From the moment it is first introduced to the reader, Ellingham Academy is set apart from other schools. Founded by the wealthy American industrialist Albert Ellingham, the school prides itself on having “no restrictions to [student] learning and access to whatever [they] need” (3) to guide their own studies. The school is beautiful, free to attend, and meant to liberate young minds while creating an atmosphere of fun and excitement. However, there is a dark side to Ellingham Academy, and as Dottie Epstein and Stevie Bell soon learn, the magic and grandeur of the school creates the perfect atmosphere for unsavory behavior, namely, murder. Ellingham Academy is symbolic of the legacy of Albert Ellingham himself and the idea that something beautiful on the outside can turn rotten in an instant.

Albert Ellingham was a lover of puzzles and games, and according to Stevie, the process of getting into Ellingham Academy is like a mind game: a test of its own and a riddle to be solved. Stevie explains that “Ellingham ha[s] no application, no list of requirements, no instructions other than ‘If you would like to be considered for Ellingham Academy, please get in touch’” (19-20).