In bleak post-Ceausescu Romania, while studying the high incidence of mental illness among the women of a remote mountain village, psychiatric researcher Dr. Sasha Marcu uncovers a horrific history of ritual child murder. When Marcu and police inspector Valentin have almost cornered the prime suspect, he appears to die in a plane crash. In the small lakeside town of Sunny Mead, New Hampshire, local cop Dave Durrant and his music teacher wife Diane lead an idyllic life with their three children. When Diane engages new arrival Diep Koppelberg as a therapist for her 13-year-old disabled son Pip, Diep's charm and exceptional musical talent captivates the community, with Diane and her daughter drawn to him to the point of infatuation. Only Pip sees Diep differently--where others see beauty, he sees only ugliness and decay. Where they see benevolence, he sees malice and unspeakable evil. Pip must convince his family of the danger before it is too late, or find a way to confront the threat himself.