Review: The Haunting of Tram Car 015 by P. Djèlí Clark

Title: The Haunting of Tram Car 015

Series: n/a

Author: P. Djèlí Clark
Source/Format: Tor ebook club (freebie); eBook
More Details: Science Fiction; Fantasy; Alternative History
Publisher/Publication Date: Tor.com; February 19, 2019

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

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.

The Haunting of Tram Car 015 has been on my TBR list for way too long. I’ve been into ghost stories lately, and it seemed like there was no better time to finally read it than now. I enjoyed a lot about The Haunting of Tram Car 015. Clark painted a story with a setting that was rich with vivid detail and history. From the beginning, it was easy to picture every scene as it was happening—such was the degree to which the descriptions brought the story to life—and it really set the tone of the story. I enjoyed all of the historical details, as well as how the advances of technology and the emergence of more fantastical elements was evident throughout this alternative version of Cairo. The actual ghost end of the story presented a bit of a mystery to the characters, and I enjoyed reading about the process they undertook to identify just what was haunting Tram Car 015. Overall, I’m glad I can finally take this one off my TBR list.