‘He again sounded his pipe in the streets. But it was not rats and mice that came out this time, but children!’

In bleak, post-Ceausescu Romania, psychiatrist Dr Marcu investigates the high incidence of mental illness amongst the women of Arva village, while police inspector Valentin uncovers a horrific history of ritual child rape and murder there. Meanwhile, in the lakeside town of Sunny Mead, New Hampshire, USA, Diane Durrant hires music teacher Diep Koppelberg as a therapist for her disabled 13-year-old son Pip. But while the rest of the Durrant family are captivated by Koppelberg’s apparent charms, only Pip sees his true ugliness and malice. What unspeakable evil links events in these two very different locations? And can Pip convince his family of the danger they all face – or else deal with it himself …?