Sarah (CoolCurryBooks)'s Reviews > The Haunting of Tram Car 015

The Haunting of Tram Car 015 is a delightful novella that has made me certain that Clark is my favorite steampunk author. Steampunk is such a hard sell for me, but Clark’s imaginative settings, well-realized characters, and intriguing plots win me over.

The Haunting of Tram Car 015 takes place in an alternate history Cairo, where the magical has entered our world. Cairo is accustomed to the supernatural — indeed, it has an entire tram system driven by it. So it is that when a tram car becomes possessed, government agents are called in. They begin by thinking that it should be a fairly straight forward case of a minor djinn causing mischief, but the case soon grows more complex (in no little part due to budgetary problems).

I loved the alternate history Cairo! It’s so well imagined that it feels real. I particularly loved how the story became intertwined with a movement for women’s suffrage. The protagonist is the older Special Agent Hamed, and he had such a great dynamic with his young and enthusiastic new partner. I’d happily read a sequel about this pair, and I’ll be recommending The Haunting of Tram Car 015 in the future.