What do you think?
Rate this book
Black Widow Society
In 1994 when South Africans were finally seeing the light of freedom and independence, three well-respected businesswomen – Talullah Ntuli, Edna Whithead and Nkosazana Dlamini – formed the Black Widow Society, a secret organisation aimed at liberating women trapped in emotionally and physically abusive relationships by assisting in ‘eliminating’ their errant husbands.
For fifteen years the Black Widow Society operated undetected, impeccably run by The Triumvirate with the help of their suave and mysterious hired gun, Mzwakhe Khuzwayo, a slick ex-convict meticulous in his responsibilities.
But as the secret organisation recruits more members, the wheels of this well-oiled machine threaten to fall off. Will Talullah’s controlling streak or Nkosazana’s unfettered material aspirations jeopardise the future of the Black Widow Society? Or perhaps one of the new recruits, unsettled by the reality of the elimination of her former husband, will lose her nerve and expose the workings of the group after all this time?
As the tension mounts, Black Widow Society builds to a chilling and bloody climax that will keep you guessing and riveted until the very last page.
For fifteen years the Black Widow Society operated undetected, impeccably run by The Triumvirate with the help of their suave and mysterious hired gun, Mzwakhe Khuzwayo, a slick ex-convict meticulous in his responsibilities.
But as the secret organisation recruits more members, the wheels of this well-oiled machine threaten to fall off. Will Talullah’s controlling streak or Nkosazana’s unfettered material aspirations jeopardise the future of the Black Widow Society? Or perhaps one of the new recruits, unsettled by the reality of the elimination of her former husband, will lose her nerve and expose the workings of the group after all this time?
As the tension mounts, Black Widow Society builds to a chilling and bloody climax that will keep you guessing and riveted until the very last page.
279 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
35 people are currently reading
931 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
December 26, 2022
4.5 ⭐️ this book was so much fun! A group of women who have a secret club where they kill off abusive husbands, what’s not to love? I could not put this one down . There were times when I was physically tense and that’s the kind of thrillers I love! This was my first book by this author and I cannot wait to read more!
October 8, 2017
A gripping , intrguing, fast paced story about the clandistine operations of a fifteen year old , professionally run society of Black widows. The purpose of the society was to rescue married women from their overtly abusive husbands , by getting the husbands eliminated. The society in return received ten percent of the value of the estate. The members could not find solace nor recause in the legal justice system.The women at the helm of the secret society were Talullah Ntuli, Edna Whithead and Nkosazana Khumalo. Their contracted hitman was exconvict Mzwakhe Khuzwayo.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Blood and corpses were the order of the day. It literally kept me at the urge of my sit. A page turner with chapters of not more than five pages each. A well written and researched project. Evidence of high work ethics by Makholwa. She managed to successfully transport me to the setting and the drama. I connected so much so with her characters.I found myself conversing with Mzwakhe cautioning him to stop ... I had the urge to slap the gullibility out of Thami. Great skill was also depicted in the dialogues. Dialogue between the two Afrikaner meisies and by Mzwakhe was impressive. Strong , independant female characters who fully embrace sex and their sexuality are a great turn on and were appealing to me .
The story entailed all elements of a psycho thriller, drugs, guns, wealth, sex, deception, murder, a private investigator, scumbags, greed and violence.
The music in the book was a bonus, a cherry on top. Mzwakhe 's country music supported his moods perfectly. "Islands In The Stream" when he was madly in love. When things turned sour "Suspicious Minds" and "Ring Of Fire" were so apt. Tallulah listened to some Billy Halliday. Nkosazana being lesbian had some " I Kissed A Girl". The music reminded me of the songs in Niq Mhlongo's Affluenza and Way Back Home.
Makholwa has authored four books in total. The others being Red Ink (2007), 30th Candle (2009) and Blessed Girl (2017).
Brilliant local crime fiction, unreservedly recommended by myself .
November 3, 2016
A copy editor and proofreader are credited in this novel’s front matter; coincidentally, both must have suffered off-days when working on the book.
This smart, spirited story of women’s vengeance taken too far is badly served by lazy editing, at least in the edition I read, its high entertainment value subverted by the irritation of numerous mistakes. One particular bizarre and recurring error makes it clear that someone relied on Find and Replace and didn’t see fit to read through the novel again.
That’s a shame, because this slick, fast-paced blend of somewhat unlikely tragedy and comedy deserves better.
This smart, spirited story of women’s vengeance taken too far is badly served by lazy editing, at least in the edition I read, its high entertainment value subverted by the irritation of numerous mistakes. One particular bizarre and recurring error makes it clear that someone relied on Find and Replace and didn’t see fit to read through the novel again.
That’s a shame, because this slick, fast-paced blend of somewhat unlikely tragedy and comedy deserves better.
May 6, 2015
Totally beautiful and an interesting read!
March 20, 2023
The Black Widows Society is exactly what it sounds like, a society of women in South Africa who have killed their husbands. Some were abusive, some refused to divorce their wives, others just wanted too much money, and instead of doing anything rational, these women have knocked their husbands off. The society has operated in secret for 15 years but now someone knows about them and is threatening to make their deeds public.
This isn't a bad concept (for a novel, not real life) but it's poorly executed. The writing isn't good. The author tells the reader things, rather than showing us. Within the first few chapters we are told about the society and how it runs, only to then be introduced to a recently introduced member of the society. That would be a perfect opportunity to show the reader how she was engaged, how she came to the conclusion her husband had to die, and how the murder was executed. But instead we are just told about it. It is also a really bad business model. They only have one hit man (who is emotionally unstable) and they rely on women suggesting to their friends that murdering their husbands is better than divorce. I'm not saying I would ever start my own Black Widows Society, but if I did it would be much more efficient than this one (and we wouldn't get caught).
There are some widows who are the victims of domestic violence and it is clear they didn't have many safe options, however there are other Widows who basically didn't want their husbands to get their money. This concept would have worked better if the society only dealt with victims of DV, or if it was set 50-60 years ago when women had less options. I was expecting something dark and funny, and while there were a few humorous moments, there weren't enough.
This isn't a bad concept (for a novel, not real life) but it's poorly executed. The writing isn't good. The author tells the reader things, rather than showing us. Within the first few chapters we are told about the society and how it runs, only to then be introduced to a recently introduced member of the society. That would be a perfect opportunity to show the reader how she was engaged, how she came to the conclusion her husband had to die, and how the murder was executed. But instead we are just told about it. It is also a really bad business model. They only have one hit man (who is emotionally unstable) and they rely on women suggesting to their friends that murdering their husbands is better than divorce. I'm not saying I would ever start my own Black Widows Society, but if I did it would be much more efficient than this one (and we wouldn't get caught).
There are some widows who are the victims of domestic violence and it is clear they didn't have many safe options, however there are other Widows who basically didn't want their husbands to get their money. This concept would have worked better if the society only dealt with victims of DV, or if it was set 50-60 years ago when women had less options. I was expecting something dark and funny, and while there were a few humorous moments, there weren't enough.
March 18, 2023
There was a lot of stereotyping going on in this book. The author using the nationalities of the characters before anything else was very weird. The number of times I had to read “Nigerian drug lord”??! What was the reason…
“Malawian butler”… it literally added nothing to the plot. It was giving very much xenophobia.
Also Mzwakhe saying his mom is racist??? Like are you okay? I mean his mom was very cruel to Marie. The whole thing was messy.
The way Alex spoke about Nkosazana’s sexuality…
The BEE jabs… so many things were just very upsetting
Now the plot, I was very intrigued by the plot hence I decided to read it but how are you a killing society and you use the same hitman??? We were going somewhere with this plot and then sharp left.
I finished it out of spite.
I liked that the chapters were short and the font of the book was nice
I don’t think I was the intended audience for this book and that’s okay. Love and light to all involved
“Malawian butler”… it literally added nothing to the plot. It was giving very much xenophobia.
Also Mzwakhe saying his mom is racist??? Like are you okay? I mean his mom was very cruel to Marie. The whole thing was messy.
The way Alex spoke about Nkosazana’s sexuality…
The BEE jabs… so many things were just very upsetting
Now the plot, I was very intrigued by the plot hence I decided to read it but how are you a killing society and you use the same hitman??? We were going somewhere with this plot and then sharp left.
I finished it out of spite.
I liked that the chapters were short and the font of the book was nice
I don’t think I was the intended audience for this book and that’s okay. Love and light to all involved
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 29, 2015
it starts off with a good premise, but pretty quickly gets engulfed in schlock, lots of unbelievable relationships with no depth, and wads of fiction money being thrown around, along with expensive whiskies and champagne, but it's all too superficial for my liking - I didn't really feel for any of the characters ... it was just a lot of stereotypes ... pity, really, could have been profound... the only reason I finished it it's that I broke my toe and was lying in bed with nothing to do!
October 19, 2014
It was a well written book- loved Angela's style, but a little bit predictable..i could almost tell how it was gonna end before i even finished reading it.
November 12, 2023
I was entertained reading some of the Black Widow Society's scenes of different kinds of unhappy relationships. There are snapshots of reality arranged in a fictional landscape that makes the story compelling. The plot itself and the book's ending particularly was underwhelming, for me.
I enjoy the Good For Her genre and female characters written with access to the range of human experiences, including more villainous stories. I find in media within this genre, there is a tendency to spend much of the story focused on justifying the revenge. Consequently, a lot of time is spent ruminating on the trauma. Whereas, in anti-hero revenge stories of men's misdeeds, there is much less time spent wallowing in the horror of the inciting event and more is dedicated to cool passages about becoming a human weapon. Much of Black Widow Society is spent ruminating on whether or not the victims of the crimes deserve their fate by intimately describing the misery, trauma, and violence inflicted on women; skipping any subversive fantasy of vengeance. There are also many phrases laden with satirically posed, pseudo ironic misogyny that I don't think were effective.
I am not sure whether this story committed to the anti-hero philosophy of its protagonists. At times, it read as though, the author wanted to remind the reader that murder is wrong and people shouldn't resort to murder to end unhappy relationships. This puts a damper on any vicarious pleasure someone might have reading about abusive men reaching their end. The thinly veiled moralising was not very fun and made the book feel tedious in comparison to my expectations for the concept.
I enjoy the Good For Her genre and female characters written with access to the range of human experiences, including more villainous stories. I find in media within this genre, there is a tendency to spend much of the story focused on justifying the revenge. Consequently, a lot of time is spent ruminating on the trauma. Whereas, in anti-hero revenge stories of men's misdeeds, there is much less time spent wallowing in the horror of the inciting event and more is dedicated to cool passages about becoming a human weapon. Much of Black Widow Society is spent ruminating on whether or not the victims of the crimes deserve their fate by intimately describing the misery, trauma, and violence inflicted on women; skipping any subversive fantasy of vengeance. There are also many phrases laden with satirically posed, pseudo ironic misogyny that I don't think were effective.
I am not sure whether this story committed to the anti-hero philosophy of its protagonists. At times, it read as though, the author wanted to remind the reader that murder is wrong and people shouldn't resort to murder to end unhappy relationships. This puts a damper on any vicarious pleasure someone might have reading about abusive men reaching their end. The thinly veiled moralising was not very fun and made the book feel tedious in comparison to my expectations for the concept.
June 5, 2015
There are enough twists and turns to keep you turning the pages and make you ignore that little voice that keeps telling you the story is teeny weeny bit farfetched.Angela deserves credit for walking down the unbeaten track as far as SA literature goes. A good effort though the end is too rushed AND gets a bit too feministic, infact at around halfway through it dawned on me that i was reading chic lit, but like i said, the twists kept me hooked so i figured what the heck.
February 11, 2015
Too fictional and not believable
October 29, 2014
I enjoyed this book well enough. Very easy to read, relaxed style. Interesting content - nice to read a book set in SA that strays from the norm a bit!
January 10, 2015
This far fetched and unlikely story is a fun read and as the plots thicken it draws one in. It is well written but too unbelievable to rate more than 3 stars in my opinion
October 29, 2025
Funny because I live in Joburg
August 20, 2019
Woow👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 Angela you are talented my dear....this book was so intriguing couldn’t put it down literally had my heart in my hands in anticipation of wanting to know more dem it’s been a while since I read an amazing thriller like this....
Triumvirate the masterminds of BWS it was such a good plan but with all things you need to have an exit plan though
Mzwakhe the society fucked his brain shame ended up killing ur own wife and baby wat happened to simple confrontation than rushing to conclusions🤷🏾♀️🤷🏾♀️🤷🏾♀️
Janine well played on Alex he deserved it though wanting to cash out for not doing jerk nxaah......at least patience paid lol your rainy day finally came🤣🤣🤣
Feel sorry for the BWS members who wr taken to court if only they had said yes to go with Edna and Talullah ooh well better luck next time
Overall it was a great read enjoyed it
Triumvirate the masterminds of BWS it was such a good plan but with all things you need to have an exit plan though
Mzwakhe the society fucked his brain shame ended up killing ur own wife and baby wat happened to simple confrontation than rushing to conclusions🤷🏾♀️🤷🏾♀️🤷🏾♀️
Janine well played on Alex he deserved it though wanting to cash out for not doing jerk nxaah......at least patience paid lol your rainy day finally came🤣🤣🤣
Feel sorry for the BWS members who wr taken to court if only they had said yes to go with Edna and Talullah ooh well better luck next time
Overall it was a great read enjoyed it
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 16, 2025
Probably more of a 2.5. I bumped it up because I’m always a sucker for a book that takes place in South Africa. And it sounded really good - a society of women who have banded together to get rid of their cheating/abusive/etc husbands. Will they get caught? How do they do it? Sounded great.
The reality was alright, but felt like a very unsophisticated story despite a lot of promise and some really interesting characters (that didn’t really get much good development). The motivations were often unclear, though they didn’t have to be, and then the last quarter took a complete left turn and didn’t necessarily make any sense. Plus lots of loose ends.
Anyway, it was alright, and I very much liked the setting.
The reality was alright, but felt like a very unsophisticated story despite a lot of promise and some really interesting characters (that didn’t really get much good development). The motivations were often unclear, though they didn’t have to be, and then the last quarter took a complete left turn and didn’t necessarily make any sense. Plus lots of loose ends.
Anyway, it was alright, and I very much liked the setting.
August 21, 2023
A must-read . Angela Makholwa has crafted a captivating narrative filled with suspense, intrigue, and unexpected twists. The writing is polished, the characters are compelling, and the plot keeps you guessing until the very end. This book is a roller-coaster ride of emotions and revelations that will leave you hungry for more.
I feel a deep sense of sadness regarding the manner in which Marie met her end. It's difficult for me to accept that she had to experience such a tragic fate, as it doesn't seem fair for her to have gone through that.
page turner, defs loved loved loved the book 🌟🌟🌟
I feel a deep sense of sadness regarding the manner in which Marie met her end. It's difficult for me to accept that she had to experience such a tragic fate, as it doesn't seem fair for her to have gone through that.
page turner, defs loved loved loved the book 🌟🌟🌟
May 21, 2025
Black Widow Society is a gripping, thrilling ride from start to finish. Angela Makholwa delivers a bold, fast-paced story that’s as darkly entertaining as it is suspenseful. The concept alone—women banding together to take justice into their own hands—is compelling, but it’s the sharp writing and unexpected twists that truly keep you hooked.
What I didn’t expect was how comical parts of it would be. There’s a sly humor woven through the tension that adds a fresh, clever edge to the narrative. It's not just a thriller—it's a smart, biting commentary on power, justice, and revenge.
A thoroughly enjoyable and unique read.
What I didn’t expect was how comical parts of it would be. There’s a sly humor woven through the tension that adds a fresh, clever edge to the narrative. It's not just a thriller—it's a smart, biting commentary on power, justice, and revenge.
A thoroughly enjoyable and unique read.
June 2, 2025
Angela Makholwa is an absolute literary genius.
Not only is her style of writing enjoyable and captivating, but her storytelling capabilities are amazing. From the moment I picked put the book to the saddening moment of putting it down I couldn't stop thinking about it. I genuinely would bring the book with me to school so that I could read and I have probably written like 4 AP English essays on it.
To this day I would say it is one of the best books I have ever read, and with the rise of Femicide and GBV in our country it is refreshing to read a story of women taking revenge on men that have done them wrong. I believe South African women should read this book and take notes!!
Not only is her style of writing enjoyable and captivating, but her storytelling capabilities are amazing. From the moment I picked put the book to the saddening moment of putting it down I couldn't stop thinking about it. I genuinely would bring the book with me to school so that I could read and I have probably written like 4 AP English essays on it.
To this day I would say it is one of the best books I have ever read, and with the rise of Femicide and GBV in our country it is refreshing to read a story of women taking revenge on men that have done them wrong. I believe South African women should read this book and take notes!!
December 7, 2017
Page turner, absolutely fantastic. I was holed up in the house all day, I could not put it down. Angela is truly gifted. Every man should get a copy in his Xmas stocking, just for control. The story of a group of women who take it upon themselves to punish abusive men and swear to a secret society. The story is nothing you can foretell or expect. An absolute thriller. It has the right amount of oohs & aaahs, jaw dropping hilarious shenanigans as well as tear jerkers. A very well written book and an absolute fantastic story line. Highly recommend this one.
January 8, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed the overall story of women taking back their power from abusive relationships may it be physical or emotional. What I didnt enjoy is how the book seemed rather too long, with lots of parts that just didnt have to be part of the book. Also the way it ends. Like what happened to Khaya, did Tallulah pay him off or did Mzwakhe end up killing him. And did it really need to end in a bloodbath like that. I thought their would be more to it. But hey, thats just my personal opinion. Otherwise im a staunch Angela Makholwa fan, only have book of hers left that I havent read.
January 31, 2023
What a thrilling read! Angela Makholwa has blown me away yet again with this book, which my only regret is reading it only now. I did not foresee her giving us such a brilliant story after Red ink, which still needs a sequel. The black widow society is a unique organisation, which claims to be championing freedom for women. It is led by a very close trio, one of which proved to be hungry for money towards the end. I do not want to spoil the book for anyone by saying more, but I will definitely say that you must get this book and if you already have, read it already!
August 23, 2020
Black widow society is one of the books that I read that had so twists in it. It keeps you thinking about what will happen next. When it happens you will be In shook 😨 you will ask yourself “what!?, how did that happen”. It has soon many bombastic words, some of they words I didn’t even know what they meant 😂 but I kept in reading because I enjoyed reading this book. I won’t mention any spoilers😏. Just buy the book and read it. YOU WON’T REGRET IT. Angela writes the best books ever.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 22, 2021
It was a wild, over the top, and ridiculous ride...and I enjoyed it a lot. The pacing was good and I liked how all the characters all had a rotten side (except the precious, innocent doe-eyed white girl Marie who's not like the mean black women*rolls eyes*). The idea of a secret society avenging "helping" abused women is not too far fetched but some other things were too convinient/unrealistic and only put in order to advance the plot in a lazy way (like what happened with Khaya and Thami).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 18, 2021
Totally enjoyed this thriller, some scenes left chills in my spine but overall it was a very well written story. Most parts were not predictable and I love how somehow all the characters were connected somehow even though they didn’t know each other.
Oh and what an interesting note at the end by Angela on her acknowledgements “Dear Black Widows don’t give me a call this is fiction”
Oh and what an interesting note at the end by Angela on her acknowledgements “Dear Black Widows don’t give me a call this is fiction”
January 15, 2024
This was such a fun read! Not the most perfectly written book (dialogue was a little awkward at times and it was pretty superficial) but I really did enjoy it.
I picked this up while in Durban over new years as I wanted to read some fiction by SA authors. Loved the storyline and the pace of the book!
I picked this up while in Durban over new years as I wanted to read some fiction by SA authors. Loved the storyline and the pace of the book!
May 25, 2018
Not too far-fetched because I feel like there could be an underworld where women kill there husband for various reasons but I enjoyed how they started a society about something common; and story line is grasped early on. I really enjoyed the book because it was such a fun read, after all characters had been brought in and the dramatic links the story flowed well for me. The ending reminded me of Animal Farm where they say.."Everyone is equal but some more equal than others". However, I could not put the book down; it was a really fun book to read!
October 21, 2023
I ended up enjoying this book even though it took me some time to get in and isn't my usual genre. I do believe this book will be enjoyed by South Africans and neighboring countries specifically, but might be a bit difficult for others due to the intermittent use of Zulu and Afrikaans.
March 2, 2024
Wow, what a trip!
This was so frustrating but so intriguing, would 100% recommend.
Also - Spoliers? -
nooooo Marie.
Dam corne.
Poor Mzwakhe.
Why Nkosana.
Serves Alex Delaware right.
Why Max Cameron why.
Boo Edna and Tallulah.
Did Khaya achieve his dream?
This was so frustrating but so intriguing, would 100% recommend.
Also - Spoliers? -
nooooo Marie.
Dam corne.
Poor Mzwakhe.
Why Nkosana.
Serves Alex Delaware right.
Why Max Cameron why.
Boo Edna and Tallulah.
Did Khaya achieve his dream?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 23, 2017
A weirdly empowering thriller located in South Africa's economic hub.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews