The discovery of a schoolboy's body in a country churchyard shatters the quiet, confident atmosphere of Bredgar Chambers School. Inspector Thomas Lynley and Sergeant Barbara Havers investigate the chilling mystery at the old and distinguished public school where honour and loyalty are watchwords - or are they?
Who murdered the brilliant boy, and why? How did his body get from the school to a distant churchyard? Why had he lied about where he was going on his exeat? As Lynley and Havers question both the staff and pupils of Bredgar Chambers, they sense something extraordinary and evil that has been locked away for several years within the confines of this privileged community.
