Sands' thriller follows scheming author Howard Holt (Andrew Woolley), his lover, his wife and publisher (Tracey Heggs) and a canny detective (Graham Shurvinton), who almost immediately realises something isn't quite right about Karen Holt's motor accident - especially when young Julie Grant (Lisa Clifford) goes missing around the same time.

By the end this is an ingenious and satisfying tale - but partly because the later action requires holes in the early plot, and partly because the opening night accident scene is leaden, it starts slowly.

There are other problems too - neither the relationships between the central married couple nor the lovers ever quite convince, particularly early on, and for a single-set show changes between scenes take an age.

The volume of sound effects was an issue too. But the whole thing picks up and improves across the board with the arrival of Shurvinton's excellent Inspector Davies - an incisive mind operating behind a screen of kindly, methodical lumbering.

He's well ahead of the game throughout.

There are decent cameos too, from Paul Muldoon as motor mechanic Will Purdy and, in particular, Sue Bradley's rural busybody Miss Cunningham.

And by halfway through the production is well into its stride, the net tightening, our male protagonist satisfyingly sly and the audience audibly impressed with our detective's most pertinent interrogating.

And there's a great twist at the end. Tom Sales
Verdict: Finally thrilling.

Runs until September 13. Box office 863334.