Susan Stokes-Chapman

pandora

For the latest books, recommendations, author interviews and more

source_10558

By signing up, I confirm that I'm over 16. To find out what personal data we collect and how we use it, please visit our <a href="/company/about-us/notices/privacy-policy/">Privacy Policy</a>

Keep an eye out for a confirmation in your inbox

Stories, ideas and giveaways to help you spark young imaginations

source_10972

The latest books, activities and tips to help you grow little readers

source_10975

About us

About Us (Header 4)

john-le-carre-a-legacy-of-spies-960-2.jpg

Margaret Atwood

Richard Osman

Malorie Blackman

George Orwell

marian_keyes_mobile_320x200px.png

Elif Shafak

shonfaye

Authors (Header 3)

Books (Header 2)

Company

Features (Header 1)

Penguin Shop (Header 5)

Useful links

The Shadow Key

Pandora

It's here! Browse the 2024 Penguin Christmas gift guide

Romantic, suspenseful and beautifully written, this is a glorious treat

A richly textured and elegantly written first novel

This glorious debut is alive with the sights, sounds and smells of Georgian London as a daring duo delve into the secrets of an ancient Greek vase...wonderfully immersive...Lush, lyrical and pacy, this a brilliantly escapist read.

Pandora weaves together Ancient Greek myth with suspenseful mystery and beguiling romance, set against the brilliantly rendered background of Georgian London. This novel is lush, evocative and utterly irresistible. Susan Stokes-Chapman's prose is exquisite and the story effortlessly intriguing. This is an absolute treasure trove of a book. Perfect for fans of Laura Purcell and Elizabeth Macneal.

Jennifer Saint, Sunday Times bestselling author of Ariadne

This is an immersive, evocative story full of romance and intrigue

A richly evocative and hugely enjoyable read, bubbling with mysteries, secrets and pleasures.

Perfect for fans of The Hourglass Factory by Lucy Ribchester or The Binding by Bridget Collins, this is a compelling historical novel that will tempt you to keep lifting the lid and read just one more chapter ...

An utterly compelling, convincing piece of historical fiction, threaded through with a dash of mythology. Readers will be rooting for Dora from the start, and spellbound as the story unfolds. I loved it.

Brimming with authentic Georgian detail and richly imagined characters, Pandora is a dazzling page-turner of a debut! Enticing, surprising and full of mystery, if you're a fan of The Binding or Daughters of Night, then you'll love Pandora.

Beautifully written with a gripping story and characters who are well drawn and complex, I absolutely loved this.

In her debut novel, Susan Stokes-Chapman creates a gripping narrative in which secrets from the past are slowly and ingeniously revealed

An accomplished debut, vividly portrayed... Stokes-Chapman is a stand-out voice.

Guinevere Glasfurd, author of the Costa-shortlisted The Words in my Hand

Pandora is such an immersive debut - an intriguing mystery, lavish with Georgian detail and tantalising hints of another world.

Kate Mascarenhas, author of The Psychology of Time Travel

A gleaming and brilliant novel of history, mystery and mythology set in Georgian London...a real gem of a debut

A complete and utter joy of a book. I adored the characters and it was an incredibly atmospheric read. The evocation of eighteenth century London was beautifully done, the mystery kept me turning the pages and the love story captured my heart. My only complaint was I didn't want it to end!'

Elodie Harper, bestselling author of The Wolf Den

This novel is a work of genius. Beautifully written and perfectly plotted with a heroine you'll fall in love with. It richly describes Georgian London and weaves character study and gorgeous setting and Greek mythology into a perfect book. One of the best historical novels I've ever read.

Delicious, intriguing and original...unfolds beautifully into a cracking finale.

If you like a novel steeped in great characters, a Gothic Georgian London, a world of antiquities and myth - this is an absolute winner. I loved it!

The author has very skilfully and pleasurably set her tale in Georgian London...wonderful characters ...book groups will love the plot and be entranced by Dora's world

Sumptuous, hypnotic and unforgettable. This beautifully told story of Gothic Georgian London is filled with mesmeric wonder, compelling mysteries and fascinating characters. I loved every page of it.

Stokes-Chapman can write fascinating, three-dimensional characters... Meanwhile, extensive research brings the period so much to life you can taste it... full of buried family histories and fantastical archaeological theories, Pandora is a readable, solid debut

The instant no.1 Sunday Times bestseller

Lose yourself to the mystery and romance of Susan Stokes-Chapman's no.1 bestselling novel, which brings Greek myth to Georgian London. 
 
'A gripping narrative in which secrets from the past are slowly and ingeniously revealed' Sunday Times 
 
'Romantic, suspenseful and beautifully written... a glorious treat' Daily Mail 
 
Some doors are kept locked for a reason... 
 
London, 1799. Dora Blake lives with her uncle in what used to be her parents' famed shop of antiquities. 
 
When a mysterious Greek vase is delivered, Dora is intrigued by her uncle's suspicious behaviour and enlists the help of Edward Lawrence, a young antiquarian scholar. For Edward, the ancient vase is the key to unlocking his professional future. For Dora, it's a chance to restore the shop to its former glory, and to escape her nefarious uncle. 
 
But what Edward discovers about the vase has Dora questioning everything she has believed about her life, her family, and the world as she knows it... 
 
'Weaves together Ancient Greek myth with suspenseful mystery and beguiling romance...utterly irresistible' Jennifer Saint, author of Ariadne 
 
'An immersive, evocative story full of romance and intrigue' Red 
 
*SHORTLISTED FOR THE GOLDSBORO GLASS BELL AWARD* 
 
Readers love Pandora: 
 
'So addictive... the perfect mix of historical fiction, mystery, fantasy and romance' 
 
'Wonderfully atmospheric' 
 
'A beautifully written piece of historical fiction' 
 
'Crackles with danger and mystery... a joy to read' 
 
'An utterly magical book full of secrets, love and hope' 
 
'Beautifully written, gripping and evocative' 
 
*Susan Stokes-Chapman's new novel THE SHADOW KEY is available now*

**THE #1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER FROM THE NEW VOICE IN HISTORICAL FICTION** 
 
A pure pleasure of a novel set in Georgian London, where the discovery of a mysterious ancient Greek vase sets in motion conspiracies, revelations and romance. 
 
'Weaves together Ancient Greek myth with suspenseful mystery and beguiling romance...utterly irresistible' Jennifer Saint, author of Ariadne 
 
*Longlisted for the Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award* 
 
Perfect for fans of THE LEVIATHAN and THE SONG OF ACHILLES. 
 
London, 1799. Dora Blake lives with her uncle in what used to be her parents' famed shop of antiquities. 
 
When a mysterious Greek vase is delivered, Dora is intrigued by her uncle's suspicious behaviour and enlists the help of Edward Lawrence, a young antiquarian scholar. For Edward, the ancient vase is the key to unlocking his professional future. For Dora, it's a chance to restore the shop to its former glory, and to escape her nefarious uncle. 
 
But what Edward discovers about the vase has Dora questioning everything she has believed about her life, her family, and the world as she knows it... 
 
 
'A gripping narrative in which secrets from the past are slowly and ingeniously revealed' Sunday Times, *Historical Fiction Book of the Month* 
 
'An immersive, evocative story full of romance and intrigue' Red 
 
'Romantic, suspenseful and beautifully written... a glorious treat' Daily Mail 
 
Readers love Pandora: 
'So addictive... the perfect mix of historical fiction, mystery, fantasy and romance' 
'Wonderfully atmospheric' 
'A beautifully written piece of historical fiction' 
'Crackles with danger and mystery... a joy to read' 
'An utterly magical book full of secrets, love and hope' 
'Beautifully written, gripping and evocative'

Pandora

Select a format:

Retailers:

Summary

Reviews

About the author

Susan Stokes-Chapman

More from this Author

Sign up to the Penguin Newsletter