I See You've Called in Dead - by John Kenney (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER
An NPR 2025 "Books We Love"
USA Today April Pick
An Indie Next & LibraryReads Pick
2026 Gotham Book Prize Finalist
Winner of the AudioFiles Earphones Award
2026 Lariat Adult Fiction Reading List Pick

"Razor-sharp, darkly comedic, and emotionally piercing. With the satirical bite of Richard Russo's Straight Man, the introspection of Fredrik Backman's A Man Called Ove, and the reinvention of Andrew Sean Greer's Less, Kenney's vivid prose transforms the mundane into unexpected hilarity."
--Booklist (starred review)

Obituary writer Bud Stanley isn't really living his best life. He's fallen into a funk after a divorce. (She left him for another man, who, in fairness, was far more interesting.) He's not doing his job well. He's given up on dating. And he's about to be fired for accidentally publishing his own obituary one mildly drunken night (though technically the company can't legally fire a dead person).

As Bud awaits his fate at work, he does the only logical thing: He goes to the wakes and funerals of total strangers to learn how to live again.

Review Quotes

"Razor-sharp, darkly comedic, and emotionally piercing. With the satirical bite of Richard Russo's Straight Man, the introspection of Fredrik Backman's A Man Called Ove, and the reinvention of Andrew Sean Greer's Less, Kenney's vivid prose transforms the mundane into unexpected hilarity. I See You've Called in Dead is a witty and heartwarming reminder of the bottomless despair, limitless absurdity, and undeniable joy of the human experience."
--Booklist (starred review)

"There are writers I turn to when I need a guaranteed laugh, and John Kenney is certainly among them. But John is also on a shorter, more rarified list of writers who can evoke a laugh and make you feel alive. That's no small feat given the title of his breathtaking new novel is I See You've Called in Dead. But that's John. And you will love him."
--Steven Rowley, author of The Celebrants

"I See You've Called in Dead is a riotously funny, poignantly introspective novel that dives headfirst into the absurdity of existence. Bud Stanley is an obituary writer who gets everything wrong--including accidentally publishing his own death notice. From botched blind dates to philosophical musings about life and death, Bud grapples with love, legacy, and the existential (and satirical) weight of being alive. But seriously . . . read this, it is laugh out loud funny. Perfect for fans of dark, heartfelt comedy."
--Weike Wang, author of Rental House

"I loved this beautiful book so much I couldn't put it down. Funny, charming, and so incredibly moving. I even cried. Ugh. John Kenney, what have you done to me?"
--Gary Janetti, author of Do You Mind If I Cancel?: (Things That Still Annoy Me)

"John Kenney's I See You've Called in Dead will be relatable to anyone who took the Talking Heads to heart and woke up thinking 'How did I get here?' His novel manages both heartbreaking loss and hilarious observational humor, while giving us a glimpse at the human condition, its unpredictable fleeting ecstasies, warts and all."
--Annabelle Gurwitch, author of You're Leaving When? Adventures in Downward Mobility

"Wise, wry, and heartfelt, I See You Called in Dead is the most life-affirming novel about death you'll ever read--and possibly the funniest. Kenney takes his hero, a middle-aged obituary writer in a rut, on a bumpy odyssey toward understanding that grief and joy are inextricably linked, and to try to separate them is to miss out on truly living. I adored this book!"
--Jane Roper, author of The Society of Shame

"John Kenney has the remarkable ability to write characters that are at once hilariously absurd, charming, deeply flawed, cringe-worthy, loveable and just so . . . human. I See You've Called in Dead is all of those things . . . All this is to say, I woke my whole family up laughing--dogs included."
--Liz Astrof, author of Stay-at-Work Mom: Marriage, Kids, and Other Disasters and producer of Kings & Queens

"I absolutely adored this book! Kenney's quick-witted, deadpan dialogue, paired with the inherent humor in the novel's conceit and the protagonist's unusual hobby of sitting in on strangers' funerals, had me laughing out loud. Yet, just as often, I found myself in tears. This story delivers a fresh and poignant take on the midlife crisis narrative, one that brings to mind big-hearted questions not only about life, but about what it truly means to live."
--Angela Brown, author of Olivia Strauss Is Running Out of Time

"Kenney's touching, provocative novel . . . alludes to the idea that life's richness comes from spending time with people you love, and that those relationships are built on mutual respect, truth, and love. A touching ode to the people who make life worth living."
--Kirkus Reviews

"Readers get the beauty of Thurber Award winner Kenney's writing, with descriptions of the everyday that feel like poetry. Book clubs will find much to discuss."
--Library Journal

"I See You've Called in Dead is a charmer."
--Shelf Awareness (starred review)

"If this doesn't bring a grin to your face or tears to your eyes, check your pulse."
--Booklist Audio (starred review)

"A wake up call to embrace and celebrate life, I See You've Called in Dead is replete with essential elements that make a work of fiction great: heart, humor, intelligence and emotional depth."
--BookTrib

"John Kenney's latest novel successfully walks a tightrope between dark humor and genuine warmth, and Sean Patrick Hopkins's narration provides the necessary balance."
--Audiofile

"Like Matthew Klam, Jonathan Tropper, and Nick Hornby, Kenney has perfected the comedy of the lonely middle-aged guy."
--The Washington Post

"Heartbreaking and affirming, this tender story reveals the sharp beauty of life."
--Library Journal Audio (starred review)

About the Author