Wonderland found

Thomas Sullivan turning 18, and is a huge fan of this travelling preforming group called the Wonderland Company, of 7 people. The person who runs it says that before they move on, they want to have one more person join. Thomas' brother makes fun of him, but the boy stays determined, and gets into the audition the day of his birthday. As he's running to the lot, his brother catches up to him, and demands he apologize for "ruining his life" but he gets upset, and claims that his older brother was the awful one. The older brother snaps, and kills him. As the troupe move on, the owner sees a young man on the side of the road, walking calmly. One who she recognizes. The boy who missed his audition. He's bruised, bloody and cant remember where or who he is. The owner knows he's dead. The boy doesn't. She offers him a job, working under the name Jester, and he takes it. Regardless of his death, he still got the job. Over about a year, he realizes the others in the troupe are also murdered souls, who are trapped in the contract the owner put them under. They need their real names, or they'll never get to leave. Jester spends the book learning about the people he's stuck with, and trying to work backwards and find out who they are, while staying away from the owners prying gaze. 7 murders to solve, and one question plaguing them all.
Is the owner still alive?