Sam Gregory, a substance-abusing war veteran turned insurance investigator, is looking for a stolen manuscript at the elite Danforth Putnam boarding. He soon senses that something stranger than missing books is afoot - and when students begin vanishing from campus, he realizes how serious it is. At the same time, Harriet, a physically fragile but indomitable reporter for the school paper, is keeping an eye on Sam. Sam and Harriet both venture into increasingly dark territory to crack the mystery of the school. In the end, they uncover a truth more horrible than they could have imagined.