There's something rotten at Simsbury College. A freshman Sigma pledge has died after a brutal hazing, and Dean Anson Templeton and compliant local police have orchestrated a sinister cover-up. All Sigma needs is a rubber-stamp exoneration from the undergraduate-run disciplinary council, the D-Squad.. "However, one D-Squad member - Shawn Jakes - won't play by Sigma's rules. Shawn wants to see fraternities banned, doesn't buy Templeton's story, and demands a wide-ranging investigation, which infuriates her boyfriend and fellow D-Squad member, Mark Jessy.. "Mark and Shawn find dark, horrifying evidence that Sigma members will do anything - commit bribery, extortion, blackmail, rape, even murder - to protect Sigma. But not because of pride or tradition or loyalty.. "For Sigma Delta Phi isn't just a fraternity: It's a conspiracy. A selective cabal whose members form a secret, close society that has spent two centuries amassing incredible wealth and power. Enough to control lives, careers, politics. Enough to eliminate anyone who threatens to turn a spotlight on Sigma's heart of darkness.