The Writing Circle is a welcome follow-up to Rozena Maart’s enchanting first novel, Rosa’s District 6. Her second novel is centred around five women who form a weekly writing circle in a suburban South African city. All are successful professionals, but their lives are torn asunder by a brutal attack on one of their number. The resulting events force the women to question their lives, confront their secrets, and re-evaluate their friendships.

Each chapter is told in the voice of one of the women. They recount their personal stories, revealing their reactions to the horrific events of the present and reflecting on their past lives. This structure allows the reader to experience an intense degree of empathy for each woman. However, it also means that the story becomes somewhat convoluted; tracking the narrative and the people within can be difficult at times.

The brutality that lies just beneath the sophisticated veneer of these women’s lives is depicted with honesty and immediacy, and is yet another reminder that violence against women knows no class boundaries. Told almost as a murder mystery (complete with a twist ending), the intertwining stories create a universal tale of profound suffering, grief, and, refreshingly, humour.