The Haunting of Tram Car 015

The Haunting of Tram Car 015 returns to the alternate Cairo of Clark’s short fiction, where humans live and work alongside otherworldly beings; the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities handles the issues that can arise between the magical and the mundane. Senior Agent Hamed al-Nasr shows his new partner Agent Onsi the ropes of investigation when they are called to subdue a dangerous, possessed tram car. What starts off as a simple matter of exorcism, however, becomes more complicated as the origins of the demon inside are revealed.

ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions my own.

Cairo, 1912. The perfect setting for two detectives from the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities aiming to solve the mystery of a haunted tram car. There are djinns, ghouls, and other magical creatures in between.

Reading about Cairo was love at first sight. Clark’s writing was teeming with culture and diversity, making it such an immersive and atmospheric story. On top of this, Clark writes an alternate history at a time when colonialism has ended in Egypt and explores themes of misogyny, gender, feminism, and empowerment. I don’t know how he managed to write all of this in 144 pages, but it all worked out well.

I also loved the dynamic between Agents Hamed and Onsi and could only hope to read more of their adventures! This is definitely a world I would come back to again and I hope more readers visit it.