Grace Notes by Jenny Pattrick is a lively read, with well-rounded characters, feisty dialogue and excellent sense of location. I particularly enjoyed the way the story moved seamlessly from narrative to letters and the way that the history of characters was included so perfectly. There were no long clunky sections of exposition and re-telling. Incidents were mentioned briefly and left tantalisingly unexplained until more information was given and things fell into place. Set in New Zealand, Grace Notes has a strong sense of place, but it is not overpowering. Grace Brockie usually interacts with people who live in her neighbourhood or with the other members of the bowls club, but when an old friend with a hearing disability gets in touch, letters are the best method of contact. Soon she is writing to others, delving into their lives and letting them into her own. As she creates new connections with these new friends, she also makes new discoveries about her old friends. Pattrick’s first novel, The Denniston Rose, was a phenomenal bestseller in New Zealand and Grace Notes originated as a radio series on National Radio. Grace Notes is a wonderful read and will particularly appeal to women 40 plus.

Jessica Broadbent is a former bookseller who currently works in publishing

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