The Man Who Died Seven Times

by Yasuhiko Nishizawa Narrated by Kaipo Schwab

Overview

A subversively cozy Japanese crime novel with an ingenious Groundhog Day twist: a teenager's time-loop race to solve-and possibly prevent-his grandfather's murder!

Contemporary Japanese legend Yasuhiko Nishizawa makes his English-language debut with this slick, funny murder mystery that adds a sci-fi twist to an age-old setup: a murder in a wealthy family with an inheritance at stake.

Hisataro, a young member of the wealthy Fuchigami family, has a mysterious ability. Every now and then, against his will, he falls into a time-loop in which he is obliged to re-live the same day a total of 9 times. Little does he know how useful this ability will be, until one day, his grandfather mysteriously dies...

As he returns to the day of the murder time and again, Hisataro begins to unravel its secrets. With a sizeable inheritance up for grabs, motives abound, and everyone is a suspect. Can Hisataro solve the mystery of his grandfather's death before his powers run out?

Written in a witty, lighthearted voice, this clever and playful book will appeal to fans of both traditional murder mysteries as well as readers of cozy mysteries. It's a delightful treat for fans of the intricate plotting of Agatha Christie, the gentle humor of Richard Osman, and the audacious inventiveness of Stuart Turton.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"A wildly inventive fusion of sci-fi and murder mystery... Think Groundhog Day meets Knives Out, with a clever plot and a snarky lead. It’s smart, fast-paced, and seriously hard to put down."
—Dua Lipa's Service 95


"A terrifically original book, by turns funny, quirky and diabolical, with film adaptation writ large all over it."
—BookPage (Starred Review)

"An ingenious and highly entertaining riff on the themes of time and chance."
—Guardian

"Murder and time travel collide in Nishizawa’s charming English-language debut... Nishizawa stitches elements from Clue, Groundhog Day, and Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s Before the Coffee Gets Cold into a mischievous tale that stands on its own two feet. This lighthearted whodunit will please anyone who likes their murder mysteries with a dash of whimsy."
—Publishers Weekly

"A fresh and clever whodunit with an engaging twist."
—Kirkus Reviews

"A murder mystery take on Groundhog Day... A metaphysical masterpiece that never hesitates to show both humor and heart."
—CrimeReads

"Nishizawa mixes Groundhog Day with a classic locked-room mystery. For fans of The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton and those who enjoy some speculative elements in their crime fiction."
—Library Journal

"Timeless entertainment... Yasuhiko Nishizawa's 'classic time-loop murder mystery' may be 30 years old, but it has lost none of its clever, comical charm."
—Shelf Awareness

"The blend of Agatha Christie and Groundhog Day works a treat."
—The Times

"A murder mystery with a fun twist."
—Book Riot

"A clever head scratcher of a yarn."
—Crime Time

"Tremendous fun. Nishizawa takes full advantage of his unique premise to build a satisfying and complex mystery... The Man Who Died Seven Times stakes everything on the pleasure of a challenging puzzle—and succeeds."
—Asian Review of Books

"Yasuhiko Nishizawa’s The Man Who Died Seven Times uses the device of a time-loop in order to provide differing perspectives on the same events, and thus offer a new approach to the dramas of a family gathering... An arresting and interesting story that depends on a plot-device that will both please many and irritate others."
—The Critic (UK)

"Tricksy, time-switching entertainment. On steroids."
—Herald (Scotland)

"This brilliantly intricate mystery has it all: a family gathering, a country house, the murder of a patriarch and a fortune to inherit... Hugely entertaining and satisfyingly twisty."
—Daily Mail (UK)

"Nishizawa’s imaginative mystery blends science fiction and classic detective tropes in a gripping tale... A genre-bending take on modern crime fiction."
—The Arts Shelf (UK)

Kirkus Reviews

★ 2025-07-04
A 16-year-old savant uses his Groundhog Day gift to solve his grandfather’s murder.

Nishizawa’s compulsively readable puzzle opens with the discovery of the victim, patriarch Reijiro Fuchigami, sprawled on a futon in the attic of his elegant mansion, where his family has gathered for a consequential announcement about his estate. The weapon seems to be a copper vase lying nearby. Given this setup, the novel might have proceeded as a traditional whodunit but for two delightful features. The first is the ebullient narration of Fuchigami’s youngest grandson, Hisataro, thrust into the role of an investigator with more dedication than finesse. The second is Nishizawa’s clever premise: The 16-year-old Hisataro has lived ever since birth with a condition that occasionally has him falling into a time loop that he calls "the Trap," replaying the same 24 hours of his life exactly nine times before moving on. And, of course, the murder takes place on the first day of one of these loops. Can he solve the murder before the cycle is played out? His initial strategies—never leaving his grandfather’s side, focusing on specific suspects, hiding in order to observe them all—fall frustratingly short. Hisataro’s comical anxiety rises with every failed attempt to identify the culprit. It’s only when he steps back and examines all the evidence that he discovers the solution. First published in 1995, this is the first of Nishizawa’s novels to be translated into English. As for Hisataro, he ultimately concludes that his condition is not a burden but a gift: “Time’s spiral never ends.”

A fresh and clever whodunit with an engaging twist.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940195351014
Publisher:	Dreamscape Media
Publication date:	08/19/2025
Edition description:	Unabridged

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