which writer is this? Please help

[Sassyfrassy]

This niggling query has been driving me slightly mad the last couple of days. As a child I read a bunch of books by the same author. I read them translated into swedish (as I lived in sweden) so I don't know the english titles and I can't remember the writers name.

One of them was about a boy who lives in a city that is ruled by a family of brothers and sisters. Strange things start to happen to his family as one after the other of the siblings take an interest. The siblings each rule a seperate area of the city. In the end it turns out that this boy is one of them.

Another book was about a star who was turned into a dog as a punishment.

If this rings a bell for anyone, do tell me.

thanks

I think this is probably Diana Wynne Jones. I think the second one sounds like her book Dogsbody (though it's a while since I read it). Not sure about the first but does sound very DWJ-esque.

She is a fab writer. Her books are readily available - Howl's Moving Castle is cracking.

MissCromwell is spot on! The author is Diana Wynne Jones. The first book is "Archer's Goon" and the second book (as she says) is "Dogsbody".

Thank you both so much. I had an inkling it might be Jones. I do love Howl's moving castle, but not knowing the titles of the books at all in english was making it tricky.