The Man Who Died Seven Times - by Yasuhiko Nishizawa (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

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 which 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 audacious inventiveness of Stuart Turton.

Review Quotes

"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

"Nishizawa mixes Groundhog Day with a classic locked-room mystery. For fans of The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton and those who enjoy some speculative elements in their crime fiction."
--Library Journal

"A metaphysical masterpiece that never hesitates to show both humor and heart"
--CrimeReads

"A murder mystery with a fun twist"
--Book Riot

"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)

About the Author

Born in 1960 in Aki, Japan, Yasuhiko Nishizawa is an award-winning author of mystery and science fiction novels. His works are part of the 'shin-honkaku' movement, which aims to preserve the puzzle-solving joy of Golden Age mystery writing while refreshing the genre with exciting, original twists. Nishizawa got the idea for The Man Who Died Seven Times after watching the movie Groundhog Day and wondering what would happen if a detective were stuck in a time loop like Bill Murray.

Jesse Kirkwood is a literary translator working from Japanese into English. The recipient of the 2020 Harvill Secker Young Translators' Prize, his translations include The Noh Mask Murder by Akimitsu Takagi (Pushkin Vertigo), The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai, Tokyo Express by Seicho Matsumoto and A Perfect Day to Be Alone by Nanae Aoyama.