The Man Who Died Seven Times

by Yasuhiko Nishizawa, Jesse Kirkwood (Translator)

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 nine 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, and prevent it, before his time-loop ends?

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Time Travel, Japan, Mystery Thriller, Thriller, Audiobook

320 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1998

About the author

Yasuhiko Nishizawa was born in 1960 in Akashi, Japan. He studied Creative Writing in the United States, before returning to Japan and beginning to write murder mysteries while working as a university assistant and high school lecturer.

Reviews

[jo ୨୧]

I dont even know how or what to rate this because I had a good time reading it and would reccomend but also ????

[Flo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t know if this is a perfect murder mystery, but it was a fun one. I highly enjoyed it and liked that the protagonist doesn’t just try to solve the murder - he also tries to prevent it by untangling the very complicated relationships between his siblings. I also liked the sci-fi elements that explore the realities of reliving the same day. Highly recommended.

[Sarah ~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Man Who Died Seven Times - Yasuhiko Nishizawa


يتمتع بطل هذه الرواية-وهو طالب في المدرسة الثانوية ومن عائلة ممتدة وثرية، بقدرة غامضة. فبين الحين والآخر، يقع في حلقة زمنية يضطر فيها إلى إعادة عيش نفس اليوم تسع مرات. وتساعده هذه القدرة، بعد وفاة جده في ظروف غامضة في أحد الأيام...

بعودته إلى يوم الجريمة مرارًا وتكرارًا يحاول بطلنا اكتشاف الحقيقة والأسرار التي يخفيها الجميع ومع إرث مالي كبير على المحك تغدو المهمة أخطر مع كل يوم...


رواية جريمة مع نفحة خيال علمي، ممتعة وسريعة وقصيرة.. كان هناك خلل من نوع ما في النهاية-بدت معه النهاية مربكة وغريبة، لكن بالمجمل وبعد عام كانت كل قراءات الجريمة فيه مخيبة للأمل، كانت هذه الرواية نسمة خفيفة وجيدة وتعويضًا عن كل تلك الخيبات..

[Jessica Woodbury · Rating 3 out of 5]

A time loop story for fans of Japanese puzzle mysteries. This one takes some time to get going, you have to be ready for a lot of up front info dumping. But the device of the time loop itself is different than usual and Nishizawa is doing some fun things with it. (Including a clever twist that I totally did not see coming.) This is not exactly a cozy mystery, I would say it's more of a farce. Lots of characters moving in and out of scenes, doing things they are or are not supposed to do, props that should be in one place but end up in another. Certainly on the lighter side.

Once you know who everyone is and are settled this is more fun but it does take its time getting there. And, as is often the case, there is some weirdness for American readers about Japanese culture. (It's a little hard for me to tell what is garden variety misogyny in a book that is nearly 30 years old and what is cultural norms, but there are age gaps and relationships between cousins that are treated as normal.)

[Mandy White (mandylovestoread) · Rating 4 out of 5]

What fun but bonkers locked room crime thriller from Japan. This book has been translated into English for the first time for us all to enjoy.

This family is nuts! i guess money will do that to you. But no grandad is ready to step down and name his heir, and the whole family wants in. And it is not a small family. Before he can announce his decision, grandad is dead. But 16 year old Histutaro has a magical ability to live a day over and over… 9 times in fact. Talk about Groundhog Day. Each day leads to the final retelling of the date… the 9th day is the final day. So can he stop grandad from being murdered over and over again?

The ending was very clever. I had a different idea of how it would end but I so far off it isn’t funny! a quick and addictive read.

Thanks so much Pushkin Press for my early copy to read. Published in English on July 29th.

[Rachael Dux · Rating 3 out of 5]

The incest was weird lmao

[Grapie Deltaco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hey! What!! 😀☝️?

A fantastic, disorienting time loop (that clears up toward the end, thank god) and a well done series of murder mystery journeys at the heart of a truly odd family.

Everyone hates each other and is all too eager to throw random people to the wolves if it means chasing the impossible chance of a large inheritance. I’d actively be recommending this for anyone that’s a fan of Knives Out save for the prevalent incest between cousins in this story 🙂🤚

I don’t care if it’s a spoiler. You need to know that there are secret love affairs and love triangles involving first cousins before you go into this. And also too many adults have inappropriate and uncomfortable relationships with teenagers sorry.

I still rate this book highly, I just really didn’t enjoy some of these plot choices though I do recognize that many cultures around the globe don’t see relationships between cousins as taboo and I cannot speak to Japan’s general views as a culture regarding this topic as the book is translated Japanese fiction.

CW: murder, alcoholism, brief mention of suicidal ideation, mentions of grooming + inappropriate relationship between teacher & student, toxic family dynamics, incest (cousins)

[Caleb Deck · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok, this is an odd one. Originally written in 95, just translated to English this year for the first time. Between the updated publishing and slapping a fun cover on it, Ive been seeing this in bookstores lately and was very excited for a new read. Love a murder mystery, love a time looping book. Did not love this read.

The concept is awesome. The main character gets randomly caught in 9-cycle, 1-day time loops and is dealing with family drama as his estranged grandfather looks to name a new heir to his restaurant empire when he gets stuck. Only this time there’s a murder when he deviates from the original timeline.

Again, I love the idea, but there are a few hangups that made this one fall flat for me. 1. Lots of info off the top, pacing was a bit weird and you get tons of characters and background dumped at once. You do get a list of characters and family tree which helps. 2. Too many loops. I get the concept but it could have been accomplished equally with 2 less loops maybe (and like 40 fewer pages). 3. Opportunity for some amazing twists that never happened. I had at least 4 or 5 ideas throughout that seemed like great twists that just never happened at all. In the end I expected 1 or 2 more plot points and nothing really happened. 4. The ending. It stinks. It just….stops? 5. There is a lot of the plot based on cousins dating and/or considering getting married. Maybe this is a 1995 thing, maybe it’s a cultural thing? Idk it’s somewhat easy enough to ignore/pretend the families are separate, but weird nonetheless.

In all, great concept, just didn’t quite hold up to so many excellent modern mysteries.

[Jannelies (living between hope and fear) · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting but very complicated version of ‘Groundhog Day’. At the start, it’s a very readable story with interesting characters. I really liked the writing style of this author. But then, further on in the story, things get so complicated that I had to read back several times to see what was actually happening and then forward again – until it became quite tedious. For me anyway. I finished the book but not without some perseverance.

Thanks to Pushkin Vertigo and Edelweiss for this review copy.

[Siwabhorn Anothaisintawee · Rating 5 out of 5]

อธิบายให้เข้าใจยากมากเลย เอาเป็นว่าตีมเรื่องคล้าย Groundhog day หรือ Edge of Tomorrow ที่ตัวเอกจะต้องตื่นมาเจอวันซ้ำๆ เป็นลูปจนกว่าจะครบตามกำหนด ซึ่งในเรื่องนี้คือสิบครั้ง

ในแต่ละครั้งคิวทาโร่ที่เป็นตัวเอกจะค่อยๆ เรียนรู้เรื่องราวและนำมาปรับใช้จนทำให้เกิดเหตุการณ์ที่สมบูรณ์แบบในลูปสุดท้าย

ในเล่มนี้คือลูปที่เกิดตอนที่คุณตาชิงเด๊ดสะมอเร่ไปก่อนการประกาศชื่อทายาทที่จะได้รับมรดกมูลค่ามหาศาล คิวทาโร่จึงต้องใช้ความสามารถพิเศษสืบหาความเกี่ยวข้องเชื่อมโยง เพื่อป้องกันไม่ให้คุณตาต้องตาย

อ่านช้าอีกแล้ว ไม่ใช่ไม่สนุกนะ แต่ไปเที่ยวไต้หวันมา 😅 ติดหนังสือเล่มนี้ไปด้วย แต่อ่านได้คืนเดียว ที่เหลือเที่ยวจนกลับมาที่พักก็สลบ

เล่าเรื่องสนุกชวนติดตาม ตอนท้ายจบแบบจะมีต่อ เหมือนหนังบางเรื่องที่ค้างปมไว้ ถ้ายอดขายดีก็สร้างต่อ

เล่มนี้เราว่าดี จนต้องแอบไปดูรายชื่อหนังสือของนักเขียนว่าจะมีภาคสองไหม แต่เดายากมาก เพราะอากู๋แปลชื่อเรื่องออกมางงๆ

เอาเป็นว่าแนะนำให้อ่านกัน ถึงแม้จะเรียกไม่ได้ว่าโคตรพีค แต่ก็ดีจนไม่คิดว่าเสียเวลาอ่านทำไม

Goodreads ให้ 4 เราให้ 4.8

[Abby Rogish Bodin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Pushkin Press for an advanced copy!

I am not 100% sure what I just read. The plot seems very convoluted and it was difficult to stay caught up to what was happening. Also not a fan of the fact that cousins were trying to hook up with each other and everyone seemed okay with it?
I was looking forward to a mystery but it seemed like Hisataro did everything BUT spend time with his grandpa to try to make sure he didn't die. Also WHY IS IT OKAY TO HIT ON MINORS???

[Quill&Queer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I get it, I wouldn't want to spend all day drinking sake with my grandfather either. The ending made little sense to me, there was a chapter thrown in where I felt the person Hisataro was talking to was very blatantly lying to him was lying to cover up something, but went no further.

[Pawarut Jongsirirag · Rating 2 out of 5]

นอก��ากชายในเรื่องจะตาย 7 ครั้งเเล้ว คนอ่านอย่างผมนี่ก็ตายไป 7 รอบเท่ากับตัวละครด้วยเลย

พล็อตเรื่องง่ายๆคือนึกถึงเรื่อง knives out ที่ไม่มีนักสืบกวนๆมาไขคดี มีแต่เด็ก ม.ปลายที่มีพลังย้อนเวลาวนลูปเข้ามาช่วยไขคดี (มั้ง) แทน

พล็อตเรื่องเนี่ยโอเค แย่งสมบัติกันในตระกูล อันนี้ผ่าน

พลังพระเอก ย้อนเวลาแบบสุ่มนะครับ เลือกช่วงเวลาไม่ได้ ซึ่งก็ดันมาสุ่มตอนคุณปู่ตายพอดี แถมสุ่มว่าหนักแล้ว ดันบังคับต้องย้อนทั้งหมด 9 รอบด้วย อ่านวนกันไป เอ้า อันนี้ให้ผ่าน

แต่หลังจากนี้ไม่มีอะไรผ่านเลย

ไม่ผ่านอันแรก คือ ตัวเอกของเราคิดอะไรแปลกๆ ประมาณว่าทางแก้ง่ายๆที่เห็นชัดเจนไม่ทำ ไปทำอะไรก็ไม่รู้ให้มันยากเข้าไว้ ถึงแม้จะเข้าใจว่ามีโอกาสลองผิดถูกถึง 8 ครั้งก็ตาม และพระเอกก็เป็นแค่เด็ก ม.ปลายทั่วไป แต่พี่ก็ควรฉลาดกว่านี้หน่อยไหมอะ เกริ่นมาแต่แรกว่าย้อนเวลมาหลายรอบแล้ว อายุอานามก็แก่กว่ารุ่นเดียวกันไปไกลเลยนะ ถ้านับจากจำนวนเวลาที่มีชีวิต แต่ คือ พี่ออกแนวคิดอะไรง่ายๆไปหมดอะครับ ซึ่งความไม่ฉลาดของพระเอกนี่แหละครับ เลยทำให้นิยายเรื่องนี้ยาว 300 กว่าหน้า ทั้งที่จริงแล้วจบได้ใน 100 หน้าด้วยซ้ำ - เจองี้ ผมตายไป 2 รอบพร้อมกับพระเอกเลยแบบเอาผมออกไปจากลูปนี้

ไม่ผ่านสอง คือ เนื้อเรื่องไม่สมเหตุสมผลเท่าไหร่ครับ บทจะมีก็มี บทจะไม่มีก็ไม่มี เหมือนเห็นว่าลูปนี้ไม่ค่อยมีไรเลยวะ งั้นใส่อะไรซักอย่างให้มันมีประเด็นละกัน เอาวะ ซับซ้อนละ พอใจ จบลูป หรือบางลูปบางปมก็ น่าสนใจจะขยายต่อนะ ก็ไม่เอาอะ เดี๊ยวยาว ทิ้งไปเลยละกัน ผ่าม จบ แบบอะไรว้าาาาาาาาาาาาาา ยิ่งตอนช่วงเฉลยปมทุกอย่างนี่ยิ่งไปกันใหญ่เลย อยู่ดีๆก็เข้าใจทุกอย่างง่ายดายกันหมดซะอย่างงั้น แถมสร้างปมตลกๆและคลายปมแบบอิหยังผสมอีก อ่านแล้ว พาผมไปวนลูปกับพี่ด้วยคนได้มั้ยครับ น่าจะบันเทิงกว่าอ่านเรื่องของพี่นะ - อันนี้ให้ตายอีก 7 รอบเลย แบบหนักหนามากกับความไม่สมเหตุสมผลที่โผล่มาทุกช่วงของเรื่องเลย

แต่ๆๆๆๆๆๆๆๆๆๆๆๆๆ

หากคิดว่าเรื่องนี้เขียนขึ้นมาในปี 1998 ก็ต้องยอมรับว่ามันก็ล้ำเกินหน้าเพื่อนอยู่แหละครับ ด้วยพล็อตที่น่าสนใจมากกับตัวเอกที่ย้อนเวลาได้ในคดีฆาตกรรม ซึ่งไม่เคยเห็นมาก่อน มันก็ทำให้เราเอนจอยในการอ่านได้บ้างว่าตัวเอกของเราจะทำอะไรในแต่ละลูปเพื่อแก้ปัญหาที่เกิดขึ้น (แม้มันจะอิหยังวะก็ตาม)

สุดท้ายเเล้วถ้าใครสงสัยว่า เฮ้ยมันขนาดนั้นเลยเหรอ ก็ต้องลองไปอ่านดูครับว่าจะได้ตายครบเหมือนตัวเอกแบบผมมั้ย กลัวแค่ว่าจะตายเกินกว่าพระเอกแค่นั้นแหละครับ (ผ่ามๆๆๆ)

[Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read as an ARC on behalf of Station Books.

I am a huge, huge fan of the genre-hybrid murder mystery. Stuart Turton practically has a restraining order against me. (Just kidding, but I AM his biggest fan). I'm also very fond of Japanese literature and time loops in general.

Did someone design this book especially for me?

Probably not, seeing as it was written 30 years ago and has only now been translated!

This was billed as Knives Out meets Groundhog Day, and I'd say that was a fairly accurate description.

An extremely dysfunctional family get together at New Year just in time for Grandfather to make a new will. Unfortunately, he gets bumped off before he's able to announce who gets the inheritance.

Luckily, our narrator, Hisataro, is afflicted by a time loop condition, where every now and again, he has to live the same day 9 times. Will he be able to save Grandfather from getting murdered?

As the day repeats, it looks increasingly less likely. In fact, it's fair to say things just keep getting worse!

And it's pretty funny.

The Man who Died Seven Times was so moreish and entertaining. I absolutely inhaled it. At a time where I've been struggling to finish books, this really is a testimony to its readability.

There are drama and secrets galore! An eccentric cast of characters adds to the fun.

It would have been a solid 5 star read if only the ending had been better than the one I had in mind.

I thought I had it all wrapped up. What had been happening, WHY it had been happening, HOW it would all be discovered... I had an exciting denouement all figured out.

I was wrong... which would have been fine if the twists had been better than what I'd thought up.

So it fizzled a little at the end, but I still had a blast, and if you're as fond of genre mash-up mysteries as I am - get yourself a copy!

[Bella Azam · Rating 4 out of 5]

what a devilishly twisted time loop mystery this is and I enjoyed every single thing about this. its highly detailed of how the time loop worked but also very entertaining to read. Time, space continuum are something thats hard to grasp to be honest, with this kind of time loop for nine times can be confusing if not done well but this book managed to bring lots of questions & inconsistencies raised by our protagonist and give a pretty believeable answers and conjectures. I love how funny this was because with each time loop, Hisataro tried to tweak some changes and each actions gave to slight alter consequences but eventually the final conclusion is still the grandfather died. with each time reset, he has to try every single possibilty to ensure the grandfather is alive and breathing by the end of the day.

Hisataro or his family tend to call him Kyutaro has this condition where he sometimes will repeat a day 9 times or what he called the time loop. Repeating a day can be fun if he tried to alter the event slightly like answering an exam or playing a game with his family member. The last 9th loop will be the determined event for the actual day so Kyutaro always tried to stick to the original timeline so when his grandfather was found dead after New Year, this time, he is stuck in the loop repeating 2nd January all over again. His family is in the feud of fighting for the succession or inheritance of the Fuchigami's fortune so the family will commune in the mansion every New Year wearing the assigned colored tracksuit & tried their best to appease the grandfather to choose an heir

I love when a story have a messy family dynamics especially those who are fighting for money & this book showcased how desperate this people can be. Both Kyutaro's mother & aunt whom left their father & sister after marrying suddenly came back to the estranged family when their dead beat father unexpectedly become wealthy by luck. The fights for heirship was astoundingly funny added on top of the time loop repeating as Kyutaro tried to ensure his grandfather is kept alive by the end but somehow he always ends up dead. There are suspicions of murder, with him trying to keep the so murderers away from the grandfather but fate keeps on having its way. This was twisted and so fun to read since each loop produced alteration in events & secret kept being revealed while others dont have memories of them, Kyutaro has the advantage of utilising the facts. The conclusion was pretty brilliant too as we get a shocking twist & I enjoyed this one a lot

Thank you to DefinitelyBooks for the review copy

[Frank Chillura (OhYouRead) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Knives Out, but again and again… sorta.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

First published in Japan in 1995, it seems The Man Who Died Seven Times has only just been translated into English. It is a farcical time loop murder mystery. The teenage protagonist, Hisataro, regularly gets caught up in 'the trap', during which the same day repeats nine times. He has no idea why this happens and doesn't mention it to anyone else. (I did wonder if it might run in the family.) As the novel opens, he and his fractious family are visiting his grandfather for a new year celebration. All of them except Hisataro are very concerned about who this elderly, wealthy, and hard-drinking grandfather will choose as his heir. A sudden unexplained death coincides with an attack of the time loops for Hisataro, who has a stressful time trying to uncover what the heck is going on and save his grandfather's life.

I found the long-suffering and hapless Hisataro an amusing protagonist. Despite his apparently uncontrollable superpower, he seems the calmest and most boring person in his family. His mother and aunt are constantly at each other's throats, while his brothers and cousins veer between love and hate. I love a time loop story and this one was both neatly structured and well-paced. The protagonist and reader both know how many loops there will be, but Hisataro is alarmed by events varying unexpectedly each time. There are two fun twists at the end, which I definitely enjoyed. I found the romantic elements rather ridiculous, but the mystery proved compelling and many scenes were very funny. The Man Who Died Seven Times distinctly reminded me of The Tatami Galaxy and The Tatami Time Machine Blues by Tomihiko Morimi. The chaotic student setting of the tatami novels is more entertaining, but the plot of The Man Who Died Seven Times is more ingenious and compelling. All three novels are diverting reads that I recommend to anyone who likes it when time goes a bit weird.

[Jacob Messineo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read it quick and the mystery itself was interesting (payoff not as much) so that’s really helping it.

A bit of a frustrating book/protagonist. He takes no agency or shows any moral effects from anything learned. Could see it being twisted as a critical commentary on the wealthy, but never felt that way from language/tone. Ultimately think there was a better book hidden in this.

[Ajax Dishsoap :) · Rating 1 out of 5]

this book had an interesting premise, being that it was a murder mystery set within a time loop. the writing was easy and straight forward, hardly bothering to be lyrical outside of the prologue, so the main draw to the book was the plot.

and ohh man the plot...

basically, the driving conflict is the question of who in this estranged family will receive the moderately wealthy grandfather's estate. presumably, this is what leads to each murder in question.

but rather than directly focusing on the murders nor the dynamics between family members, the book is weirdly fixated on romance.

said romances occur in the midst of a family gathering between the main character, a 16 year old boy and the 20-something maid of the house, and two first cousins.

the first cousins in question are adults, so their actions can't be blamed on the impulsive behaviors of hormonal teenagers-- and no one in the family sees this affair as any sort of issue-- even seeing it as some kind of advantage that could unite both families and ensure both of the grandfather's daughters receive money from their children's union. this view is only questioned by one character in the narrative-- the younger sister of the involved cousin, who is simply jealous because she too had a thing for her cousin. otherwise, the obvious incest is not questioned at all-- even encouraged by the characters of this book.

as for the second romance, the main character has a crush on the maid. we are not told why he likes her-- only that he for some reason thinks fondly of her and is madly in love with her? for a 16 year old boy, i can understand that irrational line of thought, but then the maid too returns these feelings? her reasoning for this is since the boy lives through all these time loops, he's mentally older beyond his years. and so they get together, and this is meant to be seen as a positive, happy ending for these characters. literal pedophilia, but at least it isnt incest?

it also becomes clear that the grandfather had never been murdered (aside from one timeline, potentially), but he instead died of natural causes. and so this death was inevitable, right? this book is a commentary on how some things in life can't be helped, right? no, the main character convinces grandpa to stop drinking and then he's fine. every single chance this book had of building up to something interesting was dropped, just like grandpa when he fell down the stairs.

and then this book has the fucking nerve to add a 5 page long epilogue, describing major events in just summarizing sentences and ending off with something to the lines of: 'but matters like these dont even bear being thought of' in regards to the future of these characters.

im sorry, YOU made me read this nearly 300 page book-- was this meant to be an exercise in nihilism? because my time certainly didn't seem to matter to this book.

[Hana · Rating 3 out of 5]

that was exhausting

[Vance Miguel Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow! Does this book reek of the 80s. There’s so much fun, quip-y-ness, and the fourth wall breaking which can be enjoyable sometimes. However, the family decisions can literally only be stomachable for a modern reader of today if viewed through the perspective that it is all some giant absurd comedy. A story where the reader must assume that all the characters are unintelligent, morally, lacking, and prone to rash behavior. If that stance is taken on, then the story is enjoyable. In response to the extremely shallow women in the story, I respond that every man was also written extremely shallow. So take that as you will. However, that is quite a bit of individual perspective adjustment from the reader for the book to be considered good. I definitely enjoyed some parts, however, the parts I enjoyed most ended up being fizzled away after the potential twist they had set up, turned out to be something less exciting. If I were to recommend this to somebody, I would offer it as something to read extremely fast without worrying about skimming, and for someone, looking for an absolute drama filled roller coaster for the sake of the drama. It’s like Ferris Bueller’s’s Day Off was combined with a Shakespearean play or Greek tragedy, except all told by a fourteen year old. If you’re into this sort of thing, it’s your own fault.

[Laura (thenerdygnomelife) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Man Who Died Seven Times" is a clever, cozy mash-up of mystery and speculative invention. Hisataro is a high schooler with a unique quirk: every so often, he's fated to repeat the same day eight times over, with the opportunity to change his actions each time. He never knows when these time loops are coming, but — as luck would have it — one strikes on the same day that his grandfather dies. Suspecting that he was murdered, Hisataro sets out each day to investigate his grandfather’s death in a desperate attempt to prevent it.

I found the book enjoyable and absolutely loved the central premise. Nishizawa’s concept is inventive and consistently charming. That said, I did find myself getting a little tripped up in understanding the time jumps, which got a bit convoluted at the end. I also wished for deeper character development to better understand the motives of all the other characters, as they lobby to inherit the family business. Still, the tone, pacing, and light humor of this book all work together to make this an engaging read.

I highly recommend this for readers who enjoy cozy mysteries with a speculative twist, especially those who want a playful, brainy puzzle more than a character-driven epic, or those who want to dip their toes into the scifi genre without needing to go deep into outer space. Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Yasuhiko Nishizawa for an advance copy for honest review.

[Stacia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I saw a mention of this being a mix of Groundhog Day with Knives Out. And while that feels somewhat true, it's also not quite as zingy as you might expect if that were the combo. This book was originally from 30 years ago but was translated into English this past year. Its age does show a little bit, there is also a bit of info dumping early on (to explain the entire time-loop phenomena). Still, I enjoyed it & it's a perfect new year's book since the storyline also takes place during the first couple of days of January.

[Esha Tujjohora · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was such a fun ride!

A classic Japanese murder mystery with a time loop twist...what more could I ask for? I loved how it mixed family drama, inheritance issues, and a messy whodunit into one clever story. The concept of the same man dying again and again while secrets slowly unfold was honestly such a dopamine boost...! I especially loved how the time loop concept was handled. It wasn’t just a gimmick…it played a central role in how the story developed, revealing secrets, motives, and relationships in a layered way.

That said, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a tiny bit discontent towards the end. Some parts felt overly explained, a little repetitive and I couldn’t help but think it could’ve been a bit tighter or shorter. But that didn’t take away from the fact that I had a genuinely great time with this book. Sometimes stories are just meant to be enjoyed for the wild ride they offer...and this one definitely delivered.

Huge thanks to the publishers... Pushkin Press, Pushkin Vertigo, Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for both the ARC and the ALC…! So glad I got the chance to read and listen to this at the same time...!

4.25 stars!

#TheManWhoDiedSevenTimes #NetGalley

[a Cat a Box · Rating 5 out of 5]

สุดยอดเหนือความคาดหมายมาก ๆ

เป็นหนังสือที่สนุกตั้งแต่ต้นเรื่องยันจบเรื่องเลย ลุ้นจนตัวโก่งในทุกหน้า มีความตลกขบขัน มีความน้ำเน่าเป็นรสปรุงแต่ง หักมุมแบบร้องโอ้โห

ก่อนเกือบจะจบ ยังมีจิ๊กซอว์บางตัวที่ผมคิดว่า เอ อันนี้หายไปนะ อันนี้ไม่สมบูรณ์ แต่พออ่านจบ ทุกอย่างลงตัว ลงล็อค สมเหตุสมผล จนรู้สึกชื่นชมคนเขียนมาก เป็นนิยายที่โคตรเท่เลยว่ะ

[Liza · Rating 2 out of 5]

Only reason this book is two stars and not one is because of the beautiful book cover and for the only funny and likable character in this whole book: Hisataro. Poor kid needs to get the hell away from his cursed family

[Ange ⚕ angethology · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The fact is that, within the Trap at least, I'm the one in charge — the 'game master' steering the course of events. That's what makes it so terrifying."

[3.5 stars] This is kind of like the book version of the "Happy Death Day" (2017) film. 16-year-old Hisataro (called Kyutaro by his family) sometimes falls into an unexpected time loop where he has to relive the same day 9 times. This can obviously be an advantage as he can change the course of events without real consequences until the final loop, but most of the time it feels tedious as nothing special happens and he has to relive that multiple times. However for once, this ability can be a matter of life or death, as he attempts to find out what and who is behind his grandfather's death.

With everyone scrambling for the inheritance, Hisataro can't really trust anyone, and every day of the time loop he learns something new while simultaneously finding a way to prevent his grandfather's death. This crime mystery serves a platter of melodrama, showing how selfish most family members are, and all their grievances that go way back. It's sometimes funny and the writing conveys the dynamics of the family quite well, especially since the timeline and characters are a lot to wrap your head around.

The chapters are also divided into each day of the time loop which makes it easier to keep track of the days and what exactly happened. I appreciate that Hisataro summarizes the timeline without overdoing it, but I do feel like that there was incessant repetition about the basic mechanics of the time loop. We already know how it works and the potential high stakes of it, and reiterating that over and over serves the same redundancy that uneventful time loops do. There's also that weird incest situation romance which was a little off-putting, although that's something you need to take into account due to the time period it was written in.

Regardless, the novel results in a super engaging murder mystery that puts your brain to work. I particularly love the ending and revelation, and the somewhat complicated conclusion works cohesively with the rest of the book. Would recommend!

Thank you Pushkin Press and NetGalley for the arc. All opinions are my own.

[hans · Rating 4 out of 5]

I go spiral trying to catch up on ‘the trap’ and its loop but it was so thrillingly plotted that I get hooked instantly with Hisataro’s adventure. A neat, descriptive murder mystery with a time travelling sort of plot following Hisataro who needs to live on the loop for at least 9 times before his day could go back to normal. It was a boring repetitive adventure thus far to him but this New Year’s gathering at grandfather’s mansion has turned dramatic when he wakes up on the 2nd day of 2nd January just to get stunned later when his grandfather; Reijiro Fuchigami, the chairman of the Edge Restaurant Group is found dead.

Loved how Hisataro narrating his POV throughout the 9 loops trying to avoid as much as unwelcomed incidents just to save his grandfather yet he failed miserably when a new suspect appeared everytime that grandfather will always found dead at the end before the day gets reset; “Life has a habit of tripping you up… if I managed to prevent one murderer from approaching the old house, another would spring up in their place and successfully carry out the crime.”

From illicit love affairs to jealousy rivalries and inheritance fights, the motive getting deeper and darker it turns so cunning and wickedly exhilarating— I should have trust my hunch after reading Reijiro’s diary and taking note on the hints but couldn’t unfold the tricks until Emi came out with her conclusion in chapter 14 that the twist really got me surprised as much as Hisataro.

A fun murder(?) and whodunnit mystery all and all, the characters too were all crafted so engagingly inviting that I was curious about everyone even until to that last mess. Kind of love the ending; the chaos was expected, the panic was understandable and I liked how ‘the trap’ still being as mysterious and surreal until to that very last chapter. 4.2/5*

**Thank you Pansing Distribution for the gifted review copy!

[akacya ❦ · Rating 4 out of 5]

2025 reads: 288/300

i received a complimentary audio copy as part of libro.fm’s influencer program. i am leaving this review voluntarily.

content warnings: toxic family dynamics, murder, incest (first cousins), adult/minor relationship, sexism

hisataro, a young member of the wealthy fuchigami family, has a mysterious ability. every now and then, he will unwillingly relive the same day nine times. this “gift” has always been a bother to him, but suddenly becomes useful when he relives the day his grandfather dies. now, he can use his gift to attempt to solve his grandfather’s murder before the loop ends.

this book reminded me a bit of the 7 1/2 deaths of evelyn hardcastle, which i read (and enjoyed!) many years ago. time loops do tend to frustrate me, but they still are pretty fun to read about, especially in mystery novels. in a family full of cutthroat overachievers, hisataro was an interesting main character, just wanting everyone to get along, not even wanting to enter the running to inherit his grandfather’s empire. of course, this made him the perfect person to investigate—and try to prevent—his grandfather’s death.

narration: kaipo schwab did a lovely job narrating this audiobook. mystery novels on audio can be hit or miss for me, but i found this one easy to follow along with!

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a total sucker for time loop mysteries, so I really loved this book. Hisataro is a high school student who sometimes, without warning, falls into the Trap: he is doomed to repeat the same day nine times. Each New Year, his family is summoned to his wealthy and capricious grandfather's home. His grandfather announces that he's writing his will and leaving his entire fortune to only one of his grandchildren, cutting everyone else out—which is tough, because his sons-in-law just lost their jobs and their families are on the brink of financial ruin. Tensions obviously run high, and the grandfather is murdered right when Hisataro falls into the Trap, giving him nine days to investigate. Great stuff!

Of course, the biggest problem with this book is that everyone is in love with their first cousin (??). (This doesn't raise eyebrows in 1990s Japan?!) Also, a woman who is at least 25 decides she's in love with a sixteen-year-old high school student after spending a total of 24 hours with him, which might be even worse because at least the cousinly love is a plot point. But if you can enjoy the book for what it is, it's very fun, and it has a twist that I didn't guess and thought was quite clever. If you liked The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, you'll like this too.

Some very brief thoughts: I loved that the grandfather dies because he's drinking himself to death, no matter what, and everyone simply tries to cover it up. I also liked the tracksuits and the reveal that the grandfather ruined both of the husbands. I yearn to be an important, catty businessman who writes diaries about my diabolical plots. I am being 100% sincere here. This stuff is amazing. I love watching it all click together and I love that Hisataro dies in one of the loops. He may say he's thirty in his mind, but he's definitely dumb, and I love that for him.

Do you have a time loop mystery for me? It's basically the only book I want to read. Please send yours!