Unfortunately I read to about 30% of the book and have had to not finish it because I just couldn’t get into. It’s a book that is not for me but in no way means that it is a bad book and that other people won’t love it.

Thank you NetGalley for approving me for this book

A wonderful Georgian mystery romance with lost orphans, an evil uncle, thwarted love and mysteries solved.

A thoroughly enjoyable read that romps through the lives of Dora and Edward as they find each other and much more than they bargained for.

With a sinister background of black market antiquities trading and the threat of danger, Dora and Edward lose their innocence but find deeper meaning in a Georgian London that is delicately drawn and completely believable.

A fascinating premise that really does deliver, when a mysterious Greek Vase ends up in Dora's uncles antique shop it results in a series of mysterious accidents and oddities to occur. Dora along with a budding antiquarian Edward set out to discover the mystery of the Vase with its strange links to the myth of Pandora. Full of adventure, an intriguing mystery with a dark historical setting, this was such a fun and page turning read.

Weave together historical fiction and Greek mythology and I am in! Beautifully written and rich in atmosphere, Pandora is a treat for the senses with its intoxicating descriptions. From the feel of the damp cobbled streets to the aromas of the antique shop, Susan Stokes-Chapman fills her story with delicious detail to deliver a truly immersive experience.

The book took me a while to get into as it seemed to take me a really long time to read it at the start. I suppose that happens a lot with historical fiction as you take more time to understand the time period and characters, but it did feel like an effort at first as it takes a while for things to really start happening.

I soon got into the story, however, as I got to know Dora more and really begin to admire her aspirations. As a female character who is trying to make a name for herself in a time when women were seen and not heard, she's a very easy character to relate to, so I enjoyed seeing Edward help her to come out of her shell.

The discussions around Greek myth are what make this such a fascinating and original read, and I really enjoyed the mystery around the vase. However, I was waiting for something darker to creep up on the characters as I felt like the power of the vase was only teased at, so I didn't feel the unnerving threat of this seemingly inanimate object that I was seeking.

As a debut novel, Susan Stokes-Chapman has written a truly impressive book that delivers on character and setting, the two things you need from a piece of historical fiction. I wanted a little more of a punch to really love this, but there's so much about this story that will stick with me.

This was such an enjoyable book to read. I usually struggle with these types of books as I find them a little long and drawn-out. This one was different and I throughly enjoyed it. Another new author for me which is always a plus for me. I will be looking out for more by this author in the future. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I had previously been given the chance to read the first few chapters of this book and was left with a real desire to find out what happened to Dora next. When I was granted access to the rest of the story, I was keen to dive in. It didn't disappoint, I devoured this book in super quick time! I felt that the story and personalities really developed as it went on and made me grateful that I had invested the time to find out about their fates. Although some mysteries still remain, I felt that the storyline came was explained well and came to a satisfactory conclusion. I wonder if there is scope for a sequel to follow the potential adventures of the characters in the future?
A wonderfully immersive historical and mystery to dive in to on a dark winter's day.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Random House UK for approving me for an ARC of this book. I ended up buddy reading this one with one of my book club friends and I think it is safe to say that we both loved it! This is going to be one of those books that I struggle to review. This was so good that I don’t feel any words I use will do it justice, but I’ll try my best.

Set in Georgian London we follow the story of Dora, aka Pandora, a young twenty one year old who is desperate to get out from the grips of her diabolical uncle. She has a plan and she is hoping that using the old connections her parents had will help her. She wants to design and sell her own jewellery to the ladies of London and whilst I could not see these designs the descriptions were sublime.

Sadly Dora’s parents were killed in an archaeological dig twelve years ago and since then she has been under the care of her uncle. Dora has had to watch her uncle take her parents antiquity shop and destroy what was once a thriving business. To top it off her uncle has a housemaid, Lottie, who clearly doesn’t like Dora at all. But Dora isn’t lonely. She has her lovely pet magpie Hermes whose intuition proves to be more than useful in the story. I was rooting for Dora to succeed and loved her bravery and determination. She was ladylike but also knew her own mind and wasn’t afraid to speak up.

Edward and Cornelius were a funny pair and I didn’t trust either of them. Once I learnt of their plan with Dora and the vase my concerns only grew. I didn’t want to see Dora suffer anymore heartbreak than she already had and hoped that Edward in particular would have a change of heart. Strangely enough my favourite character ended up being Lottie. What started off as a mutual dislike for each other soon turned into a budding friendship and I admired Lottie for the help she gave Dora.

This story is oozing in history and mythology without being too heavy. It’s dark, twisted and will certainly have you on the edge of your seat! I was invested in Dora and her story, desperate to know more about the vase and it’s history. It was full of mystery and emotion, definitely one to add to your TBR!

I love historical fiction books and I love delving into different eras. Set in the late 1700's this book not only explores this timeline but uncovers a treasure from Ancient Greece. With its gothic, atmospheric feel the secrets and twists of the plot are just brilliantly woven together. Im a little surprised to see this is a debut author and I will be looking out for more from this author. I did find it slow to start with but I do enjoy a good build up. Overall I enjoyed this book

I really did like this book. I was rooting for Dora to win the day and be a woman of her own means, out from under her uncle's grasp. I liked the idea of the Pandora myth playing a part in the mystery and the plot. I really felt for some of the character reveals were quite interesting and it did develop the characters rather well. Dora's background of her parents was quite sad to read, but also Edward's. I liked how real the descriptions were in the book as I could imagine Dora walking down the streets and seeing the landmarks of London as they are being described. I did call two or three of the plot points, but I really did like the story and how it was all revealed. Lady Latimer was a character! I did feel rather strongly towards Dora's uncle due to his actions, but the housekeeper Lottie I grew to like her a little more. The ending was quite nice, as it did round off any extra questions for a full resolution which I am not used to. I would recommend this book to those that like historical fiction that isn't to bogged up in the insane details that some historical fictions do.

Ah Pandora - a girl after my own heart.

I've had the chance to read an extract before the publisher kindly granted me access to the whole thing. After reading the extract my thought were: Pandora seems to be a nice little page turner mystery that I cannot wait to discover. The writing is gripping and atmospheric, immediately immersing the reader in the universe of the antique shop and the Blakes' story. Pandora is a young, inquisitive woman that doesn't shy away from fighting for what she want - the type of female character that I really enjoy. There seems to be a touch of magic too, or at least of things happening without a logical reason that hopefully it's nicely integrated in the overall story

After reading the entire novel my thoughts haven;t changed at all. I truly loved Pandora- both the story and the character. The writing is indeed very evocative and gripping! I was not only reading about Pandora and her adventures, but I've joined her in her journey of discovery, of falling in love, of making something of herself. The unexplained element I was mentioning above works very well in the context, and it does not grate. Or at least it did not annoyed me because it reminded me of real life events around the discovery of certain items in Egypt. I really don't want to say more because it would reveal too much, and I don't want to spoil this story for anyone.

While I think this is an excellent example of its genre, it isn’t a genre I personally enjoy or was expecting. It didn’t really capture me but that’s due to personal taste rather than anything wrong with the book. I would definitely recommend for other people, just wasn’t for me.

Also it wasn’t formatted very well for the kindle which made it hard to get the full effect.

This has been on my TBR NetGalley shelf forever and I’ve almost been putting it off because I’ve been waiting to savour it. I couldn’t pass up the chance to review another book based on Greek mythology, especially Pandora. This is definitely worthy of being in the coveted ranks of Haynes, Saint and Fry when it comes to this genre. This is a fast paced read and the narrative flows well. It doesn’t throw Greek mythology right in your face and will probably be a good introduction for those who don’t know a great deal about it or are interested in this craze and feel overwhelmed about where to start. Overall, an enjoyable good overcoming evil tale.

This started off well and and I was interested in the story line but unfortunately the second half failed to deliver for me and so this was only a three star read

Set in 1799 London, Pandora Blake, known as Dora does not have the happiest of lives. She lives above her parents' antiquities shop, once a place that was frequented by wealthy customers. After the death of her parents, the shop belongs to her Uncle. He is an odious man and one that is devious.

This is a mystery that I absolutely adored. Using some facts from history the author has taken some liberties with dates for the benefit of the story. All of this is explained at the end of the book and makes for interesting reading in itself.

Dora is the main focus of the story, she is a budding designer and she has her mothers talent for her artistic flair. Her parents sourced items to sell in their shop from their own excavations, legitimate and above board. When her Uncle suddenly brings in an object that he hides away from Dora, she knows he is up to something, but quite what it is will take time to discover.

This is a fabulous blend of history, fiction, fantasy and with a strong mystery to it. The setting was great as society at the time still travelled the world on their "tours", adventures and exotic destinations that took weeks to get to are something for the upper echelons of the society of the day. This was balanced with the ordinary, working folk or those that have no homes, very little clothing and with little in the way of life. These different sides of society and the contrasts were a great part of the story and I think the author used them to great effect.

This is a mystery though, a mystery about Dora, her Uncle, a large vase and the death of her parents. Chance and fortune bring Dora into contact with several people, some helpful, some unsavoury and some just plain rude. They do however play their parts well and give a broader picture of life in London a the turn of the century as well as adding valuable details as part of the story.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and although some of the smells and sights might have been unpleasant to read, the author does a cracking job of describing them. This does have the feel that this is something that could be part of a series as I do think it has the potential to be expanded upon. I do hope this is the case as I would definitely be looking to read another book that features Dora.

A wonderful mystery, historical fiction and crime that I would definitely recommend.

The premise of this book is something akin to Stacey Halls meets the Da Vinci Code - a young woman in Georgian England aims to live a life free from her horrendous uncle, is pulled into the world of antiquities that her deceased parents made their living from and...has a pet magpie.

I enjoyed the first half of this book a lot. Dora is a sympathetic main character with intellectual interests and career ambitions who I genuinely wanted to see succeed. The mystery of the pithos, an ancient Greek vase, is compelling as are the characters that circle around it - tlfrom the shippers, the uncle and through to the Antiquaries Society and Lord Hamilton. I was sold on the mystery of this vase.

The second half moves much more towards the personal mysteries of the legacy left to Dora by her parents, to uncovering the past of Edward, the man courting her and trying to gain admittance into the Antiquaries Society. As much as this was good historical fiction, I wanted to delve into the mystery of the pithos really being Pandora's Jar. At several points it felt like the book was going to make this jump, delve into that history and possibility and leave the reader believing in Myth come to life and it just....didn't. Which left a few threads hanging in this novel, really.

This is a enjoyable historical fiction read, but for those looking for a fantasy of Pandora existing, of the work if the gods being uncovered on an archaeological dig in the Peloponnese, this book teases more than it ultimately delivers. Perfect for some readers who do enjoy purely historical fiction from this period.

Dora (short for Pandora) has been reduced to leading a poor existence in her uncle's Antiquary shop following the deaths of her archaeologist parents. She wants to become a jeweller and has artistic talent, but her ambitions are thwarted by the limited prospects for women at that time, but also by her uncle Hezekiah's "dodgy" dealings. She knows many of the "antiques" in the shop are fake but what else is ?

Discovering a mysterious jar (pithos) that her uncle has hidden , Dora sets out to find out more about this mysterious and how it got there. She also wants to use it as inspiration for a new jewellery collection.
Helping her find out the truth is poor scholar Edward who ekes out his own existence at a bookbinder's with the patronage of his childhood rich friend Mr Ashmole. However finding out the "truth" about the pithos is more complicated and uncovers a variety of motivations amongst the main characters.

The characters are all nuanced and have ambiguities in a way that I love. I really enjoyed the relationship between Dora and Mr Ashmole. Also I developed a lot of sympathy for the character of Lottie, her uncle's "housekeeper" and companion. There's even Hermes the magpie who wins your heart too as a constant companion to the lonely Dora.

The book opens with a dramatic shipwreck off the Isles of Scilly and the mystery around this deepens and multiplies as the book progresses.

It's the perfect combination of myth, mystery and history. The Georgian setting is rich in its evocation It reminds me of Gowar's The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock in its blend of mythology, historical realism and enigma.

Themes of self fulfillment, a thirst for knowledge/curiosity ? and pride all feature in this book. I found it easy to turn to and looked forward to reading it every day. The pages soon ran out...

A Georgian historical drama with a hint of the supernatural.
Followed her parents accidental deaths at an archaeological dig, Dora is brought up by her sleazy, underhand Uncle. He deals in fake antiquities at Dora’s parents former shop. A shipment containing a mysterious vase arrives and Dora’s uncle is secretive about its origins but illness strikes those who handle it.
There is a love triangle with Dora, Edward, a similarly orphaned man who was brought up by a wealthy benefactor, and Cornelius, his benefactor with unrequited and unspoken love for Edward. It works quite nicely as a driver for character interaction.
Sometimes the Uncle, Hezekiah, and his deeds, teeter on gothic melodrama but it is a rewarding read with a satisfying ending.

This is a debut novel and I’m excited about what Susan will come out with next. This book was so well written and although it was slow-paced in the beginning I feel this was needed to draw you into the story. I feel it set the scene up until about halfway and then I couldn’t put it down.
I feel the main plot was the story about the vase but I was much more invested in the characters, their back story and where they ended up. Altogether I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to people who are interesting in slow-paced historical fiction.

3.5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was beautifully written and transported me to Georgian England through the pages. I enjoyed how the book followed three characters stories and how the storylines weaved together throughout the book.

That being said, I feel as though there may have been too much going on in this book that it fell short of my expectations. I wasn’t captivated by the characters and this may have also contributed to why I found the book slow and kept putting it down.

Some descriptions were quite graphic, they made my stomach turn but it did make the story seem more authentic with the circumstances in that time period.

If you enjoy historical fiction, Greek mythology and archaeology, I would recommend picking this up as I haven’t read anything like this.

Absolutely loved this book! What a fabulous story!
I was fully immersed in Georgian London and all the sights and smells (lots of then rather disgusting).
Dora Blake is a great character and it was easy to sympathise with her plight as an orphaned young woman at the mercy of her awful Uncle. Although I have to say that he was a fantastic character too.
The mystery surrounding the Grecian urn, the basement with it's secrets, lovely Hermes the magpie, the jewellery designing and the characters of Edward and Cornelius all helped to make this a fascinating read.
I won't forget this in a hurry and hope to see it on screen.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Random House, Harvill Secker for the opportunity to read this advanced copy.