Inspector Lynley is asked by his old school friend to investigate when one of his pupils is killed. The school in question is Bredgar Hall, a haven for the rich and the privileged with annual fees of £20,000 a year. The dead boy however, 13 year-old Matthew Whately didn't come from a rich family. From all accounts, he was well liked and fit into the school and its unique culture quite well. DS Havers is appalled with the whole concept of parents shipping their children off to a boarding school just when they need parenting the most. Faced with school administrators who seem more concerned with the school's reputation than the boy's death, Lynley and Havers must determine if the threat is from students, staff or someone not at all connected with the school.