“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 pe
