I See You've Called in Dead

A Novel

By: John Kenney

Narrated by: Sean Patrick Hopkins

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

Critic reviews

“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

Religious book

This book needs a religious/christian tag. Not a great surprise to be 2+ hours in to realize the whole story is about believing in god. I would have returned it but I got it on a sale. The narrator did well.

The Right Book at the Right Time

Sometimes timing is everything for a book and its reader. This one just hit right for me. I loved the narrator, loved the characters and their relationships, and loved the message.

A delightful surprise

Well written and thought provoking without being full of itself. Relatable characters with the perfect balance of humor.

Added to my list of favorite books ever

I loved this story so much - I immediately became invested in each character as they joined the story, I laughed out loud and I cried, it was so easy to picture each character and assign a face to them - the narrator was perfect.

Started slow, but worth the listen

It took me a little while to get into the book. I didn't love the story or the narrator at first, but I'm glad I stuck with it. I laughed out loud several times, and may have shed a few tears.