What readers think of Cape Fever, plus links to write your own review.

Delicious psychological thriller about a Muslim girl, Soyara Matas, who becomes the maid to an eccentric woman, Mrs. Hattingh, and becomes enmeshed in her glitches and traps. Soraya is naive and she cannot read, but when Mrs. Hattingh offers to write letter to Soraya's fiancé, Nour, Soraya thinks she may have found a friend or at least a woman she can trust.

When all is revealed at the end, you might have seen it coming, but still the betrayal is raw. In the telling we are dealing with the ravages of colonialism and racism. l'd like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to this beautifully book (ARC).

Cape fear is a book that has a little bit of everything. A gothic setting in a dilapidated house, mystery, and ghosts. It is perfect for this time of year. This book is set in South Africa in the 1920s. The main character is Soraya, who is a young Muslim woman. She is employed as a maid to an English woman. Mrs. Hattingh lives alone in the house. Her son is away in London.

Soraya has a fiancé who she misses very much. Mrs. Hattingh assumes Soraya is uneducated. She pretends not to be able to read or write. Mrs. Hattingh offers to write letters to her fiancé, Noor. She reads the letters to Soraya that she writes to Noor and his correspondence. She never lets Soraya see the letters. Mrs. Hattingh is a very manipulative woman, and doesn’t let Soraya leave her home.

Soraya is a well developed character. You can feel her pain. Mrs. Hattingh is a woman of privilege and has power over Soraya as she knows Soraya needs this job. She is a very lonely woman. You almost feel sorry for her as she waits for her son to return.
This is a slow moving novel that is beautifully written. It is intricately woven with historical facts and fantasy. There are also secrets to be discovered.