Portrait of the North York Moors by Nicholas Rhea

After years of casual interest, Nicholas Rhea (1936-2017) began writing in the late 1950s and had his first short tale published in the Police Review. In 1976, he released his debut novel, Carnaby and the Hijackers, while continuing to ascend through the ranks at the region's Police Headquarters in Northallerton. He is most known for his Constable series, which was inspired by his many years as a cop. Yorkshire Television's interest in his Constable novels prompted him to retire in 1982 to focus on his writing. This would go on to become the popular Heartbeat television series, which lasted eighteen seasons and 350 episodes.