STUART Ready’s Thriller, Murder Deferred presented by Dunham Thespians has the eager village hall wondering what will happen next.

It centres on Leila Markham, the licensee of a country pub. She is a woman with a past. Louise Burgess does well in portraying her reactions as she is faced with blackmail.

She couldn’t run the pub without assistance from her Irish bar man, a well-accented Bill Craig whose melodramatic performance when shot, is one to remember!

Life ticks routinely by until an unexpected and unwelcome visitor in the form of Laura Kinsella’s Ruth Cousins arrives.

Laura plays her with a hatred that all can feel as she weeds out unwelcome aspects of Leila’s past history and threatens her in a sinister, menacing way.

Rachael Gallagher’s character, Minnie Akers, an antique dealer, comes into her own in the final act when events unravel.

Becky Buckley is good as Trudi Bauer, the Swiss au pair.

The back room people do well in creating Leila’s private sitting room in the Hay Wain pub and ensuring that sounds of the bar, the telephone ringing and the door bell  are on cue.

The title,  Murder Deferred,  proves to be true.

• Murder Deferred is at Dunham Massey Village Hall until Saturday, April 25.

Star rating: * * *