I was drawn in quickly and lost interest just as quickly.

I had a lot of questions that were never answered and I really struggled with the timing.

NetGalley/ Simon and Schuster December 09, 2025

It’s 1920, and Soraya Matas—a young Muslim woman from the Cape Flats—is sent to work as a maid for Mrs. Hattingh, a white widow clinging to the ruins of her estate and the memory of a son shattered by war. Soraya is told she will have shelter and a steady wage. What she finds is a decaying house perched on the edge of time, a woman whose grief has curdled into control, and a silence that grows louder by the day.

From the very first page, Davids envelops you in atmosphere. The sea fog, the house sighs. Mrs. Hattingh is imperious, brittle yet oddly tender and Soraya, is determined, watchful, and clever. There are spirits here but the real haunting lies in colonial violence, class divides,and gendered silences. What makes Cape Fever extraordinary is its restraint. This is not horror in the conventional sense. There are no jump scares, no shrieks in the night. The horror is domestic. The suspense is psychological.

Cape Fever lingers. Is A gothic novel for those who understand that the most terrifying thing isn’t the ghost, it’s being unseen.#simon&schuster #capefever #nadiadavids

While the plot is all too predictable, you're not going to read this book for the plot. You're going to read it for the language and description and ghosts and living characters and the sense of time and place and context, presented to you in such a way that you want to linger over sentences and have to remind yourself to breathe. In 1920, in a place colonized by whites, Soraya, a young black woman, takes a job as a maid of all work and cook, employed by a white widow whose mind and habits and moods are overbearing and unstable. Over time, as her white employer takes more and more from her, Soraya is strengthened by the ghosts of the house, her own courage, and her desire to be with family. The denouement is a relief and the epilogue lovely. Book groups should snap this one up.

Thank you NetGalley for the advance reader copy of Cape Fever. This is a book I had trouble putting down.
I was kept on my toes as I wondered if the story would take a turn into the Horror fantasy genre. Or if the fantasy aspects of the story would overtake the historical fiction genre. Cape fever is a great balance, never delving too deeply into one or the other and thus the story continues to resonate with me long after reading.
I am adding Nadia Davids to my list of author's books worth reading. Loved Cape Fever!

Initially this beautifully written novel drew me in. It sets a tone and mood quickly and I loved how atmospheric it was. But then I found myself struggling to retain interest. I don't mind a slow burn if you feel as though something is about to happen--or it's building to that something. But with this book it seemed to plateau. I'm sorry to say I didn't make it past the 20% mark.

With only two characters, for the most part, interacting and the background characters and situations being "told", it didn't feel vibrant and active. I think lovers of more quiet novels will find it a treat, though. I'm sorry it wasn't a great fit for me who chose it based on the description of it being a gothic thriller.

Thank you to Net Galley and Simon and Schuster for the advance copy.

A beautiful novella set in South Africa in the 1920s, just post-WW1.

There are really one two characters the reader meets in the story for any length of time: Mrs. Hattingh, the widowed matriarch of a crumbling estate, and her new maid, Soraya, a young Muslim woman from The Quarter newly employed as her housekeeper. Other characters revolve around them in a whirl, including phantoms of previous inhabitants.
There is an enticing sense of foreboding throughout the entire story. I knew that I was just on the cusp of everything falling down, and yet I was kept in anticipation by the skillful writing that skirts the edges of secrets and descriptions of the deep animosities hidden in both characters. There is just enough magical realism to add more gothic atmosphere without being too fantastic.
Although I could foresee the inevitable conclusion, I nonetheless enjoyed getting there, and highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys depths of character and gothic storytelling. Excellent all around; not a word wasted, not one sentence without merit.
Many thanks for the advance copy.

Nadia Davids has crafted an unforgettable story in Cape Fever. It begins with a young woman, Soraya, who is old enough to go out and help her parents pay bills by finding a post at a nearby wealthy widow’s home. It is the 1920’s and there are still repercussions from the First World War, where so many young healthy men were killed it was difficult for women to find husbands and mothers were left bereft.

They live in a colonial area that is far from London, where Soraya’s employer, Mrs. Hattingh has a son who is recuperating from injuries sustained in the War. The first time Soraya met Mrs. Hattingh, she was told she would need to stay overnight, but could visit her nearby home once every fortnight. Soraya did not like this, but she was told by her mother that they very much needed her to get this post to help with bills, especially after having to quickly leave her last post and with no reference. Soraya is quick to temper but she tries very hard to keep it to herself so she can secure the job.

Over time, Mrs. Hattingh decides to keep Soraya from visiting her family even once a fortnight. This really upsets Soraya, especially since it is just her and the creepy old lady (and the spirits that live there, too). To mollify her, Mrs. Hattingh promises they can write to her fiancé and that she will write the letters for Soraya and read her the ones that come to her. It does not occur to her that Soraya may be able to read, and she can. Soraya’s mother advises her not to let Mrs. Hattingh know that because some white people need to feel better than the people they employ, so Soraya plays along.

It is suspenseful, hopeful, disappointing, sad and uplifting all at the same time. There are times when it is hard to know whether what is happening can actually happen or if it is just going on in Soraya’s mind. It is written from a perspective that makes it worthy of its pages, although it is not long, it is worth the read. It may be a cautionary tale.

Thanks to Netgalley for the prepublication copy to read and review.

This book was eerie, haunting, and thrilling! I loved the setting so much and was a perfect spooky read. Would be great for october/fall! Definitely recommend

This was unlike anything I have ever read before. This was such a unique read....i loved the fact that we got such a great story in such few pages. I mean, each page was filled with enough suspense and detail to make you say "let me just finish this" because you wanna know where the author is going with it. I enjoyed the creepy haunted house and the spirits haunting it. This really felt like a folklore telling and reminded me of all the folklore tales I heard growing up in the south. I really enjoyed the gothic aspects of this story. Soraya and Mrs Hattingh's characters were both excellent and well developed.

Cape Fever is a fast-paced thriller with a tidy ending. Soraya’s voice is sharp, witty, and observant without feeling forced. Her financial pressures make her cautious so she can’t afford to rock the boat or reveal her full capabilities to her boss. That careful balance keeps her, and the reader, from digging deeper into what’s really going on, adding a quiet, steady tension throughout the story.

The author does a solid job building a slow, creeping sense of dread. Like Soraya, the reader uncovers information at the same pace, which kept me frustrated but hooked. Mrs. Hattingsh feels shady early on, but the story lets you feel some sympathy before things turn.

The twists land well and feel earned. I appreciated how the supernatural elements are just part of Soraya’s normal world and it kept slower scenes interesting without going over the top. The ending wraps up cleanly, though I’d have liked a bit more justice. Overall, a fun and fast read with strong voice and atmosphere.

This story is soft, ethereal, gothic and perfect for anyone looking to dip their toe into historical fiction for the brief time it takes to read this book.

We follow Soraya Matas, a young woman in 1920 going into service for widow Mrs. Hattingh. The large home has two spirits, one an older woman and one younger, whose likeness is found in a portrait located in Mrs. Hattingh's bedroom. Soraya lives in a small cottage on the grounds and is only allowed to leave to visit home once every two weeks to visit family and see her fiance, if he is able to be in the Quarter on the same weekend. As time goes on, Mrs. Hattingh becomes more reliant on Soraya and stops allowing her to leave the estate until finally Soraya's isn't allowed to leave at all.

This book could have been 100 pages longer and I still would have loved it. Historical fiction, in my experience, is usually quite long and slow to develop. In this case, you get everything that makes a gothic story great in fewer pages. I picture reading this in a comfy chair near a window during a rainstorm in an afternoon or two.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who would like to give historical fiction a try, anyone who already loves historical fiction or a good gothic take, or someone with a rainy afternoon and a little time on their hands.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for the eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Plot:

Set in 1920 in a quiet colonial city near the sea, Cape Fever follows Soraya Matas, a young Muslim woman who takes a job as a personal maid in the decaying home of Mrs. Hattingh—an eccentric, privileged woman whose best days, like her house, are behind her. What begins as a simple domestic arrangement soon becomes something more complex, as Soraya and Mrs. Hattingh develop a strange ritual: each week, they write letters to Soraya’s fiancé, with Hattingh acting as scribe. As the letters continue, boundaries blur, grief festers, and an atmosphere of quiet dread creeps in.

The Good:

The writing in Cape Fever is stunning! It’s quiet, poetic, and charged with tension. It’s a slow burn, yes, but that’s part of its brilliance. Once you realize what’s actually going on underneath all the small talk and domestic routines, it hits hard. I loved Soraya. She is such a powerful narrator—not because she’s loud or dramatic, but because she endures. She notices everything. She knows when to stay quiet, when to protect herself, and when to act. There’s so much strength in that kind of restraint.

And I have to say, I was fascinated by Mrs. Hattingh too. She’s manipulative and deeply self-centered, but also lonely and falling apart in her own way. I found myself torn between wanting her to get what she deserves and feeling sorry for how broken she is. The relationship between these two women is what makes the book so compelling. It’s layered, intimate, and unsettling.

This book explores so many important themes—grief, colonialism, control, identity, and class. The house itself feels like a character, full of tension and silence. It has that gothic feel, but not in the usual haunted house kind of way. The real haunting is emotional.

The Bad:

I don’t have much bad to say, honestly. But this book is heavy. Not in a depressing way, but in a way that makes you sit with it. I had to take breaks just to process some of it. It also asks a lot of the reader. You really have to pay attention to what’s not being said, which I personally loved, but it might not be what everyone’s looking for. If you’re expecting jump scares or ghostly thrills, this isn’t that kind of book.

Overall:

I’d recommend Cape Fever to anyone who enjoys slow, thoughtful reads with gothic atmosphere and layered characters. If you like books that explore grief, power, and complicated relationships between women, this one might stick with you like it did with me. It’s a powerful read, and I’m really impressed with how the author pulled it all together.

I loved this book and the writing style! This has completely drawn someone who’s not the biggest on psych thriller/gothic books into someone obsessed!

Cape Fever is a novel that simmers—slow, scorching, and unforgettable. Nadia Davids writes with a clarity and emotional weight that had me completely immersed from the first page. This is a story about family, protest, betrayal, and the long shadows cast by history, all set against the tense political backdrop of South Africa in the 1980s.

What struck me most was how Davids captures the intensity of adolescence alongside the complexities of a country on the brink. The personal and political collide in such intimate, aching ways. Every character feels deeply real—flawed, hopeful, complicit, afraid. The writing is restrained but powerful, layered with memory, rage, tenderness, and the quiet ache of growing up in a world that doesn’t quite know what to do with you.

There’s a feverish energy to the story, both in the literal unrest and in the way emotion simmers just beneath the surface. It’s about the stories we tell ourselves to survive—and the ones that can unravel us.

If you’re drawn to literary fiction that explores the fault lines of identity, history, and resistance, Cape Fever is a standout. Gorgeously written, deeply felt, and profoundly human.

Cape Fever is a delightful gothic horror set in the 1920's that starts simple and quickly becomes a slow burn. It's nods to folklore stories and mystical spirits keep the story going while the simple but emotional plot plays out. The ending is predictable but also very satisfying.

*I received an ARC from Net Galley for an honest review.

This book was completely out of my usual reads—and it did not disappoint. Cape Fever is a beautifully eerie blend of gothic suspense, psychological drama, and quiet, slow-building tension that pulls you in without even realizing it.

Set in a decaying colonial manor, the story follows Soraya, a young Muslim woman who becomes the personal maid to the eccentric and haunting Mrs. Hattingh. What begins as a simple arrangement quickly morphs into something more layered and unsettling, especially as ghostly elements and emotional unraveling begin to surface. Their weekly letter ritual becomes the heart of the story—intimate, strange, and hypnotic.

Nadia Davids’s writing is graceful and sharp, and she creates characters that are complex, flawed, and strangely lovable—even when their true motives start to surface. I found myself unexpectedly attached to them, which made the reveals all the more impactful.

The ending wraps up the story with surprising balance—just the right touch of resolution and lingering emotion. It doesn’t try too hard; it just lands perfectly.

Also, it’s a short read (under 300 pages), which makes it an ideal pick for a weekend binge, a beachy afternoon, or even a cozy fall day. It’s the kind of book that quietly haunts you—in the best way—and definitely deserves more attention.

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future

Right before June ends, I had my first, stayed up way too late reading book of 2025. No complaints and luckily, I started reading Cape Fever on a Saturday, so no sleep deprivation at work the next morning.
Picture the 1920s, when there was a clear class divide, and Soraya feels lucky to get a job working for Mrs.Hattingh. Unfortunately, her new employer demands that she become a live-in… housekeeper, cook, and whatever else she wants. But Soraya will get one Sunday off every other week to go home and see her family. Her employer may be set in her ways, but for the most part Soraya knows that this job could be much much worse.
This decrepit house… This haunted place… This life that Soraya lives is hard to bear many times. Her family and her fiancé are what keep her going. But Mrs. Hattingh has no qualms about hurting Soraya to get what she wants. She most definitely does not see Soraya as a person with hopes and dreams. She only sees a servant, her servant. This is all she knows and all she wants to know.
A beautifully told story that made me feel the oppressive nature of this time and place.
I did not like or trust Mrs. Hattingh from her first appearance in this book. By the end of Cape Fever, while I felt sorry for her in someways, it did not justify her actions or change my overall opinion of her. 240 pages that just had me saying, one more chapter, until I was done. No spoilers but I was so glad things did not end as I feared. I will look for this author’s backlist. 4.5 stars.

Cape Fever is the ideal historical fiction book for anyone seeking a short read. This book, which is set in the 1920s, features a great deal of mystery and suspense. I'll confess that I was engrossed in it from the first page and relished every second of it. A young girl named Soraya, our primary character, was fired from her previous job and is currently seeking employment. She is able to find employment as a maid for an elderly eccentric woman. She finds that the old house has a lot of mysteries.

Cape Fever by Nadia Davids is a haunting and pulse-pounding journey into a world teeming with mystery and menace. Set in 1920 within a small, unnamed colonial city, the novel expertly weaves a tense atmosphere filled with secrets that threaten to unravel at any moment. Soraya Matas, desperate for stability, finds herself in a strange, decaying house haunted not only by spirits but by the shadows of her own fears. As Soraya navigates her new role as a personal maid to the eccentric Mrs. Hattingh, she uncovers unsettling truths lurking beneath the house's eerie silence. The ritual of dictating letters to her fiancé Nour—an act that initially seems innocent—becomes increasingly bizarre and ominous. The boundary between the living and the dead blurs, and the house's spirits seem to whisper warnings that no one dares to hear. Davids masterfully ratchets up the suspense, making every turn and revelation feel like a step closer to danger. The story’s slow-burning tension keeps you guessing—what is real, and what is the product of a mind pushed to the edge? As the house’s haunting escalates, so does the threat to Soraya’s sanity, making this a chilling exploration of obsession, secrecy, and the terrifying power of the unseen. If you’re craving a novel that keeps your pulse pounding in a shadowy world where spirits and secrets collide, Cape Fever is a must-read—just be prepared to look over your shoulder until the last page.