Terry Pratchett, Maskerade

This is a book about masks.
Those you see when worn, and those you don't see even when they hide the wearer completely.

This is a book about opera.
That which is seen and heard, and that which is barely controlled chaos verging on catastrophe every day.

This is a book about witches.
Those who are good, and those who know the difference between good and evil doesn't matter nearly as much as the one between right and wrong.

This is a Pratchett book, with all this implies of humour, mystery and mayhem, with much more going on behind the scene than on it.

To get an idea of the plot, consider how The Phantom of the Opera would be if it happened in the real world of moneygrubbing owners, highstrung musical directors, anorexic ballet dancers, murderous ghosts, witches, apes and a thousand elephants. (Ok, only two).

With this book, Pratchett again manages to combine a solid plot, good story telling, excellent character description and his own brand of humour into a seamless whole, equally enjoyable for its skewed look on reality, for its insights into the motivation of its characters and for its undeniably humanitarian worldview.