Maskerade

Pratchett's take on The Phantom of the Opera is both a loving parody and a clever mystery. He clearly knows and enjoys the world of opera, and the jokes about singers, managers, chorus lines and the sheer absurdity of the art form are frequent and funny. The opera house, where the show must always go on, is a perfect setting for chaos.

Agnes Nitt is the emotional centre: a talented, sensible young woman who is overlooked because of how she looks, while a prettier singer gets the credit for her voice. Pratchett handles her story with real warmth. Granny Weatherwax is at her most formidable, and Nanny Ogg's bestselling book provides a running comic subplot about publishing and money.

The mystery of the Ghost is handled well, though readers may guess parts of it. Some of Nanny Ogg's humour is cheeky rather than crude. It helps to have read Wyrd Sisters or Witches Abroad first, but it is not essential. The book also works as an affectionate love letter to the theatre, and readers who have spent time backstage will recognise many of its absurdities. About 358 pages in the HarperTorch paperback; UK editions run longer.