An Unlikely Visitor: A Novel

by Joanna Cannon

From the internationally bestselling author of the “unique and unforgettable” (The Wall Street Journal) The Trouble with Goats and Sheep comes a funny and poignant story of a woman who encounters the ghosts of her past as she untangles the mystery of her daughter’s disappearance—a powerful, hopeful reminder that the people we love are always with us.

Margaret thinks her time is up…

Things have been hard since her husband Derek died, and they never got over the disappearance of their daughter, Jeanie, all those years ago. With his support, it seemed like everything would be okay—okay enough, that is.

But now Derek’s gone. Margaret moves through the days slowly, quietly, alone. Then one day, Margaret returns home to an unlikely visi­tor, and together they set out to discover what really happened to Jeanie. Perhaps if she knocks on enough doors, she might find another end to the story.

Part mystery, part ghost story, part meditation on grief, An Unlikely Visitor is a warmhearted and hopeful reminder that the people we love are always with us.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Contemporary, Grief, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller, Crime

320 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 27, 2026

About the author

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

Reviews

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trust me, Joanna Cannon totally gets what it’s like to be a recent widow. Not just the quiet and talking to someone no longer there, but the need to take on what had been someone else’s responsibilities. Because as she says, each marriage has a division of duties.
Margaret has only been a widow for 3 months. And when she was much younger, her 11 year old daughter went missing. So, once again, she’s trying to reconfigure her life. And then, she comes home to an unexpected visitor.
The plot veers between the present and the time when Jeanie went missing. Margaret decides to use her new “found time” to finally figure out what happened to her daughter. She enlists an unusual cast of characters.
The story relies on a healthy acceptance of magic realism. I struggle with this genre. But the book was just so spot on as it tackled grief, starting over, compassion (for oneself and others). I fell in love with it. It helped that Margaret felt totally real. Not just how she deals with the loss of Derek but her unresolved trauma from not knowing what happened to her daughter.
I was totally attuned with the philosophy behind the book and found myself highlighting a lot of passages. The resolution was easy to envision. But given that this isn’t really a mystery, that didn’t bother me. At heart, it’s a feel good story about pushing on with life.
Pet owners - I’ll admit that the tears I cried had to do with her neighbor, Majid and his dog, Sonny.
My thanks to Netgalley and Scribner for an advance copy of this book.

[Melissa (Always Behind) · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a touching story. Very sad, but also cathartic and meaningful.

I think it helps to go into this story knowing as little as possible, just let it unfold. Because the unlikely visitor and what happens afterward are so critical to how everything unfolds.

I loved Margaret in all of her prickly proper glory. When you learn about the past and what has shaped her life you grow to care for her and love her and understand her a bit better. This is a quietly told tale, filled with emotion and nuance. It's a story of family in all of its many forms, and a story of redemption and love played out over many years. I finished this book in tears, because by the end Margaret's sorrows and loss became mine, but also her triumphs and joys became mine as well. Cannon's writing is sublime, every word is well crafted and meaningful in its place.

Such a beautiful book, it will stay with me for a long time.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Margaret’s husband Derek dies, she feels bereft with nothing else to look forward to in her life. She also feels more strongly a profound grief for their only child, Jeanie, who disappeared four decades ago when Jeanie was only eleven and was never found. But then an unusual and unexpected visitor arrives to stay with her. One who wants to help her find out what happened to Jeanie, giving Margaret a new lease of life as they investigate together.

This is a wonderful story, tenderly told. Although it is about the pain and lingering effects of grief and loss, it never felt heavy but moving and compassionate, as well as hopeful that one can learn to move through grief to live alongside it. Tinged with the perfect degree and tone of humour to show us Margaret’s inner thoughts and personality that she keeps hidden, and infused with a little magic, it’s brilliantly written, right to the final heartbreaking reveal.

With thanks to Harper Collins UK via Netgalley for a copy to read>

[Ceecee · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s tough for Margaret these days since Derek died and the couple never get over the disappearance of their daughter Jeanie many years ago. Despite their profound loss, they do build a nice life together but these days she feels the walls are closing in as it’s just so hard. Then an unlikely visitor appears and perhaps for the first time in many, many years she can find some answers about what really happens to Jeanie.

Fellow book lovers will know exactly what I mean when I say this has been the most wonderful reading experience encompassing all the emotions. Ever since her debut novel ‘The Trouble with Goats and Sheep’, I have loved Joanna Cannon‘s books and I’m certain this will be another best seller. It’s a beautiful book which is beautifully written with genuine feeling, empathy, sensitivity and understanding of Margaret and her life. I can honestly say I truly love being in Margaret’s company for the hours it takes to read this. The author has quite simply taken an ordinary, everyday life and made it extraordinary in every possible way. It’s wonderfully written with some witty and apt turns of phrase, summing situations up to perfection. The characterisation is exemplary.

Clearly, the novel has grief at its core but it’s grief wrapped up in a mystery which evolves naturally through the writing. It’s also sprinkled with a lot of magic and some marvellously surreal moments which the author 100% makes me buy into. It’s an emotional rollercoaster, the loss of Jeanie and the living with the not knowing, the loss of lovely Derek but it’s also heartwarming and life affirming. I defy anyone not to have a tear in their eye at the end. It’s a truly poignant story written with compassion and huge imagination. Absolutely fabulous.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to HarperCollins, HarperFiction/The Borough Press for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review.

[Jules · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Margaret's husband, Derek, dies, she becomes all alone in the world, because Margaret and Derek's daughter, Jeanie, disappeared when she was 11 years old and neither of them saw her ever again. For several months, she struggles to adjust but one day an unlikely visitor appears and helps her to find a new path to discover what happened to her daughter.

Joanna Cannon is absolutely exceptional at writing character and this book is chock full of them! She dissects what it is to be human, what makes us unique and individual, and fills all of her characters with all those little nuances that make each of us who we are.

Now, I will say this book is sad and it may break your heart (I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a tear in my eye at times). However, it is beautifully written, packed full of emotion and will hopefully make you realise that, despite all our flaws, ultimately the world is full of kindness.

Bravo again to Joanna for another wonderful book - she never fails! All the stars!

Thank you to Joanna and Borough Press for sending me a proof.

[Fiona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fans of Fredrik Backman will enjoy this bittersweet story of love and loss.

Imagine there IS a heaven……if you don’t already believe there is. Margaret is recently widowed and years ago she lost her daughter, Jeanie, who was believed to have been abducted whilst delivering newspapers. I know very little about the author but she seems to write with great insight about grief and loss, and ways of coping and not coping. There are two major elements - one requires a suspension of disbelief, the other is essentially a whodunnit as Margaret is still trying, forty years on, to solve the mystery of her daughter’s disappearance.

I found I couldn’t put this book down despite it going against my general disinterest in stories that rely on…what will I call it? The supernatural? Impossible events? I enjoyed Joanna Cannon’s writing very much and will read more of her books.

With thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for a review copy.

[Meagan (Meagansbookclub) · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

I went in completely blind and loved every second of it! The audio was so easy to listen to and the story had a little bit of everything. Plus the main character was an older woman! 👵🏼

[Fictionophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elderly Margaret, a recent widow, is adrift. Without her husband Derek by her side, she is rudderless and bereft. Margaret has known a lot of heartbreak in her life. When her only daughter was just eleven years of age, she went missing. Jeanie went out on her paper round one morning and never returned…

The narrative of this book has dual timelines. One is the present, and one when Jeanie first went missing over four decades earlier.

Now Margaret spends most of her time alone. She goes out to the shops one day and returns to her house to find a very ‘unlikely visitor’. Together, she and her visitor seek to find answers to what happened to Jeanie all those years ago.

Joanna Cannon has tackled some serious and difficult subjects in this novel. She handles them all with a deep and abiding empathy, more than a touch of magical realism, and sometimes adds just a dash of humour. Cannon’s writing deftly balances sadness and hope, and leaves you with the notion that you never really lose the people that you love for they reside in your heart forever.

Simultaneously a poignant and hope-filled novel of a calibre that fans of this author have come to expect. A comforting and life-affirming exploration of loss, grief, love, and family, this was not my favourite read by this author, but it comes close.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

found this novel had an unusual twist which was refreshing

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Unlikely Visitor, by Joanne Cannon is an outstanding read, a story that is as profound as it is nuanced—a “so very human” exploration of how the end of one’s story might actually be a hidden beginning.

Margaret is a character who immediately breaks your heart and then slowly starts to mend it. Following the death of her beloved husband, Derek, she feels as though her “time is up.” The house is too quiet, and the air is heavy with the double grief of losing a partner and the decades-old mystery of her daughter Jeanie’s disappearance.

The story is beautifully written and illustrates the “lovely life” Margaret and Derek built together, making the current impossibility of her solitary existence feel incredibly grounded and real. It is a “sombre mood,” yes, but it’s written with such compassion that you never feel overwhelmed by the sadness.

Everything changes when Margaret returns home to find an unlikely visitor. This visitor acts as the catalyst for a journey Margaret never thought she would take. Together, they begin to knock on the doors of the past to uncover the truth about Jeanie.

What makes this book truly special is how it handles the “whimsical twist.” It’s never overstated or jarring; instead, it lightens the atmosphere and provides a sense of hope that feels earned. It’s a reminder that if you are brave enough to keep looking, you might just find a different ending to your story.

This is a “beautifully written story of grief, love, and compassion.” It’s a book that invites you to slow down and appreciate the tiny intersections of life that turn out to be the huge ones. It’s rare to find a story that deals with such heavy themes while remaining so uplifting, but Joanne Cannon has achieved exactly that.

“Margaret thought her time was up, but she discovered that life isn’t a straight line, it’s a series of doors, and sometimes you just need the right visitor to help you knock.”

This book will leave you feeling both tearful and inspired, emotional storytelling that reminds us that no matter how late the hour, there is always room for a little more love and a lot more truth. Fabulous read.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

[Patty · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s been 40 years since Margaret’s daughter, Jeanie, disappeared, and three months since her husband, Derek, has died. On his deathbed, Derek promised to look for Jeanie in the afterlife. Depressed and lonely, Margaret has isolated herself from her friends and awaits death. When he returns as a ghost—her unlikely visitor—they embark on the quest to finding the truth behind their daughter’s disappearance.

The first 1/3 of this novel was beautifully written; Joanna Cannon’s narrative is so gentle and natural. There is an ease in reading Joanna Cannon’s prose; subtle yet impactful. In this passage, Margaret is able to tell us about the loss of her daughter through the loss of a favorite tree:

“There were times it felt as though it was still there. I could feel the smooth grey
bark underneath my fingertips, hear the leaves shimmering high above my head.
But I just know, looking back over the last forty years, that was the moment. The
moment I began to measure my life in the absence of things, rather than the presence.

There were several reasons why I didn’t rate this book higher. First, Jeanie’s disappearance coincides with several coincidences and lost opportunities. For example, at least twice, Margaret was about to ask the important question of a possible witness, but she gets interrupted and decides to follow up. People close to her withhold information. Second, the forty years are not utilized in a way to show the effect of their daughter’s disappearance. I didn’t feel the anguish of everyday life that they must have suffered. Third, it became hokey. 1970 movie-of-the-week hokey.

Now, you might be better at enjoying this type of book; like many who have read this book, you may find everything I said to be hogwash. I think it just did not live-up to my expectations after having read her novel, The Trouble with Goats and Sheep.

I would like to thank Scribner and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Lydia Bailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Goats and Sheep & Three things about Elsie are two of my favourite reads ever so I was excited to receive Joanna Canon’s latest book on Net Galley. I love her writing and the first section of this one - when Margaret loses her husband, Derek- is profoundly sad & poignant & very much resonated with the character’s grief. When her ‘unlikely visitor’ arrives and together they investigate the reasons behind Margaret & Derek’s daughter, Jeanie’s disappearance forty years before, the story does become slightly surreal and dreamlike and I have to say it lost me a bit! Still a lovely read but a bit too fantastical for me.

Many thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Heather~ Nature.books.and.coffee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Joanna's writing. The way that she wrote about grief and the feelings of loneliness felt so real. I couldn't help but feel so sad for Margaret and her losses. I was anxious to see if we would get the resolution of what happened to their daughter, but even beyond that, I wanted to see Margaret find herself again. This book had me in my feelings for sure. There is sadness, but also some funny moments as well. Just an overall heartwarming read. I really enjoyed it. 


Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

[Louise Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

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. 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.

What a wonderful story. Margaret and Derek have the kind of relationship most couples would love to have. The disappearance of their daughter forty years ago still lies heavy in Margaret's heart.Now Derek has passed away, Margaret knows she has lost her rock in life.

This is an emotional roller coaster that has been beautifully written. I loved Margaret, she's such a lovely character. This is a difficult book to review without giving away parts of the story. I loved how the story ended. I highly recommend this book.

Published 4th June 2026

I would like to thank #NetGalley #HarperCollinsUK #HarperFiction and the author #JoanneCannon for my ARC of #AnUnlikelyVisitor in exchange for an honest review.

[C.A. Simonsen · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

This one is not easy to review. The opening fifty pages or so are quite banal with a definite PG feel, as an elderly woman named Margaret tries to come to terms with being alone. This premise has been done many times in literature, most notably and best in Margaret Laurence's The Stone Angel: an absolute classic.

A third of the way into An Unlikely Visitor, the reader begins to receive bits of information about a daughter Margaret lost many years prior. This mystery aspect makes the read much more interesting. Despite the author's irritating addiction to using the word "very" (four per page is too much for me), I found myself more drawn into the story. The ending is satisfactory, although Margaret's reactions are perplexing at times. The continual metaphors, such as the golf metaphor, are over the top.

[Marta · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have thoughts on this one, but they will require me to write some notes first to reference, since specific things got stuck in my head and wouldn’t leave and therefore it is partially a Marta can’t let stupid things go 3⭐️ rating. (even with my new sticky note saying “don’t overthink the book. Just go with it….etc. it worked as far as the ghosts at least!!😊, but other things, not so much😕). I will get to it eventually! My brain is still in extra struggle mode right now🫤. (4/12/26)
So, thoughts to come with this one!
------------------------
The mystery aspect wasn't what I was hoping for. It was rather obvious to me, I am not sure if it was meant to be or not. This book seemed more like a story on grief and how one woman handles her loss and is able to continue living with that grief. A few timing issues, between the past and present, bothered me at the time of reading the book, but when I went back to scan and find those specifics examples, I couldn't find them and I did not want to reread the entire book. So perhaps I am wrong with that? I think if I read this book now, based on scanning through it months after reading it, my rating would be lower. I appreciate what the author did, but it just isn't quite the book for me, in general. At the time I guess I was more okay with it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc of this book. and the read aloud option. All thoughts are my own.

further thoughts posted: 11/3/26
This book it out now! Please check out other reviews!

[Susan Ballard (subakkabookstuff) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since this is part ghost story, it fits right in with my spooky-ish week. But don’t come looking for thrills or chills. No, this is a heartwarming meditation on loss and grief.

This is my first time reading Joanna Cannon, and I love how she blended Margaret’s recent grief over losing her husband Derek with the mystery of solving their daughter’s disappearance decades ago.

Margaret feels utterly alone until she realizes she can see ghosts from her past. It’s the push she needed to continue to seek out what happened to her little girl all those years ago. A little humor, some wonderful pets, and the beauty of forgiveness make the narrative's sadness feel lighter.

The little details are what made this extra special for me. From Margaret not being certain what her daughter was wearing the day she went missing, to her being visited by the ghost of a beloved dog, they had me on a roller coaster of emotions.

While the mystery is sad and tragic, Margaret's journey is filled with tender moments. This reflective ghost story reminds us that though the person may be gone, their love never leaves us.

🎧 Emily Joyce was the perfect narrator for this story. Her kind, calm voice brought Margaret to life. Listening to the audiobook made me feel as though I was in the room with Margaret. It gave this quiet, somewhat magical, and very heartfelt narrative a very realistic feel.


Thank you | gifted | @scribnerbooks and @simon.audio #scribnerinfluencer #simonaudioinfluencer

[Jo Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adore Joanna cannon (and Lewis) my second title this weekend that I was going to take my time and savour but I got greedy and scoffed the lot!.

Heartbroken and hear mended all in one book 🎧

[Faith Hogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off, I adore Joanna Cannon's writing and even though I came to this book with a little preconceived notion about not being especially a fan of ghost stories, I have to admit, I loved it.
It's a story of Margaret, Derek and Jeannie, a family united beyond the bounds of life. Margaret is a widow now, she feels the loss of both her daughter and husband weigh upon her, to the extent that we wonder how she can carry on. Jeanie dissappeared four decades earlier, and there have never been answers for Margaret. Somehow her parents built a life together, beyond the catastrophic times of the loss, the press conference, the intrusions of neighbours, police and others.
One day, she arrives home to find Derek waiting for her and together they set about trying to find the answers they've always craved.
This is a story full of emotion, but drawn with such a light hand, you'll only realise it's depth as you're pulled up short with a turn of phrase innocuous but wonderful. A delight of a read!
Thank you to the publishers for allowing me to read in advance.

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you have loved all an author’s earlier novels, it can sometimes make you a bit nervous about reading a new one. What if you just don’t like it as much? Well, I’m happy to say that I needn't have worried about An Unlikely Visitor: I was in safe hands with Joanna Cannon.

Now this is one of these books that you really can’t say too much about because you don’t want to spoil it for other readers. You will see from the blurb that the book is mainly about an elderly lady called Margaret. She lost her husband Derek and, as you would imagine, is finding life rather hard. They had experienced a tragic loss in their lives when their only child Jeanie vanished without trace many years ago. Somehow they had got through this time and managed to rebuild their lives. Just when Margaret is at her lowest ebb, she receives a most unexpected (and yes, unlikely) visitor and they resolve one last time to try to find out what happened to Jeanie.

The story unfolds over two different time frames. In the past, we follow Margaret and Derek through their darkest times from the day Jeanie disappears and the subsequent weeks and months as the police investigate her disappearance. My heart went out to both of them as you could sense their desperation as time went on with no sign of Jeanie. I could completely understand some of the things which Margaret did in her efforts to uncover the truth. Any mother in her situation would probably do the same.

In the present day, Margaret and her visitor uncover more clues as to what may have happened to Jeanie and grow closer to the truth. The grief that Margaret feels over the loss of her husband and, of course, the unexplained loss of her daughter was incredibly moving to read about. I have to say that Derek was a wonderful character. He was so supportive of Margaret and so loving despite his own devastation. I had a real lump in my throat at times reading about their love for each other: “when you love someone, you never leave them. Heaven, or whatever you call it, is right here, with the people you love the most.”

Joanna Cannon is so good at writing compelling stories. She draws you in with wonderful characters and intriguing mysteries that you just want to solve along with the characters. As Margaret delved deeper into the past and went out of her comfort zone to talk to her neighbours and other people from her past, it didn’t just help her but made a difference in many of their lives too.

I adored An Unlikely Visitor and I think it may be my favourite Joanna Cannon novel yet. It’s such an emotionally charged read yet is full of humour, warmth and hope. Just wonderful!

[Katie Katieneedsabiggerbookshelf · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

“It’s nothing to do with ghosts, it’s everything to do with here.” He tapped his chest. “It’s to do with love. When you love someone you never leave them. Heaven, or whatever you want to call it, is right here, with the people you care about the most. And maybe if we can accept that, we’ll be able to live with a more peaceful mind.”

Margaret’s life has become fairly bleak since she lost her husband Derek. The two never got over the loss of their daughter, and never finding out what happened to her, so when Derek passes, Margaret is ready to give up. When she comes home one day to an unlikely visitor in her home, she gets a bit of her drive back. That plus her determination to find out what happened to Jeannie.

Just continuing on my books about grief journey! This book unexpectedly blew me out of the water. I didn’t fully know what to expect going in, and it was such a delight. I seriously could not put it down. Wasn’t me that cheered internally when my friends pushed our plans back half hour and I had time to finish before needing to leave! Margaret tugged on each and every one of my heartstrings and I just loved following along as she pushed herself out of her comfort zone. The main characters, the side characters (minus one, or three, IYKYK,) and the even the four legged characters just filled my cup and left me feeling all the feels.

Thank you to @scribnerbooks for my gifted copy of this book!

[Sharlene N · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

Margaret’s husband Derek has recently died and she feels she doesn't have much else to live for. In her solitude, she starts to relive the grief and circumstances that surrounded the disappearance of their only child, Jeanie who disappeared four decades ago at 11 years old.

As she's struggling with all of this, an unexpected visitor arrives (with a magical realism twist). This visitor inspires her to look into what happened to Jeanie with a new lens of having so much time passed.

This is a sweet and tender story - although the topic matter is extremely sad, it's told with a lightness that allows the story to be absorbed. It's about grief, moving on, compassion, and living along side the worst that can happen in life. It's a slim novel but with a large heart.

Thanks to @scribnerbooks for this beautiful finished copy.

[Angie Miale · Rating 5 out of 5]

★★★★★

An Unlikely Visitor is one of those quiet novels where the sadness doesn’t announce itself at the door. It settles in gradually, almost unnoticed, until suddenly you realize just how emotionally invested you’ve become.

Margaret is 74 and recently widowed after the death of her husband, Derek. But hers is a life shaped by more than one kind of grief. Decades earlier, their eleven-year-old daughter, Jeanie, disappeared, leaving Margaret and Derek with the particular agony of losing someone without ever knowing exactly what happened to her.

The novel begins with Margaret telling us about the ash tree in her garden—a tree she has watched, loved, and connected with for years, until a storm damages it beyond saving. It’s such a quiet, understated opening, but it beautifully establishes what Joanna Cannon does throughout this book: examining the things we lose, the spaces they leave behind, and what it means to keep living when something—or someone—we assumed would always be there is suddenly gone.

After Derek’s death, Margaret receives the “unlikely visitor” of the title, and the novel gradually becomes part literary mystery and part meditation on grief as Margaret begins searching for answers about Jeanie. We DO eventually get those answers, and I found the resolution incredibly moving.

My closest comparison is The Correspondent. The books are structurally very different, but they share that same tenderness toward an older woman whose present life cannot really be understood until we begin uncovering her past. Both stories are interested in memory, regret, grief, reconciliation, and the possibility of hope even very late in life. I’d also recommend this to readers who loved the emotional depth of Broken Country.

There are moments of genuine humor here, and Margaret herself is wonderfully observed, but make no mistake: this book becomes devastating. It’s a slow burn emotionally. The sadness sneaks up on you.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Emily Joyce, and she is absolutely wonderful as Margaret. Her polished British delivery feels completely natural for this character and her generation, and the narration is exceptionally easy to follow. This is exactly the kind of literary fiction that works beautifully on audio because so much of its power comes from voice, memory, and reflection.

Tenderhearted, contemplative, occasionally funny, and ultimately heartbreaking, An Unlikely Visitor is a beautiful novel about ambiguous loss, enduring love, and finally allowing yourself to confront the past.

An easy five stars for me. I’m already hoping this turns up in one of my November book boxes because I’m going to need a trophy copy for my shelf.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Audio for the early listening copy through the Simon Audio Influencer program.

#SimonAudioInfluencer

[Phoebe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got to the last page and cried in public

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story about loss and grief and about love. Margaret is recently widowed and struggling to cope. Additionally, in the past she has had to deal with the disappearance of her daughter. Her unlikely visitor helps her to find confidence and together they solve the mystery of her daughter's disappearance.
Joanna Cannon writes a poignant and at times quite emotional story. Her observations on life and her characters are intelligent and insightful. The book started off so well but on the arrival of the unlikely visitor, I'm afraid the story lost something for me. It became rather surreal which didn't sit comfortably with the seriousness of the subject matter and the ending was rather cloying.
Sadly for me, this wasn't as good ass her previous books.
I received a free review copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for my honest and unedited review.

[Hayley Gooding · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book in a little independent bookshop in Marlow for one very simple reason: there was a dog on the cover.

That's it. That was my entire decision-making process. 😂

I'd been reading some particularly heavy books, was dangerously close to a reading slump, and thought this looked like the perfect light, fluffy, slightly funny read to give myself a break.

Well, I was ten minutes in and had already cried twice.

An Unlikely Visitor is one of the most beautiful, heartbreaking and wonderfully human books I've read in a long time.

The story follows Margaret, an elderly woman navigating life after the death of her beloved husband, Derek. But Margaret is no stranger to grief. Many years earlier, their young daughter Jeanie disappeared, leaving behind a lifetime of unanswered questions.

What follows is a story about love, loss, marriage, family and the extraordinary ways people learn to carry on living when their world has been turned upside down.

Joanna Cannon writes human emotion so beautifully that I genuinely don't know how to do this book justice.

One of the things that affected me most was her depiction of the silence that follows losing somebody you've shared your life with.

It's the ordinary, seemingly pointless conversations that make up a marriage. Asking how someone's book is going. Listening to them talk about something you're not particularly interested in. Sharing the tiny, insignificant details of your day simply because there's somebody there to share them with.

And then suddenly, there isn't.

Something about that absolutely broke my heart.

I adored Margaret and Derek's relationship, particularly because it wasn't portrayed as perfect. They irritated each other, disagreed, struggled and sometimes didn't know how to help one another. But beneath it all was a wonderfully believable love, built on decades of shared experiences, private jokes, difficulties and ordinary moments.

Their interactions were some of my favourite parts of the book. Derek's dreadful jokes, Margaret's reactions and the affectionate banter between them felt so wonderfully authentic.

Through my work with older adults and their carers, I've met couples who have been married for fifty or sixty years, and Cannon captured that particular kind of humour and familiarity so perfectly. I could almost hear some of those conversations taking place.

And that's what makes this novel so remarkable.

It's dealing with incredibly difficult subjects, yet somehow it manages to be funny, comforting and genuinely heartwarming without ever diminishing the sadness at its centre.

The mystery surrounding Jeanie's disappearance is also beautifully woven into the narrative. I found myself desperate to understand what had happened, but the emotional journey was always far more important to me than simply finding answers.

I particularly appreciated the way Cannon explores grief without suggesting that there's a neat resolution to it.

Sometimes there isn't closure. Sometimes the best we can hope for is a little relief, a little understanding, or simply finding a way to live alongside what we've lost.

And carrying on with life doesn't mean loving somebody any less.

As a wife and a mother, there were moments in this book that affected me profoundly. I found myself thinking about my own family, the ordinary moments I take for granted, and how unimaginable certain losses would be.

The ending was absolutely beautiful. I won't say anything more because I wouldn't dream of spoiling it, but it left me emotional in the most wonderful way.

This was my first Joanna Cannon novel, and it certainly won't be my last.

I expected something light and fluffy. Instead, I found a story that made me laugh, made me sob, and reminded me just how extraordinary ordinary human love can be.

A genuinely special book.

Five stars, a broken heart, and absolutely no regrets about judging a book by its cover. 🐶❤️

[Leisa Back Porch Pages · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

✨There’s something so unexpectedly charming about a ghost story that isn’t here to scare you but rather to share a story of hope, connection and humanity. This book is that, and I just loved its tender reminder that even after unimaginable loss, life still holds purpose and meaning. (Pass the Kleenex, won’t you?)

✨There’s a mystery at the heart of the story, but the deeply emotional themes of aging, loneliness, grief, and loss were what really spoke to me. The author doubles down on the importance of human connection, and I felt it all in these pages.

✨There are ghosts here, but there is nothing scary about this book. These are friendly visitors whose presence brings comfort and connection. The thought of a dog I loved quietly visiting me as I go about my day just about did me in. But in the very best way.

✨This is the sweetest, most tender and hopeful book I’ve read in a while, and I definitely recommend it for anyone who needs a little warmth.

🎧 I listened to this one on audio, and I really enjoyed the narration by Emily Joyce @emily.joyce_yesbutem. She has a lovely English accent which usually means I need to slow the speed down a bit. But her pacing was just right for me. Such a warm and emotional listen for me.

🌿Read if you like:
✨Friendly ghosts
✨Hopeful supernatural stories
✨Unsolved mysteries
✨Grief narratives
✨Stories of aging
✨Human connection narratives
✨Elderly main characters

[Jan Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that really touched me , Joanna Cannon writes with such warmth and humanity about grief and life.
There are so many poignant movements and so many things to smile at .
The story of recently widowed Margaret who finally discovers what happened when her daughter disappeared when she was a child totally captivated me , a whole host of characters including a couple of lovely dogs. I highly recommend this book.

[Sharon M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster | Scribner for gifting me a digital ARC of this wonderful novel by Joanna Cannon. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

Derek and Margaret never got over the loss of their 11-year-old daughter, Jeanie, decades ago, especially since her disappearance was never solved. But after Derek's death, life is just too hard and Margaret loses her zest for life. When she returns home one day to an unlikely visitor, things look up for Margaret. Maybe now she can figure out what happened to Jeanie all those years ago.

Any widowed or long-married person is going to relate so much to Margaret, and it will break your heart. You will see yourself taking over "his" jobs and being kind of mad about that. You'll feel the ache of loneliness in all the every day events. But this book is also hopeful, and a good reminder that those we love never really leave us. Full of reality and magical realism, mystery, and so much love, this book is a treasure and I loved spending time with it. Highly recommended!

[Natalie M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comforting cosy mystery.

An unexplained child loss set against aging, grief, loss, friendship and the unimaginable pan of not knowing. The characters are wonderful and the story tragic, but the magic is in the unfolding.

A new author to me, now on my TBR list.