From riches to rags, Milena is growing up in the city of Prague at the turn of the twentieth century. Her parents' once prosperous theatre lies in disrepair and her life seems to be in ruins, and has been since that fateful night her father died in a tragic accident and Milena's beautiful, talented Mother went missing. No trace of her has been found. But Milena has never lost hope that she will come back. The day she meets the flamboyant Puppet Master and his menacing proteges, the twins Zdenko and Zdenka, under the shadow of Prague's famous Astronomical Clock in the Old Town square is, coincidentally, the date of her mother's birthday. And it's the day Milena's grandmother chooses to reveal to her the story of her ancestors...and of her legacy. Or perhaps it's not such a coincidence. Joanne Owen's debut novel skilfully mingles the legends of Bohemia in a story rich in the traditions of circus, theatre and magic, all set in a city waiting to lay bare a myriad of secrets.

'Full of magic and mystery...engaging and fascinating' PUBLISHING NEWS 'The atmosphere is terrific, it's like being in Prague.' -- S F Said Guardian 'It's like reading an old fairytale you'd forgotten you heard as a child' SFX MAGAZINE 'A spooky, imaginative story' HAM & HIGH 'Owen is a terrific storyteller, and she evokes an atmosphere as beautiful and spooky as the old Tale from Europe on children's television in the 1960's' -- Kate Saunders THE DAILY TELEGRAPH 'A really super book' TEEN TITLES 'A mixture of folk tale and magic' CAROUSEL 'Engrossing and spooky...Owen definitely pulls a few strings of her own very effectively in this impressive first novel' SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST 'A gripping page turner. The whole book is engaging and involving bringing both people and place, not to mention puppets, vividly to life' THE SCHOOL LIBRARIAN

Joanne Owen was born in Pembrokeshire, Wales, and read Social and Political Sciences with Archaeology and Anthropology at St Johns College, Cambridge. She has worked in childrens bookselling and publishing ever since. Joanne plays bass guitar and accordion in a band and lives in North London with her partner, Lloyd, and an ever-growing collection of marionettes. PUPPET MASTER is her first novel.