I See You've Called in Dead

A Novel

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.

©2025 John Kenney (P)2025 Zibby Publishing

Reseñas de la Crítica

“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

Rich with deadpan humor

First I read the book, then I listened to it on Audible. The narrator does a fantastic job delivering author John Kenney’s one liners, one after another. It’s dry, self-deprecating humor set in New York City and Brooklyn, with an Irish twist. It wrestles with the meaning of life. It swings from humor to despair, but ends in hope. What a ride!

Fantastic story! A must...

Everyone who is depressed or wondering about life feeling monotonous should definitely read/listen to this story about dying.
There's also humor and of course tears. I'm in menopause, every day runs into the next and it's like there's nothing to look forward to until I listened to this story! I'm so grateful to have stumbled upon this.... its making me look at life in an entirely different way, a positive way!

Least likely read

It hardly seems a laughable sort of topic, but it turns out to be laughable and lovely and poignant. I loved it. Maybe you will too.

Good reminder to live your life

I loved everything about this book.
Narration was very well done and fit the story well.
You should read it!

Do not waste your opportunities of life!

The details and significance in the intricacies of living. Life is all about getting and then having to let it all go.