An Unlikely Visitor

by Joanna Cannon

‘A profound and nuanced story about the connections we forge and those seemingly little moments in our lives that actually turn out to be the huge ones. So beautiful, so moving, never overstated, so very human. Joanna Cannon is a phenomenal writer, I am obsessed' ELIZABETH DAY

Margaret thinks her time is up…

Things have been hard since her husband Derek died, and they never really got over the disappearance of their daughter, Jeanie, all those years ago.

Despite everything, they built a lovely life together… it’s just starting to feel impossible for Margaret on her own.

But maybe her time is now?

Then one day, Margaret returns home to an unlikely visi­tor, and together they set out to discover what really hap­pened to Jeanie.

Perhaps if you knock on enough doors, you might find another end to your story…

'Brimming with Jo's trademark compassion, insight and wry humour, An Unlikely Visitor is both a meditation on a grief, a mystery of a missing child and a powerful exploration of the human condition. Jo writes so beautifully about human frailties and her kindness illuminates every sentence. A treat of a novel' HANNAH BECKERMAN

'A novel that appears to be telling Margaret and Derek’s poignant story becomes, in Joanna Cannon’s gifted hands, a profound reflection on the human condition, and therein lie the joy and the magic… We are left marvelling at how extraordinary ordinary people can be, and what a wonder it is to live and love at all' JOANNA GLEN

Praise for Joanna

‘Emotional, sweet, funny, hauntingly sad and poignant’ SARA COX

‘Lovely, lovely, lovely… Sue Townsend meets Kate Atkinson meets Nina Stibbe’ MARIAN KEYES

‘An utter delight’ SARAH WINMAN

‘A joy and a triumph’ RACHEL JOYCE

‘Charming, wise and profoundly human’ ERIN KELLY

Kindle Edition

Expected publication June 4, 2026

About the author

Librarians note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Denis Wheller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forty years ago, Margaret and Derek’s daughter disappeared. Ninety-four days ago Derek died. The latter natural, the former a mystery, still unsolved. Left on her own, Margaret, now seventy-five, is naturally bereft, not just because Derek has gone, but because her lifelong fixation about the whereabouts of her daughter, Jeanie; alive, dead, kidnapped, murdered? The busy life she has created for herself over the years, to mask this constant concern, needed Derek’s support. She is sinking! And then the eponymous visitor appears and suddenly she is galvanised into action. The answer to Jeanie’s disappearance is out there. Someone knows, and when she can piece together who that someone is she will finally answer the question.
Life and Death, and what happens when the former becomes the latter, are deep questions. This story, while being a murder-mystery, beautifully explores these issues; metaphysically rather than empirically. It’s an unconventional, but evocative, book. The early chapters are Margaret’s stream of consciousness on these matters, precipitated by the aftermath of Derek’s death. Some might find it a bit too philosophical, and rather aphoristic, but the pace picks up when the visitor appears and supplies Margaret with new sources of evidence. I did solve the mystery quite early on, but that isn’t really what carries the reader through to the dénouement. That is down to the skilful writing and the emotion that it unleashes.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very early on I knew Cannon was going to mess with my emotions. It was the misty eyes over flower delivery that did it.
Whilst I could see exactly where this was going, I really enjoyed the journey.
I smiled, I got sad, I cheered Margaret on.
So good to have another Cannon book to rave about to everyone I meet.