The Father of Locks

Baghdad, the capital of the world, is a city crowded with stories, and founded on secrets, and some stories, can be deadly.
Ismail al-Rawiya is a thief who dreams of being a poet. He is drawn to Baghdad, and to the court of the Khalifah Harun al-Rashid. In the turbulent city, Ismail falls into the company of the poet Abu Nuwas, known as the Father of Locks. Abu Nuwas is a brilliant artist, but also a decadent drunkard with a taste for trouble.
The Father of Locks has his own secret: he is an irregular and reluctant agent of the scheming Wazir, Ja'Far al-Barmaki, who now assigns him to investigate reports that the Devil is stalking the streets of Baghdad. Together the poet and the thief uncover a hidden world, of forbidden cults, foreign spies, and a mysterious Brass Bottle.
The Father of Locks weaves together history and legend in a tale of murder and espionage in the spirit of The Thousand and One Nights.