The four day run of "A Murder Is Announced" commenced at Manning Entertainment Centre on Thursday October 17, and it's a cracking murder mystery that you won't want to miss.

In their customary style, Taree Arts Council members have been busy behind the scenes with months of rehearsing, set building and attending to the finer details to ensure that this production will not disappoint.

"A Murder is Announced" was Agatha Christie's 50th book, and was very favourably received by critics and readers alike.

In fact, Julian MacLaren-Ross, critic for The Times Literary Supplement, had abstained from reviewing any of her novels for five years, but could hardly have been more enthusiastic in his praise of her latest, writing:

"A new novel by Mrs Agatha Christie always deserves to be placed at the head of any list of detective fiction and her fiftieth book, A Murder is Announced, establishes firmly her claim to the throne of detection.

"The plot is as ingenious as ever, the writing more careful, the dialogue both wise and witty; while suspense is engendered from the very start, and maintained skilfully until the final revelation: it will be a clever reader indeed who anticipates this, and though Miss Christie is as usual scrupulously fair in scattering her clues, close attention to the text is necessary if a correct solution of the mystery is to be arrived at before the astute Miss Marple unmasks the culprit."

The limited season runs to Sunday, October 20.

Bookings can be made at theMEC.com.au, phone 6592 5466 and at the Information Desk at Stockland Forster (seven days).