The Haunting of Tram Car 015

In this follow-up to Clark's DEAD DJINN IN CAIRO, narrator Julian Thomas's smooth, resonant baritone immerses listeners in a steampunk version of Cairo, circa 1912. When Agent Hamed Nasr of the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities is dispatched to investigate a supposedly haunted tram car, he and his young partner, Agent Onsi, soon find themselves grappling with far more than a malevolent spirit. Thomas's delivery alternates between unobtrusive narrative and lilting Arabic-inflected dialogue. It's a strong match for Clark's world-building, in which extraordinary elements, such as djinn and clockwork automatons, exist alongside human concerns such as bureaucratic corruption and women's suffrage. The audiobook experience is one that, while brief, will leave listeners eager for more. R.A.H. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine