First published in 1946, With a Bare Bodkin takes Francis Pettigrew out of the courtroom and into the tense, often absurd world of wartime bureaucracy. In the midst of World War II, Pettigrew is seconded to the Pin Control Office — an obscure but vital government department responsible for regulating the supply of metal pins. The setting is remote, the work dull, and the atmosphere thick with office politics, petty rivalries, and romantic entanglements. The routine is shattered when a colleague is found murdered under baffling circumstances. As suspicion ripples through the small, enclosed community, Pettigrew — reluctant but perceptive — is drawn into unraveling a case where motives are tangled, alibis fragile, and nothing is quite as it seems. Hare's trademark wit and satirical eye turn this mystery into more than just a puzzle: it becomes a sharply observed comedy of manners, capturing both the quirks of civil service life and the underlying strain of wartime Britain. The vividly drawn characters — from officious superiors to eccentric subordinates — bring humor and depth to the tightly plotted investigation. With its blend of lighthearted social comedy and cleverly constructed crime, With a Bare Bodkin showcases Cyril Hare at his most entertaining, while once again proving Francis Pettigrew's quiet brilliance as an amateur sleuth.