Behind the gates

Behind the neat gardens and broken gate of Small Beginnings, nothing is as perfect as it seems.

Welcome to Behind the Gates, a townhouse complex in Pretoria East where gossip travels faster than Wi-Fi, rules are optional, and power belongs to the women bold enough to take it.

At the centre of the chaos are Pammy and Hettie — married, unapologetic, and absolutely convinced they run the complex. As trustees, they bend rules, ignore complaints, and unleash drama with a smile. Across the street, Melany clutches her Bible and her authority a little too tightly, determined to restore order at any cost. And watching everything from the shadows is Fina, an elderly widow with sharp eyes, a hidden notebook, and far more secrets than anyone suspects.

As tempers flare, alliances shift, and the shirtless garden boy seems to know everyone's business, Small Beginnings becomes a battlefield of whispered lies, midnight pranks, and desperate attempts at control. Dogs roam where they shouldn't, secrets surface in broad daylight, and every neighbour has something to hide.

Behind the Gates: Queens of Chaos is a darkly funny, sharply observant women's fiction novel about power, pretence, and the madness that happens when too many strong personalities live too close together.

If you love:

•Desperate Housewives–style drama
•Suburban gossip and scandals
•Dark humor with messy, unforgettable characters

Then step behind the gates — but don't expect peace.

This is only the beginning.