England is in the grip of the Second World War and the Blitz has made various government offices move from London. One of the ministers involved is Francis Pettigrew who finds himself in Marsett Bay, a seaside resort. In these new surroundings Pettigrew begins to fall in love with his secretary, Miss Brown, who is also being courted by a widowed man who is much older than her. The ministers are bored and need something to do in their spare time, so they start playing a light-hearted game of 'plan the perfect murder' . Pettigrew, remains detached from the silliness - until a real murder happens, and then he is drawn into solving the mystery. This crime novel was written in 1946. Cyril Hare (1900-1958) was the pseudonym of an English County Court Judge and amateur detective, who spent time during the war at the MInistry of Warfare. Some of the characters in this novel are drawn from these wartime experiences