Unlicensed: Season 1

by Joseph Fink

From Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor, creators of the genre defining fiction podcast Welcome to Night Vale, comes the new LA noire Unlicensed, starring Molly Quinn, Lusia Strus, and T.L Thompson. Unlicensed follows Molly Hatch (Quinn), recently divorced, two years sober, and completely lost on where to go next in her life. On a whim she answers an ad for an assistant to a PI, traveling to an unpromising strip mall on Citrus Avenue in Azusa, CA, where she meets Lou Rosen (Strus). Lou is a brilliant detective, but she’s also a completely disorganized mess, both in her physical space and within her own mind. She loses evidence, forgets what she’s already figured out, and she hasn’t even gotten it together to get her PI license. Working illegally in the outskirts of Los Angeles, where the cul-de-sacs and strip malls sprawl into the desert, the only clients she can get are those who either can't afford anyone else or have cases that are too marginal for licensed PIs or the police to bother with. When a teenage girl pleads for Lou and Molly to take the strangest case of their career, they find themselves involved in something much bigger than they were prepared for. This unlikely pair, with no resources and no back-up, follow a trail of seemingly unconnected cases, which leads them to a ransom, a murder, a mysterious wellness center, and a conspiracy that might go all the way to the governor. Featuring guest appearances by Jason Segel, Janet Varney, James Urbaniak, Cecil Baldwin, Jasika Nicole, Mara Wilson, and more, Unlicensed is a deeply-human, captivating thriller set in the most uncool neighborhoods of America’s coolest city.

Genres: Mystery

Unknown Binding

Published November 10, 2022

About the author

Joseph Fink is the creator of the Welcome to Night Vale and Alice Isn't Dead podcasts, and the author of the New York Times bestselling novels Welcome to Night Vale, It Devours!, and The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives in Your Home (all written with Jeffrey Cranor) and Alice Isn’t Dead. He is also the author of the children’s novel, The Halloween Moon. He and his wife, Meg Bashwiner have written the memoir, The First Ten Years. They live together in the Hudson River Valley.

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unlicensed follows Molly Hatch, recently divorced, recently exiled from family and church, and two years sober, as she joins unlicensed private investigator Lou Rosen to solve a bizarre set of intertwined cases. Molly is just what Lou needs, someone to rein in her eccentricities and disorganization. Together the pair face off against a cult, the rich and powerful, and the governor of California to try and put everything right.

The creators of Welcome to the Nightvale have managed to make a completely modern mystery which evokes the best of the noir films set in a growing LA. Fans of classic mysteries will enjoy the nods and everyone will enjoy the chemistry between the two leads. The story, originally presented as a podcast, is performed by a wide cast with occasional sound effects. A strong first trip into the world of Unlicensed.

Note: While the story is humorous, do not expect any of the oddness of the Nightvale podcast.