The Ghost of Seagull Cottage

Anne Allen’s The Ghost of Seagull Cottage is the ninth book in The Guernsey series, and it tells the story of Annabel Easton, a recently widowed artist, and her ten-year-old daughter Emilia, as they relocate from Manchester to Annabel’s native Guernsey in search of a fresh start. They move into Seagull Cottage—a charming seaside home with a storied past and a resident ghost, Captain Daniel Gallienne, the original owner, who died 70 years ago in 1946. Initially unnerved, Annabel finds herself negotiating a truce with the salty but charismatic Daniel, whose presence becomes both a challenge and a source of unexpected companionship as she rebuilds her life, makes new friends, and tentatively begins to open her heart again. But then, how can she be falling for a ghost?

I never expected to be this thrilled by this novel. The twists were unexpected, and the bonds between the characters, especially between Annabel and her daughter and Annabel and Daniel, felt genuine and cleverly drawn. Annabel is a sympathetic protagonist: resilient but genuinely flawed, her journey is one of healing and rediscovery as she learns to balance single parenthood, artistic ambition, and personal grief. Her daughter, Emilia, brings lightness and a touch to the story, as well as an emotional depth that makes it delightful. Daniel, the ghostly sea captain, is more than a mere spectral plot device; he’s a fully realized character—by turns cantankerous, humorous, and lonely, his unfinished business both literal and metaphorical. The supporting cast—particularly the warm-hearted neighbor Colette and the potential love interest, Richard—enriches Annabel’s world and reinforces the theme of community. Anne Allen’s novel is hugely imaginative and original. The unpredictability in the plot kept me turning the pages. The author cleverly develops second chances alongside possibility and hope, delivering a tense atmosphere against a backdrop of windswept beaches and tight-knit village life, forming a vivid setting for the story. The Ghost of Seagull Cottage is a book I would read again and still feel a tear at moments.