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Constable Nick Mystery #9
CONSTABLE IN DISGUISE a perfect feel-good read from one of Britain's best-loved authors
DISCOVER YOUR NEXT FAVOURITE SERIES. MEET BRITAIN’S BEST-LOVED VILLAGE POLICEMAN.
"It’s original, it’s funny . . . one of life’s little pleasures." Yorkshire Post
THE BOOKS WHICH INSPIRED HEARTBEAT .
The brilliantly entertaining and heartwarming books behind the hit '90s TV series Heartbeat . One of the top ten most watched shows of the decade.
BRITAIN'S MOST POPULAR BOBBY TURNS DETECTIVE!
A delightful account of Constable Nick’s foray into the CID, or as he thinks of it, “Constable In Disguise.”
Nick joins the Criminal Investigation Department to learn about the work of the detectives in civilian clothes.
Asked to keep a watchful eye on a house thought to be used as a brothel, Nick quietly climbs the roof and sends a tile crashing through the window. When the woman inside and her five brothers attack the neighbours for causing the damage, the police turn out in force and arrest everybody. Meanwhile Nick lies low on the roof.
FULL OF CHARMING TALES OF DETECTIVE WORK WHICH REQUIRE A LIGHT TOUCH AND A GOOD SENSE OF HUMOUR
“ 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.” Daily Telegraph
In the beautiful North Yorkshire countryside of the 1960s, Constable Nick's roles are as varied as the eccentric villagers.
Perfect for fans of James Herriot, TE Kinsey, Gerald Durrell, J. R. Ellis or anyone who loves a great read.
DISCOVER ONE OF BRITAIN’S BEST-LOVED AUTHORS
MEET CONSTABLE NICK AND HIS COLLEAGUES
PC Nick Rhea has been posted to the country with his wife Mary and their three small children. They move into the police house, high on a ridge overlooking the moors. It sits on the edge of the village of Aidensfield — “probably the most beautiful site in the country”.
Sergeant Oscar Blaketon. A solid and dependable character who runs his tiny station with fierce efficiency but under a tough exterior, is full of warmth, generosity and kindness.
PC Alf Ventress. The old, easy-going constable whose local knowledge is vital to the running of the station. He does like Mrs Ventress's hard-boiled eggs!
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT NICHOLAS RHEA
” Just love the Constable books . . . easy reading delivers a heart-warming, amusing trip back to a very different kind of policing in the '60s.” Joy Ellis
“Recommended if it's laughter you're after.” Bolton Evening News
“Richly entertaining .” Yorkshire Evening Post
“ Splendid .” Police Journal
“To be really blunt, this is not my normal reading fare, but I loved it .” Nancy
“I enjoyed this tremendously.” Melissa
“A wonderful and relaxing dip into the beautiful North Yorkshire Moors.” David
“A highly entertaining book which anyone who is looking for easy and humorous reading will enjoy.” Granny
IN THE AUTHOR’S OWN WORDS
“As I had served as a village constable in a delightful part of the North York Moors, it seemed logical to use that experience as a background to the stories, and to add a touch of humour which is always present in police work.”
CONSTABLE NICK MYSTERIES
Book 1: CONSTABLE ON THE HILL
Book 2: CONSTABLE ON THE PROWL
Book 3: CONSTABLE AROUND THE VILLAGE
Book 4: CONSTABLE ACROSS THE MOORS
Book 5: CONSTABLE IN THE DALE
Book 6: CONSTABLE BY THE SEA
Book 7: CONSTABLE ALONG THE LANE
Book 8: CONSTABLE THROUGH THE MEADOW
Book 9: CONSTABLE IN DISGUISE
More coming soon. Join the Joffe Books mailing list to be the first to hear about them.
"It’s original, it’s funny . . . one of life’s little pleasures." Yorkshire Post
THE BOOKS WHICH INSPIRED HEARTBEAT .
The brilliantly entertaining and heartwarming books behind the hit '90s TV series Heartbeat . One of the top ten most watched shows of the decade.
BRITAIN'S MOST POPULAR BOBBY TURNS DETECTIVE!
A delightful account of Constable Nick’s foray into the CID, or as he thinks of it, “Constable In Disguise.”
Nick joins the Criminal Investigation Department to learn about the work of the detectives in civilian clothes.
Asked to keep a watchful eye on a house thought to be used as a brothel, Nick quietly climbs the roof and sends a tile crashing through the window. When the woman inside and her five brothers attack the neighbours for causing the damage, the police turn out in force and arrest everybody. Meanwhile Nick lies low on the roof.
FULL OF CHARMING TALES OF DETECTIVE WORK WHICH REQUIRE A LIGHT TOUCH AND A GOOD SENSE OF HUMOUR
“ 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.” Daily Telegraph
In the beautiful North Yorkshire countryside of the 1960s, Constable Nick's roles are as varied as the eccentric villagers.
Perfect for fans of James Herriot, TE Kinsey, Gerald Durrell, J. R. Ellis or anyone who loves a great read.
DISCOVER ONE OF BRITAIN’S BEST-LOVED AUTHORS
MEET CONSTABLE NICK AND HIS COLLEAGUES
PC Nick Rhea has been posted to the country with his wife Mary and their three small children. They move into the police house, high on a ridge overlooking the moors. It sits on the edge of the village of Aidensfield — “probably the most beautiful site in the country”.
Sergeant Oscar Blaketon. A solid and dependable character who runs his tiny station with fierce efficiency but under a tough exterior, is full of warmth, generosity and kindness.
PC Alf Ventress. The old, easy-going constable whose local knowledge is vital to the running of the station. He does like Mrs Ventress's hard-boiled eggs!
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT NICHOLAS RHEA
” Just love the Constable books . . . easy reading delivers a heart-warming, amusing trip back to a very different kind of policing in the '60s.” Joy Ellis
“Recommended if it's laughter you're after.” Bolton Evening News
“Richly entertaining .” Yorkshire Evening Post
“ Splendid .” Police Journal
“To be really blunt, this is not my normal reading fare, but I loved it .” Nancy
“I enjoyed this tremendously.” Melissa
“A wonderful and relaxing dip into the beautiful North Yorkshire Moors.” David
“A highly entertaining book which anyone who is looking for easy and humorous reading will enjoy.” Granny
IN THE AUTHOR’S OWN WORDS
“As I had served as a village constable in a delightful part of the North York Moors, it seemed logical to use that experience as a background to the stories, and to add a touch of humour which is always present in police work.”
CONSTABLE NICK MYSTERIES
Book 1: CONSTABLE ON THE HILL
Book 2: CONSTABLE ON THE PROWL
Book 3: CONSTABLE AROUND THE VILLAGE
Book 4: CONSTABLE ACROSS THE MOORS
Book 5: CONSTABLE IN THE DALE
Book 6: CONSTABLE BY THE SEA
Book 7: CONSTABLE ALONG THE LANE
Book 8: CONSTABLE THROUGH THE MEADOW
Book 9: CONSTABLE IN DISGUISE
More coming soon. Join the Joffe Books mailing list to be the first to hear about them.
186 pages, Paperback
First published February 2, 2009
355 people are currently reading
112 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
November 24, 2025
"Constable in Disguise" has to be my favourite Nicholas Rhea book that I have read so far. All the individual stories for each chapter are all so captivating and paced much more quickly than usual Nicholas Rhea tales. I do love the usual background characters, but it was fun to see new characters and how they interact along with how the CID works to an extent. "Constable in Disguise" is definitely the best choice out of all the books for fans of the show more than the books, because a lot more happens and they're all much more serious stories that feel more modern than what the books usually feel like.
June 25, 2020
Nick Rhea's Constable... series have been a delightful read so far and I am looking to the E-release/availability of books ten through whatever to prove the same. Village PC Nicholas Rhea has taken us over the course of the first nine books through the early years and professional growth of a rural police constable in North Yorkshire. This ninth installment is a pleasant diversion as the author describes his experiences during a temporary posting to the plainclothes Criminal Investigation Division, colloquially known as "constables in disguise." The gentle good humor and positive outlook of this 1960's-era young Englishman gently tells of a society on the verge of major changes as the law, as written, ever-so-slowly moves into the last half of the 20th Century. Detective Police Constable (D/PC) Rhea allows us to learn along with him how to serve the public in a new way, out of uniform with new and different tools as a Detective. The descriptions of life on or near the Moors and the slower pace of rural North Yorkshire come through clearly, told as they are in a loving, respectful way. While the venue and the culture is clearly Yorkshire, the role of the temporary D/PC is easily recognizable to this retired "gentleman investigator" from across the pond. Even the ideosyncracies of individual coppers and the rivalries with other CIDs ring true to my own experiences. Rhea's characterizations are carefully crafted with a deep respect - even a love for the people he served. He brings their ways, their language, and their mores to life now, even some fifty to sixty years later. There is no manufactured false nostalgia, just a tale well told by a very good wordsmith and no doubt, a very good policeman. I look forward to joining him on patrol in the remaining books in the series. Now I want to find copies of the British TV programmes that were drawn from his books.
July 26, 2020
Constable Nick Rhea has the opportunity to get some hands on experience as a detective. He gives a lot of background information on laws and how they have evolved over the years. We join him as he gets involved in stake-outs which can be boring, but can sometimes result in catching the criminal in the act. Nick talks about how criminal acts often put everyone under suspicion - for example when items go missing from a workplace, as well as how crime affects everyone. He shares two murder cases which he actually took part as well as their outcomes. I find these books informative and entertaining. Always a quick and satisfying read for me.
January 17, 2022
These books are so much fun to read--and for the most part, pretty light-hearted. This one had a few more serious tales mixed in as Constable Nick was in training to be a detective and worked on some murders. I am happy there are many more to read. I may need to find the TV show based on this series.
October 30, 2022
many smaller stories
I thought I was getting a whole book, with only one story, instead of a slew of smaller stories. Nothing on the cover of the book indicates this is the case, so I guess my disappointment is that I didn’t do a more thorough search up of what this book was about. I prefer a whole book, with one main plot throughout.
I thought I was getting a whole book, with only one story, instead of a slew of smaller stories. Nothing on the cover of the book indicates this is the case, so I guess my disappointment is that I didn’t do a more thorough search up of what this book was about. I prefer a whole book, with one main plot throughout.
December 14, 2022
Funny, but I picked this up at the library thinking it was a mystery book. I kept waiting for for a murder to happen with clues, etc. I finally looked it up when I suspected it was a memoir. It was interesting, delightful and had a lot of humor, though not all the cases were funny. Love tales of the quaint British town and it's characters.
April 19, 2024
Always a treat
We love the constable series. Each book, though dated gives us a window into British life and culture. We also enjoy learning about the investigations and relationships that make up the characters written about by Rhea. We look forward to each new book in the series and are currently "binge reading" our way through each book in the series. Highly recommended!
We love the constable series. Each book, though dated gives us a window into British life and culture. We also enjoy learning about the investigations and relationships that make up the characters written about by Rhea. We look forward to each new book in the series and are currently "binge reading" our way through each book in the series. Highly recommended!
August 2, 2020
Another great story
Another great book by Nicholas Rhea featuring his memories of his time as a village constable. This one features his time spent with COD and has some amusing anecdotes.
Another great book by Nicholas Rhea featuring his memories of his time as a village constable. This one features his time spent with COD and has some amusing anecdotes.
September 6, 2020
Another gentle feel good book from an author who obviously loved his work. He approaches hits challenges with apparent calm and is helpful (at on point he attaches a witness' sweeping brush to its pole!) as well as being an efficient Officer of the Crown. A good sense of humor. CMac
December 17, 2020
A very enlightening read that makes a reader feel right at home in Merry Old England. The author writes with a unique style humor, wit, fact, and English speak. My copy was from Durham County, England which added to the ambience of this fine writer.
June 23, 2021
A exciting story in a policeman's journey
Such a variety of experiences. Every page held my interest. A constables' life has so many varied opportunities. Would recommend this series of books based on this one alone!
Such a variety of experiences. Every page held my interest. A constables' life has so many varied opportunities. Would recommend this series of books based on this one alone!
August 24, 2021
Excellent
Another excellent book by Nicholas Rhea, both serious and hilarious at the same time. Whenever I feel down and need a bit of a lift I always read one of his books and they rarely let me down and I always have a good giggle to myself at some of the tales.
Another excellent book by Nicholas Rhea, both serious and hilarious at the same time. Whenever I feel down and need a bit of a lift I always read one of his books and they rarely let me down and I always have a good giggle to myself at some of the tales.
June 29, 2020
Great read
Interesting story of life as a policeman. Read many of this series and looking forward to reading all the others?.
Interesting story of life as a policeman. Read many of this series and looking forward to reading all the others?.
November 7, 2025
Listened on Chirp.
March 20, 2017
These Constable Nick books are a very entertaining, light read covering the working life of a policeman of the countryside.
In my opinion the stories are far more enjoyable than the TV series which aired in the eighties.
I was given a digital copy of this book by the publisher Endeavour via Netgalley in return for an honest unbiased review.
In my opinion the stories are far more enjoyable than the TV series which aired in the eighties.
I was given a digital copy of this book by the publisher Endeavour via Netgalley in return for an honest unbiased review.
April 29, 2017
Received the ebook thanks to netgalley and Endeavour Press.
I have read several of these and find them gently enjoyable. There are few surprises in them and sometimes I find the writing style a little ponderous.
This provides a good, undemanding light read.
I have read several of these and find them gently enjoyable. There are few surprises in them and sometimes I find the writing style a little ponderous.
This provides a good, undemanding light read.
December 26, 2019
Good book!
Another entertaining Constable Nick book. I enjoy reading about Constable Nick's adventures. I look forward to reading more of Mr. Rhea's books. I highly recommend this book to those interested in police procedurals.
Another entertaining Constable Nick book. I enjoy reading about Constable Nick's adventures. I look forward to reading more of Mr. Rhea's books. I highly recommend this book to those interested in police procedurals.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews