Dead to Rites

Mick Oberon walks the mean streets of 1930s Chicago looking every bit the hardboiled private eye, but the fedora hides pointed ears and the coat conceals a wand. In the third installment of Ari Marmell's urban fantasy series, Mick finds himself cursed with bad luck at the worst possible moment. His investigation into the source of that curse leads him to a stolen mummy, the city's most ruthless mob outfits, and the ever-dangerous Ramona Webb, whose motives remain as murky as ever. The stakes are unusually personal: without his luck, Mick is exposed and vulnerable in ways he rarely has to reckon with.

The full-cast dramatized production brings this pulpy, noir-inflected world to life with impressive range. Eric Messner anchors the story as Mick, nailing the weary detective cadence, while the ensemble, including Nora Achrati, Chris Genebach, and Kimberly Gilbert, give the supporting cast genuine dimension. At under six hours, the production moves with the brisk energy the genre demands, making it an easy single-day listen.