Constable on the prowl

Constable Nick Mystery #2

by Nicholas Rhea

This is a humorous novel about a village policeman in North Yorkshire, based on the author's own experiences. He has to work night duties in the nearby villages and market towns, but finds it less simple than he'd expected. Farming folk are early-riserswhich inspired the largely successful TV series Heartbeat.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Historical Fiction, Humor, Historical, British Literature, Crime

192 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1980

About the author

A pseudonym used by Peter N. Walker

Reviews

[Sandysbookaday (on indefinite hiatus)]

Constable on the Prowl by Nicholas Rhea reads more like a memoir than a novel.

It is, for the most part, entertaining. It is written in sections, each dealing with a different aspect of being a Constable on night duty. If, like me, you are a fan of Heartbeat, you will enjoy the tales involving Alf Ventriss, or Vesuvius as he is nicknamed, Sargeant Blaketon and that enchanting villian Claude Jeremiah Greengrass.

Stories of practical jokes played on one another and the lengths to which they would go to get a bit of rest and avoid detection by the Superintendent make for an entertaining read.

Thank you to Endeavour Press via Netgalley for providing a digital copy of Constable on the Prowl by Nicholas Rhea for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

[Travis]

Another excellent read ... introduced some great characters in this book ... wonderful writing style.

[Brenda]

This was okay. I enjoyed the first book in this series more than this one.

[Garth]

#24in48
I do love Heartbeat and the books the show took its premise from, Peter Walker’s/Nicholas Rhea’s Constable series. The setting, rural Yorkshire, and the memoir style of the writing leaves me reminiscing for the time in which I was born but didn’t get to experience in a locale that I want to live in. Some of the themes/stories in this book, the second in the series, would be considered quite disturbing by today’s standards so a little warning if you are interested in starting this series. Otherwise another very enjoyable outing to Aidensfield and the surrounding county. 3⭐️’s

[Becka]

3.5⭐️

[Debbra W]

Constable Rhea

I am an old lady with sufficient health problems to make me a good target for this delightful pandemic. My family doesn't want me to go out. While they wear gloves and homemade masks, with determination to provide for this large family, and I am inside all the time reading. I'm reading of a kind and good man who serves and protects with humor, and and chooses, always, to do what is right. I'm going to read the whole series and feel good for that. I'm praying for the good health and well being of the whole world. Be advised that I love you all.

[Kathleen Gray]

Entertaining quick read with a great setting in a small village in Yorkshire and an enterprising young cop. It's a good thing for all of us that Nick has a sense of humor. thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. You will like this if you are interested in novels which are less gruesome and gory and more character based - you can read it in an evening and be pleased.

[Laura]

It's certainly interesting to see how different laws were compared to how they are now. I like the short stories, it makes the book easy to pick up again.

[Beverly]

I love these books. I was originally drawn to them because the guy's last name is Rhea, which is my maiden name but the books are just so different. Reading one reminds me of watching an episode of Seinfeld...they're about nothing!!! The main character is Officer Nick Rhea who is a policeman at Ashfordly Section police station in Yorkshire. This particular book contained lots of little entertaining bits about working the night shift for the police department and runs through topics like the midnight meal break at the police station, burglary, creatures spotted after dark, paranormal activity and trysts that may or not need to be interrupted in the middle of the night. Just some great situations that make the reader laugh.

[Claudia Cheyne]

In this second Constable Nick book he takes us along while working the night shift. One may think the Yorkshire countryside after dark would be quiet and peaceful. But the Constable proves otherwise as he shares tales of dealing with fires, catching poachers, finding couples in compromising positions all the while patrolling on a bicycle. There are heartwarming chapters in which Nick is able to observe animals and nature up close in the still of the night. Other chapters detail pranks officers play on one another in an effort to stay awake or just because they can. Some of them work and some backfire for equally funny results.

[Miriam]

I didn't finish this one--I still liked the writing, but a large part of the book seemed to be about the pranks that the officers on night shift played on one another, and that got too mean-spirited for me to want to continue reading. There was one particular officer other oficers liked to prank who blamed his wife for a specific prank that got pulled on him again and again. It turns out that he knew what was going on, so maybe he didn't really go home and yell at his wife every time but only said he did, but I still found it to be a downer.

[Tracey]

Constable on the Prowl

In this book Nicholas Rhea recounts stories from when he was on night duty.
We also meet Alf Ventress for the first time, learn about Claude Jeremiah Greengrass and deer horns and discover some of the tricks officers played on each other.
This second Constable Nick book is a delight and captures what it was like to be a policeman on night duty in the 60's.
Highly recommended if you loved watching Heartbeat on the television.

[Matthew McDonough]

Seemed increasingly as though it was teetering on the verge of fiction. When I read book #1 ("Constable on the Hill"), I never doubted that what I was reading actually happened to the author more or less as it was written. However, with this book, it just seemed as though the fabric of reality was being tugged a bit on the corners here and there. Still quite an enjoyable read, however, and I do intend to continue with the series.

[Roger]

A short tale with a few amusing anecdotes

After sheer delight at the first book in this series, I was deeply disappointed with this offering. Much of it contains what appears to be content from a police training manual used as page filling. I imagine that this is an attempt to capitalise on the first book's success. I only hope that future offerings contain many of this talented author's amusing anecdotes.

[Jean]

Delightful

This is a one-day read, but if you like it as much as I do, you’ll discover there are over 35 more books in the series. I will be reading them all. There’s information about an earlier time and a rural location in Yorkshire. There’s some laughs. There’s some tender moments. I am sold on the Constable.

[Ravenclaw Library Books]

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

Having read Constable On the Hill and not liking it. I went into this one hoping that I might like it but sadly I didn't.

I recommend this to people who have not watched Heartbeat

#ConstableOnTheProwl #NetGalley

[Gillian]

Review

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It is highly entertaining and definitely worth reading. The perfect read for a lazy afternoon on the sofa. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys reading a book that has no crime, no violence, no one getting shot or murdered.

[Mary]

A pleasant, heart-warming account of Constable Nick making his night rounds in the villages and countryside of Yorkshire. Independent chapters so you can pick it up, read one light episode, and then put it down for later.

[Adair Sissa]

Enjoying my roots.

This is such a pleasant way to experience England and their culture. My father was a true English man and he fit picture so well. Someday I would like to go there.

[Vanessa-Ann Dowsett]

Second in the series of titles autobiographical ventures of Nicholas Rhea a bobby in Yorkshire which was made into the series Heartbeat on TV. This is another excellent book which I enjoyed greatly and highly recommend. The narrator, the actor Phillip Franks, is excellent

[Charlie Cosh]

Parts of the book are interesting but becomes a little repetitive, I don’t know how the series can continue for so many books because the author doesn’t seem to have a lot to say apart from the occasional funny anecdote.

[Mary]

You can tell that a man wrote this book. I find some of the comments and treatment of women in this book revolting. There were times that how the author shows how the bobby's (police) viewed women which shows how men objectify woman.

[Joyce tuffs]

An amusing read.

This is another story in the series about the life as a village constable. This is about night duty and the amusing things that happened.

[Mrs H.E.Harris]

Enjoyable Read

Light reading and highly amusing I look forward to reading the next one in this series. I enjoy this author

[Betty Kurtz]

Delightful

Very entertaining characters with various personality characteristics. Interesting insights into the lives of English bobbies in the rural communities. Well done!

[Dianna Grinstead]

Ugh

Interesting, but probably will not read any more Constable books. They are "Too cute" for my liking. Hard to believe

[Mr Kenneth L Mullen]

Another good book

Another good book in the series and all the more interesting having watched the T.V.series based on these books.Will be reading more.

[Patricia]

Night Patrol

Good storytelling from a Bobby who has night patrol in a small Yorkshire town. Very funny. Not as .good as first one.

[Susan Kendrick]

These are cute stories. Kinda like Jim Herriot but not quite as charming and it’s police stories instead of veterinarian.

[Ruth Ellis]

Not as enjoyable as the first book