| Anybody
who was a fan of long running TV series Heartbeat will be familiar
with this series. Formerly published by the sadly defunct Robert
Hale, this is an omnibus edition containing Constable Around
the Village and Constable Across The Moors. These
are the third and fourth books in the series and deal with some
of PC Rhea’s earlier experiences.
I
have reviewed several of these books before and always enjoy
them. They show a way of life so very different from that
of today, a slower way when a policeman with a rural beat
had many more duties than just keeping the peace. Rhea has
run-ins with the odd criminal, but mostly these books are
filled with anecdotes about life in North Yorkshire in the
1960s. As such they make fascinating reading as social history;
the author describing customs like First Footing, amusing
stories about various animals, farm life, rustling and even
a hunt for a Russian spy. A young woman has trouble with a
young man in an odd way, a man loses his late wife’s
ashes and gets a surprise, one sheepdog pretends to be deaf
while another gets accused of sheep worrying. All a world
away from modern policing and as relaxing as a warm bath;
it is easy to see why the TV series ran for eighteen seasons
and why the books are being reprinted. Rhea has a good storyteller
style and despite the fact that this book does not sound like
a “page turner” it is. I hope Ipso Books reprints
the whole series.
Reviews
of other titles in this series
Constable
At The Double - Constable Around the Village #3
& Constable Across The Moors #4
Constable
Over The Stile #17
Constable
Goes to Market #
22
Constable
Along the Riverbank #24
Constable In The Wilderness #26
Constable
over the Bridge
#27
Constable
Along The Trail #28
Constable
in the Country #29
Constable
On The Coast #30
Constable
on View #31
Constable
Beats The Bounds #32
Constable
at the Fair #33
Constable
Over The Hill #35
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