The Ghosts of Pandora Pickwick

by Christina Wolff, Ruth Ahmedzai Kemp (Translator)

Summer vacation in London turns mysterious and exciting when Mia learns that her aunt’s antique shop is actually a ghost placement agency and she gets training in how to cross over into the spirit world.

Welcome to Pandora’s Antiques, with rarities for every occasion.

Nowhere does Mia feel so at home as in her Aunt Harriet’s antique shop. How wonderful that she can spend her summer vacation there! But something is wrong in the store. Things disappear as if by magic, furniture that has just been wiped dusts up again in seconds, and there is an eerie number of clatter at night. However, her aunt acts as if this is completely normal. Mia, on the other hand, suspects that Harriet is hiding something from her—just like the question of who her birth parents are.

Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy

256 pages, Hardcover

Published March 4, 2025

Reviews

[Tracy Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twelve year old Mia Jones is spending her summer holidays in London with her Aunt Harriet, which is a definite improvement on going to America with her adoptive parents to sell shoelaces! Harriet owns and runs Pandora’s Antiques, and Mia enjoys spending time there helping run the shop. This year, though, things seem a little different, and after being woken up in the middle of the night by unexplained noises, Mia discovers her family has a very big secret! As the holiday progresses, she finds herself able to converse with ghosts and invited to a 400th birthday party neith of which aren't even the strangest things to happen!

This is a joy of a book. There are some Americanisms which, as everything is set in England, are a little annoying, but the storyline itself is totally absorbing and Mia is an immediately likeable and positive main protagonist who I was rooting for from the start. Translated from German, I'm not sure if there are any future installments in the offing, but I would definitely read them if there were.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Arctis Books USA, but the opinions expressed are my own. A brilliant book, especially for younger readers who enjoy ghostly happenings.

[Mackenzie Janssen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This in no way impacted my opinions.

A unique premise with a fascinating blend of ghosts, mystery, and antiques. While ‘The Ghosts of Pandora Pickwick’ had a lot of potential, it took a while to fully engage me, and some parts felt a bit predictable. That said, the charm of the setting and the concept kept me reading.

Plot: ★★★☆☆
The idea of an antique store doubling as a ghost placement agency is brilliant. However, the pacing was uneven - while the book had some intriguing moments, it took a while to build momentum. The final act was more engaging, but I found the twists predictable. I was hoping for more surprises or deeper stakes to keep me on the edge of my seat.

Character: ★★★☆☆
The characters had a lot of potential, but they didn’t always feel fully fleshed out. Mia is an interesting protagonist, but I wanted more emotional depth from her interactions with the ghosts and other characters. Some of the supporting cast felt underdeveloped, and I would have loved to see stronger, more complex relationships between them. That said, there were glimpses of really great character moments - just not enough to make them truly memorable.

Setting: ★★★★☆
The setting is easily one of the best parts of the book. The antique store is rich with history and atmosphere, and the descriptions really bring it to life. The idea of it serving as a ghost placement agency is captivating, and I loved how different spirits passed through and showed their characters. The world-building could have gone even deeper, but overall, it was well done and added to the story’s charm.

Engagement: ★★★☆☆
I struggled to stay engaged in the first half. The pacing felt slow, and I found myself waiting for something big to happen. Once the story picked up toward the end, I was more invested, but by then, I had already felt the drag of the earlier chapters. While the mystery kept me intrigued, it didn’t always have the gripping tension I was hoping for.

Readability: ★★★★☆
The writing itself was strong, with smooth prose and engaging descriptions. The antique store and its ghostly inhabitants were well depicted, making it easy to visualise. However, the pacing made it difficult to stay fully immersed at times, especially when the story meandered rather than driving forward.

Enjoyment: ★★★☆☆
I enjoyed the concept and the setting, but the execution left me wanting more. It was a cozy, atmospheric read, but I didn’t feel as emotionally connected to the characters or story as I had hoped. That said, I think readers who love lighter ghost stories with a touch of mystery will still find plenty to enjoy here.

‘The Ghosts of Pandora Pickwick’ has a fantastic premise and an immersive setting, but it didn’t fully deliver on engagement or character depth. If you enjoy cozy paranormal stories and don’t mind a slower pace, it’s worth a read. However, if you’re looking for a fast-paced, high-stakes ghostly mystery, this one may fall a little short.

[Tonja Drecker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ghosts mix with a secret past, incredible abilities, and an adventure to keep the pages turning until the very end.

Mia's looking forward to spending time at her Aunt Harriet's antique shop, but soon realizes that strange things are happening. When she asks her aunt, she doesn't get a real response and decides to figure it out for herself. The truth, though, is beyond her wildest dreams, and soon, she finds herself conversing with ghosts during the witching hour. It turns out that her aunt runs a very special business beyond simple antiques, and that's about to flip Mia's world upside down.

In many ways, this tale reminded me of Beetlejuice but with a lighter, more playful beginning. The first chapters are simply magical as Mia steps into the antique shop and discovers secrets behind the curious business and her aunt's odd sales antics. It's a world to enjoy as old trunks and more mix with quirky ghosts, who simply want to find a new home. There's such a whimsical atmosphere with the shop and the ghosts that it's hard not to want to spend more time in the shop and learn more. But this only holds for so long before things start taking a slightly, darker turn. So called friends have secret agendas, and some of them are very dangerous. Even trusted family members turn out to be harboring secrets.

This is a fun story, which grabs. It packs more than a few surprises and while it's clear that several things aren't quite right, the reasons behind it aren't what a reader might expect. Mia is a wonderful character with a good heart, and that clashes nicely with the more 'gray' characters, giving the story a sharp edge. There's a bit of a message surrounding the problem of naive trust as Mia is lead to go against her better judgement, but even this isn't clear-cut necessarily. There's also goodness surrounding family bonds and the golden side of true friendship and loyalty.

It's a fun read with a touch of magic and adventure, which manages to weave in enough bite to make it hard to put the book down.

[Sara Wise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christina Wolff delivers a fun story with a spooky premise in “The Ghosts of Pandora Pickwick.”

Twelve-year-old Mia Jones is visiting her aunt Harriet for the summer, helping out at her Pandora’s Antiques shop. But when adopted Mia starts hearing loud bangs, things start to go missing, and dust keeps mysteriously appearing, she fears there is more than meets the eye.

So when she learns her aunt’s shop is a placement agency for ghosts, and that she has unique abilities, new adventures and new friends appear for Mia. But will those adventures put her in danger? Will she be able to help her friends? And will these adventures help her figure out who her “real” family is?

Wolff provides a fun adventure story with a paranormal twist and some major surprises. She creates quirky and intriguing characters, both on the mortal and spiritual side. Her story also reminds us of the importance of friendship and loyalty; the power of family; finding and properly using our abilities; and overcoming feeling left out.

Fans of stories like J.D. Grolic’s “The Extraordinary Curiosities of Ixworth and Maddox,” “The International House of Dereliction” by Jacqueline Davies and “The Sinister Secrets of Singe” by Sean Ferrell will enjoy “The Ghosts of Pandora Pickwick,” which is due out March 4. I would recommend it for readers middle school aged and older.

Five stars out of five.

Arctis provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received a free ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review*

I think the biggest lesson to be learned from this book is the importance of honest communication. Mia's family is keeping some pretty big secrets from her which then leads to her keeping some pretty big ones from them that ultimately cause a lot of problems. This has a little bit of a slow start but once Mia starts exploring her ghostly powers things pick up quickly. Mia gets control of her powers over just a few chapters and I had to keep reminded myself that there is mention of days/weeks passing and that these advances do not come out of nowhere. I liked all of the characters in the antique shop and the twist regarding Mia's parents had me surprised. I'm curious what differences there may be between the original German story and this translation. This feels like the start of a series and it looks like it is for the German version so I'm hoping this author chooses to continue translating the other books because I am really curious to see how Mia's life continues to change now that many in the ghost world know about her.

[Emily Wood · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Mia is staying with her Aunt Harriet, she discovers the world of ghosts. Her Aunt runs a ghost agency which finds new homes for displaced ghosts. Every evening at midnight, the ghosts become visible and they get to talk and play with Mia. Two of the ghosts become good friends with Mia, Alistair and Jim. But things become even more remarkable when Mia learns to see ghosts all the time, not just at the witching hour. This is when Alistair and Mia start going on adventures and almost get eaten by a ghost worm. The story starts off really fun. Kids will love the idea of the witching hour and making friends with ghosts like Alistair and Jim. But the last half of the book goes off on a wild adventure that is barely held together by logic. I think kids will still like the adventure and forgive the plot holes.

[Donna Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this to be a refreshingly fun and whimsical story about a young girl visiting her aunt who runs an antique shop, but also has a completely separate side business involving ghosts and a whole other dimension of otherworldly beings. The entire premise was unique and Mia was so much fun as the intrepid heroine. Along the way, she becomes entangled in some truly creepy and thrilling adventures, which do provide a shudder and shiver here and there. I became caught up in this world very quickly and enjoyed all the unique and interesting characters, both human and otherwise, and definitely hope the author continues their stories in future volumes.

***I won a copy of this book in a LibraryThing Early Reviewers Giveaway. My review is strictly voluntary.***

[Farah G · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mia has no idea why there appear to be so many tensions in the relationship between her mother and her Aunt Harriet. Mia adores Harriet and is only too happy to be spending her summer with her aunt at her antique shop.

But there are things that Mia doesn't know about the shop. In fact, she doesn't know the *most important thing* about what Harriet is really up to. But she is about to find out...

This is a humorous and entertaining story with a good storyline featuring some very interesting characters. Recommended to those in search of a little light hearted fun, it wins an easy 3.5 stars.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Ghosts of Pandora Pickwick takes the reader on an adventure to an antique store that is secretly a placement agency for ghosts who have no house to haunt. Mia, the niece of the store owner is sent there for the summer. During her visit, she learns about the ghosts and as the days go by, she realizes that she can do more that see ghosts during the usual "witching hour." Without giving away too much of the story, there are good guys and bad guys, there is a family mystery and there is a happy ending. This book is squeaky clean and perfect for readers of any age.

I received an advance reader for free, but all opinions are my own.

[Sirah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mia is delighted to be spending the first few weeks of her school vacation at her aunt's antique shop, especially if she can finally get some answers about her birth parents. But then a thump in the night clues Mia in that she and her aunt aren't the only ones living in the shop. Well, "living" might be the wrong word.

This spooky little book is a lot of fun. I love the characters, and exploring both the antiques shop and London through the eyes of a ghost is exciting. I appreciate that there's also a lot of action and some great dialogue.

[Karen Reeder · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a fantastic ghost story. I loved the unique way that the world of ghosts was revealed. The world building was well done, and I enjoyed the journey, including enjoying having some predictions come to be correct and some fun twists that I had not seen coming.

[Ember Moto · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, light hearted story that fans of mysteries will love. This is a story about what it means to be a family wether that be blood family or found family. It also explores the lengths someone is willing to go in order to find out where they come from. Its full of great characters as well as many twists and turns.
Thank You to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC copy.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Copy provided by Edelweiss Plus

Mia is excited to be spending her school holiday with her Aunt Harriet in London while her father and mother travel to the US to promote their shoelace business. The aunt runs the family's Pandora's Antiques store that was run by her deceased grandmother, Pandora. There are some odd things that occur that make Mia think that her aunt is keeping a secret, and some tension between them when Harriet doesn't really acknowledge that Mia is adopted and has questions about her parents. When Mia goes in search of the source of noises in the middle of the night, she meets some ghosts, and Harriet finally admits that the antique shop is really a front for the ghost placement agency that she runs. Since many castles and grand estates in England change hands and are sold to wealthy celebrities who don't want ghosts, she find other homes for them. Some ghosts, like Jim, who is an ancestor, and Alistair, a young boy who prefers to live in the shop, stay around for a while, but others, like Olivia who shape shifted and scared Mia, are sent to other locations. Alistair starts to teach Mia to see ghosts at other times than just the witching hour (midnight), even though he tells her not to let Jim know, since he wouldn't approve. Mia hears whispers that she must be protected, and feels that there are still secrets that she doesn't know. When an invitation arrives to a ghost birthday at the house where Alistair was raised and died, Mia decides to slip into the ghost realm and attend. While there, family secrets are revealed, and Mia has to decide whether or not to use the powers that she has.
Strengths: This had some British charm to it (although it was originally written in German), and some mainly friendly ghosts, so I would have loved this when I was in fourth grade or so. The shop is interesting, and there are some mysterious elements involved. Mia has plenty of opportunities to be on her own, since her parents are away and Harriet doesn't ask too many questions.
Weaknesses: My students are only interested in ghosts who murder people in rather gory ways, but I would consider this for an elementary library where gentler ghost stories are popular.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed the magical shop aspect of James' The Bookwanderers or the London paranormal aspects of Shearer's The Ministry of Ghosts.