We are in the year 1703 in the idyllic town of San Gimignano in Tuscany. Skulduggery's arch adversary Mevolent is currently staying there. He, Grässlich Schneider and the other dead men finally want to take their revenge on him, but then the Irish grand magician Meritorius appears and tells them to do the exact opposite: they are to protect Mevolent from the assassin Strickent Abhor. Mevolent is the only magician who can close the Porta dell'Inferno, a gateway to hell where a destructive deity lurks. That is why he must stay alive. But not only that - they even have to try to co-operate with their enemies! Derek Landy's prequel to his cult series is full of suspense and humour, and Rainer Strecker brings the reunion of many popular characters to life in a polyphonic way.