
According to the book description of Some Assured, "A brand new
series about an insurance man in the Yorkshire Dales from the author of the
Constable / Heartbeat books. Matthew Taylor was an apprentice butcher in the
village shop at the outbreak of war. Not much call for that in the Army, who
re-trained him as a qualified motor mechanic. But neither profession appealed as
much as the chance to be the local insurance man with the task of persuading
hard-hearted Yorkshire folk to part with their money for ""summat thoo can't
see."" In the late forties and early fifties in the north of England his work
was varied and always fascinating as he encountered some wonderful characters on
his rounds. These stories take us back to a time before cars and telephones were
owned by every household; a trusting time when people would leave their payment
in sheds or on window ledges, and a time when, if people were short of cash,
Matthew found himself accepting goods in place of premiums a sort of bartering
system."
According to the book description of Constable Along the River-bank,
"Most police officers contemplate promotion, and Constable Nick of Aidensfield
is no exception. As he ponders leaving the village in a bid for higher rank, his
wife begins her new job but she doesn't want to leave their happy moorland home.
Despite Nick's personal dilemma, his rustic constabulary duties continue apace.
There is drama when children go missing - 14-year-old Emily vanishes from home
and, in a separate incident, young Craig plays truant from school - and there is
more alarm when a man disappears in the river. Cars get stuck in the river too.
Twin artists, Prudence and Priscilla, who share the painting of watercolours,
find their precious motor car in the river and it requires a hearse to rescue it
while a newcomer thinks local elves have helped recover his car from the beck.
Then when old Zachariah Isaac Pentecost (Zip for short) is taken ill, Nick
discovers he has a long-lost son, but where is his son now? And what is the
secret of the toy railway which is always set out in Zip's house? As ever,
Claude Jeremiah Greengrass causes problems, not only with his illegal egg
delivery service but also when his house key is stolen and when his bus driving
leads to a mini-riot in the pub. And how does Nick persuade a Pyrenean mountain
dog to vacate a chair? It's all part of the daily routine for Constable Nick of
Aidensfield."
According to the book description of Constable Versus Greengrass,
"Television''s loveable rogue, Greengrass, fac es more problems with the
constabulary in this new collection of tales from Aidensfield."
According to the book description of Constable Under the Gooseberry Bush,
"When it comes to growing prize-winning gooseberries, the village of Aidensfield
has always been surpassed by nearby Egton Bridge. As the annual show approaches,
the rivalry between the two villages intensifies."
According to the book description of Constable in the Wilderness,
"The wild and rugged North York Moors remain one of the unexploited and least
explored areas of England. In the depths of winter, with dark days, villages cut
off by snowdrifts and animals marooned amongst the heather, it has all the
appearance of a true wilderness. For Constable Nick of Aidensfield, however, the
fierce weather and wild terrain must not interfere with his police work. But the
superintendent is not pleased when he catches Nick building a snowman in the
midst of a blizzard and Nick faces more resistance when he considers evacuating
a market town because a farmer on the moors reckons there'll be a devastating
flood within hours. How can Nick convince the authorities the wise old farmer is
right? Nick copes with Claude Jeremiah Greengrass almost killing himself on a
runaway double bass, ponders why an ageing widower would want a beauty contest
in Aidensfield and wonders why a beautiful Spanish senorita has come to visit a
confirmed bachelor farmer on the moors. There is crime too - a young boy's
precious bicycle is stolen, there is a cruel burglary in an elderly lady's home
while a fake policeman is 'fining' people for traffic offences. Nick is also
faced with identical twins who commit clever crimes; there are ominous goings-on
in a remote churchyard too and Nick has to cope with a spillage of mysterious
liquid which threatens the water supply. It's all part of constabulary duties
for Constable Nick of Aidensfield."
According to the book description of Constable in the Farmyard,
"There is crime to solve when a smallholder gets his wages stolen, raiders are
disturbed on a lonely farm, and garden equipment is being stolen. Constable Nick
copes with it all. Part of the Constable series which inspired the largely
successful TV series Heartbeat."
According to the book description of Superstitious Death, "A
second lighthearted crime novel featuring the superstitious Detective Inspector
Montague Pluke of Yorkshire's Crickledale CID, whose investigation into the
discovery of a young woman's body in a shallow grave is brought to an abrupt
halt by the security services."
According to the book description of The Curse of the Golden Trough,
"When Montague Pluke takes a holiday abroad in the Italian medieval town of
Siena, he is dismayed to discover the authorities there deny the existence of
the world famous Golden Trough. Even though the Golden Trough of Siena has not
been seen for 600 years, Pluke is determined to find it."
According to the book description of Self-Assured, "More stories
of the Man from the Pru Matthew and Evelyn have now bought their new home ? and
are worried about the cost of maintaining it as well as providing the family
with food and clothing. So there's no alternative but to work harder than ever
before selling premiums for the Premier Assurance Association. But the business
is expanding and life is hard but happy and warm-hearted, until a chance
encounter threatens to remove Matthew from his livelihood."
According to the book description of Dead Ends, "When a clever
young criminal disappears, his family refuse to help the police. Mark Pemberton
starts an official search, but every lead produces a dead end, though evidence
suggests he was kidnapped by bogus police. The trail leads to a drugs baron - or
is that just another dead end?"
According to the book description of Constable Over the Stile, "In
this collection of rustic tales, Constable Nick continues his fascinating duties
in the peace of Aidensfield, deep in the North York Moors. There is a hint of
unexpected wealth for Claude Jeremiah Greengrass when he finds a cache of silver
coins and worries for Nick when a lad loses his doting grandad's silver whistle.
When Claude Jeremiah's dog, Alfred, gets bitten by an adder, Britain's most
loveable rogue rings the local search and rescue team - and gets Sergeant
Blaketon instead. But when a Girl Guide tumbles down a waterfall, Nick has to
organize a speedy rescue attempt. We encounter a frightened lady who hides in
her garden shed and a wronged lady who wreaks vengeance upon an unfaithful
husband while some menfolk use their own methods to deal with a thief who is
stealing ladies' underwear. There is serious crime too. A convicted murderer
comes to live in Aidensfield, but Nick and Sergeant Blaketon have a major
problem when they hear that an escaped Great Train Robber is hiding on Nick's
patch."
According to the book description of Death of a Princess,
"Accident or murder? That question confronts Detective Superintendent Pemberton
as he investigates the death of a woman nicknamed ''The Princess"
According to the book description of Constable Along the Highway,
"There are changes in Aidensfield as Constable Nick continues his rural duties
on the edge of the North York Moors. With ex-Sergeant Blaketon occupying the
village post office, and a new sergeant in Ashfordly to keep the constables in
order, everyne must now adapt to a different regime."
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