A Roman mystery, introducing Septimus Severus Quistus Quistus, lucky seventh son, has everything ? then, in one fateful hour, Quistus's life is destroyed, his much-loved wife and family bloodily murdered, all except his seventh son and only daughter. Not caring if he lives or dies, Quistus travels the world searching for his lost children, but his fearlessness makes him the last hope of many he meets for justice in Nero's debauched, decadent and deadly dangerous empire.