In a Crooked Little House

Written pseudonymously by two sisters, this diverting thriller is set on the campus of the exclusive Huntington Prep. The reader first meets an individual of unknown identity who calls himself Iggy Boy, initially seen photographing the body of a teacher he has apparently murdered. This villain manages to do in other characters as well and, evidently, has been responsible for the deaths of students in the past. His ominous presence haunts the narrative as Cascone introduces Jake the maintenance man, Mr. Gilliard, a new house master, and a handful of seniors: attractive Casey, wealthy Slater, obnoxious Trevor and well-meaning Chip. Here's the creepy thing: Iggy Boy is one of these characters. But which one? Despite a few credibility gaps (e.g., it takes far too long for someone to clue into the inordinate number of the school's residents found dead), the authors add enough clever false leads and snippets of suspense to keep the plot sprinting along. It's not impossible to guess the killer's identity, but his motives are far from obvious. Ages 12-up. (Oct.)