Just like “A Dead Djinn in Cairo“, this short story is utterly delightful. It takes place in the same universe, turn of the century Cairo, but one inhabited by djinns and other mythic and supernatural beings.

The main characters are Hamed and Onsi, two detectives from the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments, and Supernatural Entities. As the title suggests, they are called in to solve a haunting of tram car. They two characters are delightful, the veteran Hamed and the young, nerdy Onsi.

Other than the main plot, which is just lovely, there’s lots of additional world building which just made it extra special. The main element being the upcoming parliamentary vote for women’s suffrage in Egypt. I am a sucker for this. It was so expertly woven into the story, with the detectives encountering some of the suffragettes directly as well has having useful conversations with different women. It was a great way to discuss gender politics in a way that seemed natural. Almost all the other characters were women, also delightful.

I really want a full length novel in this world so much.

Anyway, it’s not super long, so I 100% recommend it. Utterly perfect.