Boy in the water - Stephen Dobyns

Lying deep in the remote woods of New Hampshire, the crumbling gothic facade of Bishop's Hill Academy hides dark secrets. 

Jim Hawthorne, the new head of this failing school for troubled teenagers, is determined to save it from closure. Partly because he believes in it - despite his friends' warnings. And partly to exorcize his guilt from a terrible tragedy in his past. But he finds his problems are far greater than controlling disruptive pupils. The staff are secretive, watchful - as if they are frightened of something. He becomes the victim of malicious rumours and cruel, increasingly macabre practical jokes. And then a young boy is found dead, floating face down in the swimming pool. 

As winter draws in around the academy, Jim discovers the real, terrifying danger inside its ivy-clad walls...