Chloe is just 12 years old when teenage girls start disappearing in her hometown of Breaux Bridge, La. Her protective father urges her to travel with others, be home before dark and always be aware of her surroundings.

She seemingly was very unaware of her surroundings at home when police burst through the front door and arrest her father for the crimes. He drops his head and admits he is guilty. The family is more than stunned; Chloe, her older brother, Ben, and her mother are harassed and threatened, and vow to restart their lives in a place where there isn't this hereditary stain.

In this impressive debut novel, author Stacy Willingham leads us down impossible roads on the premise that monsters don't hide in the dark, but walk among us.

Fast forward. Now an adult, Chloe moves to Baton Rouge, becomes a psychiatrist treating mostly adolescent girls, and falls in love, setting a wedding date. When one of her patients shows up missing, she is horrified to think that it could be linked to her past.

But girls continue to disappear.

Get ready for some character whiplash. People you thought to be pure and steady prove to be something else. Chloe has to unravel who among her closest circle could possibly be the monster in their midst.

"A Flicker in the Dark" is a fast-paced read that foretells more coming from this budding author.

Ginny Greene is a Star Tribune copy editor.

A Flicker in the Dark

By Stacy Willingham. (Minotaur Books, 368 pages, $27.99.)