Hello everyone! Yes, I am back sooner than ever with a review. It is sweltering where I live, so I am not motivated to leave the house. I’ve also had some downtime at work so I steal chances to read. I’ve mentioned it before but I tend to read fast. It’s a skill I developed at a young age. Before anyone wonders, this novel is inspired by Greek mythology but not about Greek mythology. I know I read a lot of Greek myth books. If you like those, then stick around for this. It’s time to talk about Pandora.

Content Warning: Some Harsh Language, Graphic Injury, Graphic Death, Abuse, Animal Death

Dora Blake is an aspiring jeweler living in the antique shop that is run by her resentful uncle. The once respectable shop had fallen into disrepair since Dora’s parents died and is mostly used by her uncle to sell cheap forgeries. One day, a large Greek vase is delivered to the shop and it is unlike anything Dora had ever seen. She also notices her uncle behaving strangely and decides to investigate. She seeks the help of aspiring antiquities scholar Edward Lawrence to find out what makes this vase so important. The vase, as it turns out, is the key to finding out what really happened to Dora’s family. As Dora and Edward continue their investigation, they quickly discover secrets that change their lives forever.

This book fits squarely in my Venn Diagram of interests, falling in between “Victorian England” and “Greek Mythology.” I may come across as biased in this review but I did truly enjoy this fast-paced, enticing novel. Susan Stokes-Chapman blends together mystery, drama, and a little bit of romance in this clever retelling of the myth of Pandora. Only this time, I like what I found when I opened this metaphorical box. The book was well-paced and the mystery at the heart of it was handled well. This is definitely a good summer read that will keep you hanging on until the very end.