Baghdad, the capital of the world, is a city crowded with stories, and founded on secrets. But some secrets, and some stories, can be deadly... Ismail al-Rawiya is a thief who dreams of being a poet. He is drawn to Badhdad, 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 into a tale of murder and espionage in the world of The Thousand and One Nights. AUTHOR: Andrew Killeen was born and lives in Birmingham. He studied English at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, and has spent most of his career working with homeless and disadvantaged children. In his spare time he makes music, and can occasionally be found performing and DJ-ing as The Spidermonkey. He supports Birmingham City FC, as karmic punishment for sins in a past life. The Father of Locks is his first novel.
