Constable in Control (A Constable Nick Mystery)

Ever since he arrived from the smoky South, Constable Nick Rhea has been kept on his toes by the petty — and occasionally not so petty — wrongdoings produced by his rural Yorkshire patch… One particular point of annoyance for the locals is the youths racing around the country lanes in their cars. He receives nightly calls from one particular local who is most distressed by the reckless teens. His current puzzle however, is a spate of thefts from remote moorland churches, thefts that may not be unconnected with Claude Jeremiah Greengrass’ latest enterprise, a free grass-cutting service to local churches… Meanwhile, Sergeant Blaketon is occupied with the tricky task of policing a football match in Whitby. Little does Blaketon know that his learner driver son Graham has joined the ominously named Killing Pits Club, who plan to take advantage of the absence of Blaketon and his officers in Whitby to stage a reckless, potentially lethal, motor-car time trial around Aidensfield… Graham’s old friend Denis Meyers has always had trouble fitting in with the member of the Killing Pits Club, who first formed as children on bikes, but have now grown up and bought cars of their own. As an unqualified driver without a car, Denis is something of an outcast. He is particularly ostracised by the group unofficial leader, Gordon, who likes to tease Denis and push him to his limits… But, how far will he go? Constable in Control is a thrilling and heart-warming tale of a local policeman’s daily struggle against crime in his rural community. Praise for Nicholas Rhea ‘Splendid reading.’ – Police Journal ‘It’s original, it’s funny…one of life’s little pleasures.’ – Yorkshire Post For the last 30 years, Nicholas Rhea has been writing books, drawing on his experiences in the police force, his never-ending enthusiasm for Yorkshire and his continuing interest in crime fact and fiction. His best-known work, the Constable Nick Mystery Series, provided the inspiration for the hugely popular TV series Heartbeat and he remained involved with the series as a consultant until filming ended in 2009.