The Prisoner is an exciting, fast moving story of adventure and romance set in the exotic and vibrant 11th century city of Málaga, and is the third novel in The City of Dreams series. It opens when a young Moorish prince wakes to the filth and stench of his new home; at first he can't understand what's happened to him. Where is he? Gradually he remembers what his brother Hasan has done to him, but the question remains, why? His brother is the new caliph of Málaga but instead of welcoming Ben-Yahya, with open arms, he has him thrown into prison. He can only guess what Hasan is plotting, but one thing he does know is that no-one gets out of these dungeons alive.
Against this unsettled period in the history of Moorish Spain, where life becomes even more turbulent as intrigues and treachery within the royal household threaten the stability of the city, Salma and her family arrive in Málaga, hoping to follow their dreams and make new lives for themselves. However they soon discover that life in the city is not all they had hoped for; she and her husband share a secret, which if discovered could mean they would face exile or even death.