死了七次的男人

by Yasuhiko Nishizawa, 西澤保彥, 凌虛 (Translator)

「對我而言，在同一天裡所發生的事，總會重複上好幾次。但清楚這件事的，似乎只有我一個，四周的人則是絲毫未察，只是重複著與前天相同的言行舉止，簡直就像裝上了精密儀器的傀儡。對我而言，他們的言行舉止重複了許多次；然而，對他們來說，就和平常的日子一樣，只是過了普通的一天。更何況，他們完全沒意識到，自己就像錄影帶被不斷播放一般。這些事只有我察覺到──整件事就是如此。」
──淵上久太郎

每年的一月一日，淵上久太郎都會和家人到外公家過新年。由於遺產繼承的問題，新年期間氣氛搞得相當不愉快。然而就在被灌酒灌到猛吐的夜晚，久太郎發現自己陷入了時空黑洞中，依照慣例，必須得重複九次這令人難熬的一天，時間才能繼續前進…… 「拜託！饒了我吧！」當他這麼抱怨時，卻發現在這天第一輪活得好好的外公，到了第二輪卻被殺死了！而外公要是在新年就死掉的話，遺產問題會引發更嚴重的家族衝突。沒辦法，他只好找出犯人是誰，然後在最後一輪中讓外公存活下來。接下來的七天，等著他的是一連串不可思議的偵探之旅……

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Time Travel, Japan, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller, Thriller

356 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1998

About the author

Yasuhiko Nishizawa was born in 1960 in Akashi, Japan. He studied Creative Writing in the United States, before returning to Japan and beginning to write murder mysteries while working as a university assistant and high school lecturer.

Reviews

[jo ୨୧]

I dont even know how or what to rate this because I had a good time reading it and would reccomend but also ????

[Flo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t know if this is a perfect murder mystery, but it was a fun one. I highly enjoyed it and liked that the protagonist doesn’t just try to solve the murder - he also tries to prevent it by untangling the very complicated relationships between his siblings. I also liked the sci-fi elements that explore the realities of reliving the same day. Highly recommended.

[Sarah ~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Man Who Died Seven Times - Yasuhiko Nishizawa


يتمتع بطل هذه الرواية-وهو طالب في المدرسة الثانوية ومن عائلة ممتدة وثرية، بقدرة غامضة. فبين الحين والآخر، يقع في حلقة زمنية يضطر فيها إلى إعادة عيش نفس اليوم تسع مرات. وتساعده هذه القدرة، بعد وفاة جده في ظروف غامضة في أحد الأيام...

بعودته إلى يوم الجريمة مرارًا وتكرارًا يحاول بطلنا اكتشاف الحقيقة والأسرار التي يخفيها الجميع ومع إرث مالي كبير على المحك تغدو المهمة أخطر مع كل يوم...


رواية جريمة مع نفحة خيال علمي، ممتعة وسريعة وقصيرة.. كان هناك خلل من نوع ما في النهاية-بدت معه النهاية مربكة وغريبة، لكن بالمجمل وبعد عام كانت كل قراءات الجريمة فيه مخيبة للأمل، كانت هذه الرواية نسمة خفيفة وجيدة وتعويضًا عن كل تلك الخيبات..

[Mandy White (mandylovestoread) · Rating 4 out of 5]

What fun but bonkers locked room crime thriller from Japan. This book has been translated into English for the first time for us all to enjoy.

This family is nuts! i guess money will do that to you. But no grandad is ready to step down and name his heir, and the whole family wants in. And it is not a small family. Before he can announce his decision, grandad is dead. But 16 year old Histutaro has a magical ability to live a day over and over… 9 times in fact. Talk about Groundhog Day. Each day leads to the final retelling of the date… the 9th day is the final day. So can he stop grandad from being murdered over and over again?

The ending was very clever. I had a different idea of how it would end but I so far off it isn’t funny! a quick and addictive read.

Thanks so much Pushkin Press for my early copy to read. Published in English on July 29th.

[Jessica Woodbury · Rating 3 out of 5]

A time loop story for fans of Japanese puzzle mysteries. This one takes some time to get going, you have to be ready for a lot of up front info dumping. But the device of the time loop itself is different than usual and Nishizawa is doing some fun things with it. (Including a clever twist that I totally did not see coming.) This is not exactly a cozy mystery, I would say it's more of a farce. Lots of characters moving in and out of scenes, doing things they are or are not supposed to do, props that should be in one place but end up in another. Certainly on the lighter side.

Once you know who everyone is and are settled this is more fun but it does take its time getting there. And, as is often the case, there is some weirdness for American readers about Japanese culture. (It's a little hard for me to tell what is garden variety misogyny in a book that is nearly 30 years old and what is cultural norms, but there are age gaps and relationships between cousins that are treated as normal.)

[Rachael Dux · Rating 3 out of 5]

The incest was weird lmao

[Caleb Deck · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok, this is an odd one. Originally written in 95, just translated to English this year for the first time. Between the updated publishing and slapping a fun cover on it, Ive been seeing this in bookstores lately and was very excited for a new read. Love a murder mystery, love a time looping book. Did not love this read.

The concept is awesome. The main character gets randomly caught in 9-cycle, 1-day time loops and is dealing with family drama as his estranged grandfather looks to name a new heir to his restaurant empire when he gets stuck. Only this time there’s a murder when he deviates from the original timeline.

Again, I love the idea, but there are a few hangups that made this one fall flat for me. 1. Lots of info off the top, pacing was a bit weird and you get tons of characters and background dumped at once. You do get a list of characters and family tree which helps. 2. Too many loops. I get the concept but it could have been accomplished equally with 2 less loops maybe (and like 40 fewer pages). 3. Opportunity for some amazing twists that never happened. I had at least 4 or 5 ideas throughout that seemed like great twists that just never happened at all. In the end I expected 1 or 2 more plot points and nothing really happened. 4. The ending. It stinks. It just….stops? 5. There is a lot of the plot based on cousins dating and/or considering getting married. Maybe this is a 1995 thing, maybe it’s a cultural thing? Idk it’s somewhat easy enough to ignore/pretend the families are separate, but weird nonetheless.

In all, great concept, just didn’t quite hold up to so many excellent modern mysteries.

[Jannelies (living between hope and fear) · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting but very complicated version of ‘Groundhog Day’. At the start, it’s a very readable story with interesting characters. I really liked the writing style of this author. But then, further on in the story, things get so complicated that I had to read back several times to see what was actually happening and then forward again – until it became quite tedious. For me anyway. I finished the book but not without some perseverance.

Thanks to Pushkin Vertigo and Edelweiss for this review copy.

[Siwabhorn Anothaisintawee · Rating 5 out of 5]

อธิบายให้เข้าใจยากมากเลย เอาเป็นว่าตีมเรื่องคล้าย Groundhog day หรือ Edge of Tomorrow ที่ตัวเอกจะต้องตื่นมาเจอวันซ้ำๆ เป็นลูปจนกว่าจะครบตามกำหนด ซึ่งในเรื่องนี้คือสิบครั้ง

ในแต่ละครั้งคิวทาโร่ที่เป็นตัวเอกจะค่อยๆ เรียนรู้เรื่องราวและนำมาปรับใช้จนทำให้เกิดเหตุการณ์ที่สมบูรณ์แบบในลูปสุดท้าย

ในเล่มนี้คือลูปที่เกิดตอนที่คุณตาชิงเด๊ดสะมอเร่ไปก่อนการประกาศชื่อทายาทที่จะได้รับมรดกมูลค่ามหาศาล คิวทาโร่จึงต้องใช้ความสามารถพิเศษสืบหาความเกี่ยวข้องเชื่อมโยง เพื่อป้องกันไม่ให้คุณตาต้องตาย

อ่านช้าอีกแล้ว ไม่ใช่ไม่สนุกนะ แต่ไปเที่ยวไต้หวันมา 😅 ติดหนังสือเล่มนี้ไปด้วย แต่อ่านได้คืนเดียว ที่เหลือเที่ยวจนกลับมาที่พักก็สลบ

เล่าเรื่องสนุกชวนติดตาม ตอนท้ายจบแบบจะมีต่อ เหมือนหนังบางเรื่องที่ค้างปมไว้ ถ้ายอดขายดีก็สร้างต่อ

เล่มนี้เราว่าดี จนต้องแอบไปดูรายชื่อหนังสือของนักเขียนว่าจะมีภาคสองไหม แต่เดายากมาก เพราะอากู๋แปลชื่อเรื่องออกมางงๆ

เอาเป็นว่าแนะนำให้อ่านกัน ถึงแม้จะเรียกไม่ได้ว่าโคตรพีค แต่ก็ดีจนไม่คิดว่าเสียเวลาอ่านทำไม

Goodreads ให้ 4 เราให้ 4.8

[Quill&Queer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I get it, I wouldn't want to spend all day drinking sake with my grandfather either. The ending made little sense to me, there was a chapter thrown in where I felt the person Hisataro was talking to was very blatantly lying to him was lying to cover up something, but went no further.

[Pawarut Jongsirirag · Rating 2 out of 5]

นอกจากชายในเรื่องจะตาย 7 ครั้งเเล้ว คนอ่านอย่างผมนี่ก็ตายไป 7 รอบเท่ากับตัวละครด้วยเลย

พล็อตเรื่องง่ายๆคือนึกถึงเรื่อง knives out ที่ไม่มีนักสืบกวนๆมาไขคดี มีแต่เด็ก ม.ปลายที่มีพลังย้อนเวลาวนลูปเข้ามาช่วยไขคดี (มั้ง) แทน

พล็อตเรื่องเนี่ยโอเค แย่งสมบัติกันในตระกูล อันนี้ผ่าน

พลังพระเอก ย้อนเวลาแบบสุ่มนะครับ เลือกช่วงเวลาไม่ได้ ซึ่งก็ดันมาสุ่มตอนคุณปู่ตายพอดี แถมสุ่มว่าหนักแล้ว ดันบังคับต้องย้อนทั้งหมด 9 รอบด้วย อ่านวนกันไป เอ้า อันนี้ให้ผ่าน

แต่หลังจากนี้ไม่มีอะไรผ่านเลย

ไม่ผ่านอันแรก คือ ตัวเอกของเราคิดอะไรแปลกๆ ประมาณว่าทางแก้ง่ายๆที่เห็นชัดเจนไม่ทำ ไปทำอะไรก็ไม่รู้ให้มันยากเข้าไว้ ถึงแม้จะเข้าใจว่ามีโอกาสลองผิดถูกถึง 8 ครั้งก็ตาม และพระเอกก็เป็นแค่เด็ก ม.ปลายทั่วไป แต่พี่ก็ควรฉลาดกว่านี้หน่อยไหมอะ เกริ่นมาแต่แรกว่าย้อนเวลมาหลายรอบแล้ว อายุอานามก็แก่กว่ารุ่นเดียวกันไปไกลเลยนะ ถ้านับจากจำนวนเวลาที่มีชีวิต แต่ คือ พี่ออกแนวคิดอะไรง่ายๆไปหมดอะครับ ซึ่งความไม่ฉลาดของพระเอกนี่แหละครับ เลยทำให้นิยายเรื่องนี้ยาว 300 กว่าหน้า ทั้งที่จริงแล้วจบได้ใน 100 หน้าด้วยซ้ำ - เจองี้ ผมตายไป 2 รอบพร้อมกับพระเอกเลยแบบเอาผมออกไปจากลูปนี้

ไม่ผ่านสอง คือ เนื้อเรื่องไม่สมเหตุสมผลเท่าไหร่ครับ บทจะมีก็มี บทจะไม่มีก็ไม่มี เหมือนเห็นว่าลูปนี้ไม่ค่อยมีไรเลยวะ งั้นใส่อะไรซักอย่างให้มันมีประเด็นละกัน เอาวะ ซับซ้อนละ พอใจ จบลูป หรือบางลูปบางปมก็ น่าสนใจจะขยายต่อนะ ก็ไม่เอาอะ เดี๊ยวยาว ทิ้งไปเลยละกัน ผ่าม จบ แบบอะไรว้าาาาาาาาาาาาาา ยิ่งตอนช่วงเฉลยปมทุกอย่างนี่ยิ่งไปกันใหญ่เลย อยู่ดีๆก็เข้าใจทุกอย่างง่ายดายกันหมดซะอย่างงั้น แถมสร้างปมตลกๆและคลายปมแบบอิหยังผสมอีก อ่านแล้ว พาผมไปวนลูปกับพี่ด้วยคนได้มั้ยครับ น่าจะบันเทิงกว่าอ่านเรื่องของพี่นะ - อันนี้ให้ตายอีก 7 รอบเลย แบบหนักหนามากกับความไม่สมเหตุสมผลที่โผล่มาทุกช่วงของเรื่องเลย

แต่ๆๆๆๆๆๆๆๆๆๆๆๆๆ

หากคิดว่าเรื่องนี้เขียนขึ้นมาในปี 1998 ก็ต้องยอมรับว่ามันก็ล้ำเกินหน้าเพื่อนอยู่แหละครับ ด้วยพล็อตที่น่าสนใจมากกับตัวเอกที่ย้อนเวลาได้ในคดีฆาตกรรม ซึ่งไม่เคยเห็นมาก่อน มันก็ทำให้เราเอนจอยในการอ่านได้บ้างว่าตัวเอกของเราจะทำอะไรในแต่ละลูปเพื่อแก้ปัญหาที่เกิดขึ้น (แม้มันจะอิหยังวะก็ตาม)

สุดท้ายเเล้วถ้าใครสงสัยว่า เฮ้ยมันขนาดนั้นเลยเหรอ ก็ต้องลองไปอ่านดูครับว่าจะได้ตายครบเหมือนตัวเอกแบบผมมั้ย กลัวแค่ว่าจะตายเกินกว่าพระเอกแค่นั้นแหละครับ (ผ่ามๆๆๆ)

[Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read as an ARC on behalf of Station Books.

I am a huge, huge fan of the genre-hybrid murder mystery. Stuart Turton practically has a restraining order against me. (Just kidding, but I AM his biggest fan). I'm also very fond of Japanese literature and time loops in general.

Did someone design this book especially for me?

Probably not, seeing as it was written 30 years ago and has only now been translated!

This was billed as Knives Out meets Groundhog Day, and I'd say that was a fairly accurate description.

An extremely dysfunctional family get together at New Year just in time for Grandfather to make a new will. Unfortunately, he gets bumped off before he's able to announce who gets the inheritance.

Luckily, our narrator, Hisataro, is afflicted by a time loop condition, where every now and again, he has to live the same day 9 times. Will he be able to save Grandfather from getting murdered?

As the day repeats, it looks increasingly less likely. In fact, it's fair to say things just keep getting worse!

And it's pretty funny.

The Man who Died Seven Times was so moreish and entertaining. I absolutely inhaled it. At a time where I've been struggling to finish books, this really is a testimony to its readability.

There are drama and secrets galore! An eccentric cast of characters adds to the fun.

It would have been a solid 5 star read if only the ending had been better than the one I had in mind.

I thought I had it all wrapped up. What had been happening, WHY it had been happening, HOW it would all be discovered... I had an exciting denouement all figured out.

I was wrong... which would have been fine if the twists had been better than what I'd thought up.

So it fizzled a little at the end, but I still had a blast, and if you're as fond of genre mash-up mysteries as I am - get yourself a copy!

[Frank Chillura (OhYouRead) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Knives Out, but again and again… sorta.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

First published in Japan in 1995, it seems The Man Who Died Seven Times has only just been translated into English. It is a farcical time loop murder mystery. The teenage protagonist, Hisataro, regularly gets caught up in 'the trap', during which the same day repeats nine times. He has no idea why this happens and doesn't mention it to anyone else. (I did wonder if it might run in the family.) As the novel opens, he and his fractious family are visiting his grandfather for a new year celebration. All of them except Hisataro are very concerned about who this elderly, wealthy, and hard-drinking grandfather will choose as his heir. A sudden unexplained death coincides with an attack of the time loops for Hisataro, who has a stressful time trying to uncover what the heck is going on and save his grandfather's life.

I found the long-suffering and hapless Hisataro an amusing protagonist. Despite his apparently uncontrollable superpower, he seems the calmest and most boring person in his family. His mother and aunt are constantly at each other's throats, while his brothers and cousins veer between love and hate. I love a time loop story and this one was both neatly structured and well-paced. The protagonist and reader both know how many loops there will be, but Hisataro is alarmed by events varying unexpectedly each time. There are two fun twists at the end, which I definitely enjoyed. I found the romantic elements rather ridiculous, but the mystery proved compelling and many scenes were very funny. The Man Who Died Seven Times distinctly reminded me of The Tatami Galaxy and The Tatami Time Machine Blues by Tomihiko Morimi. The chaotic student setting of the tatami novels is more entertaining, but the plot of The Man Who Died Seven Times is more ingenious and compelling. All three novels are diverting reads that I recommend to anyone who likes it when time goes a bit weird.

[Abby Rogish Bodin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Pushkin Press for an advanced copy!

I am not 100% sure what I just read. The plot seems very convoluted and it was difficult to stay caught up to what was happening. Also not a fan of the fact that cousins were trying to hook up with each other and everyone seemed okay with it?
I was looking forward to a mystery but it seemed like Hisataro did everything BUT spend time with his grandpa to try to make sure he didn't die. Also WHY IS IT OKAY TO HIT ON MINORS???

[Vance Miguel Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow! Does this book reek of the 80s. There’s so much fun, quip-y-ness, and the fourth wall breaking which can be enjoyable sometimes. However, the family decisions can literally only be stomachable for a modern reader of today if viewed through the perspective that it is all some giant absurd comedy. A story where the reader must assume that all the characters are unintelligent, morally, lacking, and prone to rash behavior. If that stance is taken on, then the story is enjoyable. In response to the extremely shallow women in the story, I respond that every man was also written extremely shallow. So take that as you will. However, that is quite a bit of individual perspective adjustment from the reader for the book to be considered good. I definitely enjoyed some parts, however, the parts I enjoyed most ended up being fizzled away after the potential twist they had set up, turned out to be something less exciting. If I were to recommend this to somebody, I would offer it as something to read extremely fast without worrying about skimming, and for someone, looking for an absolute drama filled roller coaster for the sake of the drama. It’s like Ferris Bueller’s’s Day Off was combined with a Shakespearean play or Greek tragedy, except all told by a fourteen year old. If you’re into this sort of thing, it’s your own fault.

[Laura (thenerdygnomelife) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Man Who Died Seven Times" is a clever, cozy mash-up of mystery and speculative invention. Hisataro is a high schooler with a unique quirk: every so often, he's fated to repeat the same day eight times over, with the opportunity to change his actions each time. He never knows when these time loops are coming, but — as luck would have it — one strikes on the same day that his grandfather dies. Suspecting that he was murdered, Hisataro sets out each day to investigate his grandfather’s death in a desperate attempt to prevent it.

I found the book enjoyable and absolutely loved the central premise. Nishizawa’s concept is inventive and consistently charming. That said, I did find myself getting a little tripped up in understanding the time jumps, which got a bit convoluted at the end. I also wished for deeper character development to better understand the motives of all the other characters, as they lobby to inherit the family business. Still, the tone, pacing, and light humor of this book all work together to make this an engaging read.

I highly recommend this for readers who enjoy cozy mysteries with a speculative twist, especially those who want a playful, brainy puzzle more than a character-driven epic, or those who want to dip their toes into the scifi genre without needing to go deep into outer space. Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Yasuhiko Nishizawa for an advance copy for honest review.

[Jacob Messineo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read it quick and the mystery itself was interesting (payoff not as much) so that’s really helping it.

A bit of a frustrating book/protagonist. He takes no agency or shows any moral effects from anything learned. Could see it being twisted as a critical commentary on the wealthy, but never felt that way from language/tone. Ultimately think there was a better book hidden in this.

[Hana · Rating 3 out of 5]

that was exhausting

[Esha Tujjohora · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was such a fun ride!

A classic Japanese murder mystery with a time loop twist...what more could I ask for? I loved how it mixed family drama, inheritance issues, and a messy whodunit into one clever story. The concept of the same man dying again and again while secrets slowly unfold was honestly such a dopamine boost...! I especially loved how the time loop concept was handled. It wasn’t just a gimmick…it played a central role in how the story developed, revealing secrets, motives, and relationships in a layered way.

That said, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a tiny bit discontent towards the end. Some parts felt overly explained, a little repetitive and I couldn’t help but think it could’ve been a bit tighter or shorter. But that didn’t take away from the fact that I had a genuinely great time with this book. Sometimes stories are just meant to be enjoyed for the wild ride they offer...and this one definitely delivered.

Huge thanks to the publishers... Pushkin Press, Pushkin Vertigo, Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for both the ARC and the ALC…! So glad I got the chance to read and listen to this at the same time...!

4.25 stars!

#TheManWhoDiedSevenTimes #NetGalley

[a Cat a Box · Rating 5 out of 5]

สุดยอดเหนือความคาดหมายมาก ๆ

เป็นหนังสือที่สนุกตั้งแต่ต้นเรื่องยันจบเรื่องเลย ลุ้นจนตัวโก่งในทุกหน้า มีความตลกขบขัน มีความน้ำเน่าเป็นรสปรุงแต่ง หักมุมแบบร้องโอ้โห

ก่อนเกือบจะจบ ยังมีจิ๊กซอว์บางตัวที่ผมคิดว่า เอ อันนี้หายไปนะ อันนี้ไม่สมบูรณ์ แต่พออ่านจบ ทุกอย่างลงตัว ลงล็อค สมเหตุสมผล จนรู้สึกชื่นชมคนเขียนมาก เป็นนิยายที่โคตรเท่เลยว่ะ

[Ange ⚕ angethology · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The fact is that, within the Trap at least, I'm the one in charge — the 'game master' steering the course of events. That's what makes it so terrifying."

[3.5 stars] This is kind of like the book version of the "Happy Death Day" (2017) film. 16-year-old Hisataro (called Kyutaro by his family) sometimes falls into an unexpected time loop where he has to relive the same day 9 times. This can obviously be an advantage as he can change the course of events without real consequences until the final loop, but most of the time it feels tedious as nothing special happens and he has to relive that multiple times. However for once, this ability can be a matter of life or death, as he attempts to find out what and who is behind his grandfather's death.

With everyone scrambling for the inheritance, Hisataro can't really trust anyone, and every day of the time loop he learns something new while simultaneously finding a way to prevent his grandfather's death. This crime mystery serves a platter of melodrama, showing how selfish most family members are, and all their grievances that go way back. It's sometimes funny and the writing conveys the dynamics of the family quite well, especially since the timeline and characters are a lot to wrap your head around.

The chapters are also divided into each day of the time loop which makes it easier to keep track of the days and what exactly happened. I appreciate that Hisataro summarizes the timeline without overdoing it, but I do feel like that there was incessant repetition about the basic mechanics of the time loop. We already know how it works and the potential high stakes of it, and reiterating that over and over serves the same redundancy that uneventful time loops do. There's also that weird incest situation romance which was a little off-putting, although that's something you need to take into account due to the time period it was written in.

Regardless, the novel results in a super engaging murder mystery that puts your brain to work. I particularly love the ending and revelation, and the somewhat complicated conclusion works cohesively with the rest of the book. Would recommend!

Thank you Pushkin Press and NetGalley for the arc. All opinions are my own.

[akacya ❦ · Rating 4 out of 5]

2025 reads: 288/300

i received a complimentary audio copy as part of libro.fm’s influencer program. i am leaving this review voluntarily.

content warnings: toxic family dynamics, murder, incest (first cousins), adult/minor relationship, sexism

hisataro, a young member of the wealthy fuchigami family, has a mysterious ability. every now and then, he will unwillingly relive the same day nine times. this “gift” has always been a bother to him, but suddenly becomes useful when he relives the day his grandfather dies. now, he can use his gift to attempt to solve his grandfather’s murder before the loop ends.

this book reminded me a bit of the 7 1/2 deaths of evelyn hardcastle, which i read (and enjoyed!) many years ago. time loops do tend to frustrate me, but they still are pretty fun to read about, especially in mystery novels. in a family full of cutthroat overachievers, hisataro was an interesting main character, just wanting everyone to get along, not even wanting to enter the running to inherit his grandfather’s empire. of course, this made him the perfect person to investigate—and try to prevent—his grandfather’s death.

narration: kaipo schwab did a lovely job narrating this audiobook. mystery novels on audio can be hit or miss for me, but i found this one easy to follow along with!

[L :)) · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was fun 🙂‍↕️ a few thing were a bit … questionable tho…

[Amadeo Torrero · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just okay. Much more of a family drama than a proper mystery. And in the end, no one was even doing anything bad, grandpa just had to lay off the sauce 😂

[Justin Chen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

A breezy, fun whodunnit with a twist, The Man Who Died Seven Times is a bit of a one-trick pony (in a good way), leaning heavily on its time-loop mechanic to deliver a series of comedic missteps. The tone commits to its silliness, with larger-than-life characters and exaggerated scenarios. Told in the first person, the writing has a dry sense of humor and snark, conveying both the tired annoyance of being trapped in the same portion of life, and the hair-pulling desperation at preventing a murder.

It makes for a great audiobook experience; narrator Kaipo Schwab nails the sarcastic tone and brings each character vividly to life. Listening also helps soften the repetitiveness of certain sections—which is inevitable with a premise built on revisiting the same moments again and again.

Overall, The Man Who Died Seven Times is a fun nugget of murder mystery entertainment, with some clever (if outlandish) reveals towards the end. Just note that it’s very 'Japanese' in sensibility—so familiarity with the culture and lifestyle will definitely enhance the reading experience.

**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**

[Summerfire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dude is shockingly nonchalant about his entire family being willing to murder. Yeah, his day resets but uh you just gotta live with that knowledge now, and he is supremely unbothered.

In the end, of course, no murder was actually committed at any point. Once again we must suspend disbelief that apparently a half bottle of sake didn't trigger death but a whole one would. I don't know how the mechanics of that would work - though I suspect they don't - but, sure. We'll go with it.

I loved the twist at the end. Emi's a very clever girl to have just been like "oh yeah well you must have been dead". I don't disagree, but what a leap to make when you're just learning about all of this potential time tom-foolery for the first time.

The last two Japanese novels I've read have both repeated huge chunks of text rather than a quick rehash, and while the works I studied for school didn't do that, maybe it's genre exclusive. Or recent novels exclusive. The whole I-would-have-two-nickels-but-it's-weird-that-it's-happened-twice thing. In this case I wasn't even mad because he was making SUPER sure that we were following the sequence of events. Arigatou.

Give it a shot - it's fun and off-kilter and all of the characters are kind of likeable while being not likeable at all.

[Stacia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I saw a mention of this being a mix of Groundhog Day with Knives Out. And while that feels somewhat true, it's also not quite as zingy as you might expect if that were the combo. This book was originally from 30 years ago but was translated into English this past year. Its age does show a little bit, there is also a bit of info dumping early on (to explain the entire time-loop phenomena). Still, I enjoyed it & it's a perfect new year's book since the storyline also takes place during the first couple of days of January.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book I’ve read this year in which the protagonist experiences a time loop of a single day repeating over and over. But unlike the first (the excellent On The Calculation of Volume, Book 1), this one isn’t an existential drama but is instead a goofy, fun Japanese murder mystery that never takes itself very seriously. It also does a great job with the time loop—it gets pretty complex at times but the author somehow makes it relatively easy to follow.

The plot goes like this: Two families gather on New Years Eve at their rich grandfather’s mansion, where he is set to announce who is going to be his heir. Before that happens though, he is murdered, and it’s likely that one of the family members did it. Enter our narrator, the 16 year old son of one of the families, who periodically gets stuck in a time loop he can’t control, in which the same day repeats exactly nine times before moving on to the next day. This gives him eight tries to change the day’s events so his grandfather isn’t murdered. And as the title of the book implies, things don’t go quite well.

Great, inventive storytelling, and super funny at times. Not serious at all, but an excellent casual read and the perfect book for my flight to Tokyo!

[Koroz · Rating 3 out of 5]

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