An enjoyable timeloop romp with a believably horrible family and a mysterious death. It's neither long nor complicated, nor particularly literary, but it scratches a summer reading itch.

Infinite time loop is a popular Japanese trope, add a murder mystery in it and we get quite the page turner.

Turns out a time loop murder mystery makes for one interesting read; some serious, some hilarious, some heartfelt, some horrifying and all around human/ humane. At the heart of the story lies a family, their grievances, the wrongs and the rights, their problems, the love and hate, wrapping them all in this cocoon of money and love.

The Man Who Died Seven Times is as much about the man who died as it is about the man who watched the death, palpitating everyday in the time loop to restrain the murderer or murderers. Success or failure will determine the life of the man dying but the efforts that it takes to restrain the murderer are far from simple. As the story unfolds, so does the family drama. Secrets are revealed, We see everything from pillow fights to fist fights and round table meetings to dinner meetings and flicks of humor at every turn. Though the book was fun to read, my favorite part has to be the climax, the nail biting twist and the surprises that it revealed.

Warning: 1st cousin relationship. (Legal in Japan)

Way back in the 1990s there was a trend for time loop stories kicked off by Groundhog Day, a film so ubiquitous that the title entered the vernacular to refer to time loop stories. So it is perhaps no surprised that Japanese author Yasuhiko Nishizawa wrote a time loop murder mystery in 1998 called The Man Who Died Seven Times. What is more of a mystery is why it has been translated into English (by Jesse Kirkwood) more than 25 years later. Presumably this is because probably about 5 years ago we looped back into them. Books like The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton and Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Gillian Macallister and films like Edge of Tomorrow and Palm Springs and the TV series Russian Doll. With these narratives back in vogue it probably seemed timely to revisit Nishizawa's work (which is now called a "classic time loop murder mystery", presumably given its age. Unfortunately, time travel asside. that work is very much of its time.
Hisataro and his family go to visit his wealthy grandfather on New Years' Day. His mother and aunt have been estranged from their father but are now trying to get back in his good books as he decides who will inherit his multinational business. Hisataro has a secret, or a condition maybe, that he describes in excrutiating detail for the first fifth or so of the novel. That is that at random times he relives a particular day 9 times. Anything that happens in the first 8 loops is wiped away and only the ninth loop becomes the ongoing reality. None of this is ever explained except as being the "rules" of his condition which he called "The Trap". It is these rules that set the ground for the murder mystery to follow as Hisataro finds himself reliving the 2nd of January onyl to find, the second time, that his Grandfather has been killed. He then seeks to use the reiterations of this day to work out who was the murderer.
The Man Who Died Seven Times is pure puzzle box. Nishizawa sets out the rules and then has his main characters live through different iterations of the day to pick up clues in different parts of the house and grounds. There is no attempt to develop interesting or fleshout out characters, the pleasure here is purely in trying to piece together the mystery from the various clues. But it is also a book of its time with some fairly outdated attitudes and concepts (possibly even at the time) including first cousins planning to marry and have children and a nascent relationship between 16 year old Hisataro and the much older Emi (the excuse being that because he has lived so many extra days he is actually, in his mind, closer to 30).
It feels like the most recent craze for time loop puzzle narratives came and went while this book was being translated. What is more, this book is not as good as some of those cited above. It is a fun mystery story and that might be enough for some readers but with an exasperating premise is already starting to wear out its welcome on its 3rd loop.

This was a quick read ,though reality is twisted, the plot is fairly straightforward and easy to follow. The author packed the story with family drama and well-described characters. There were 9 loops repeating the same day. I felt bit bored with initial loops but again the pace picked up from 5th loop. I enjoyed the family drama . I would suggest it for all fans who enjoy the concept of time loops and mystery

I love a story that plays around with the concept of time, so when I saw the blurb for this book it looked right up my street. A mystery where the protagonist has a condition that means he experiences some days multiple times on loop, who attends an annual gathering with his family at his Grandfather's house. When his Grandfather ends up dead, and he has the opportunity to relive the day multiple times, can he instigate the change needed to keep him alive?

I got into this book very easily, however the introduction of a lot of characters as well as the explanation of the warping of time was a bit intense. Having persevered through that and settled into the rhythm of the book, I was really enjoying the mystery. It kept me gripped and I would say mostly it was an easy read, with almost a 'locked room's vibe to the mystery.

Whilst I felt the ending was a little rushed, this was overall an enjoyable read, blending a bit of low fantasy and mystery with that classic, cosy Japanese fiction vibe.

i absolutely enjoyed this whodunnit murder mystery + time traveling hybrid!!! full review to come, thank you so much for this review copy ♥️♥️♥️

I absolutely adored this.

The Man Who Died Seven Times is Groundhog Day, mixed with equal parts Arrested Development, The Butterfly Effect and Agatha Christie.

This is a cozy, twisty-turny mystery, where young Hisataro occasionally gets thrown in a loop where he lives the same day 9 times, so after learning the rules, he uses this knowledge for quite childish selfish reasons like passing the entry test for a prestigious school.

After a particularly lively new years celebration, he enters the loop and finds that his somewhat estranged grandfather has been murdered.

The main meat of this is in the second act, as there is a lot of building at the start of the book, but once you know the ground rules it’s a book you can go back again, and again to!

Interessantes Konzept, ein wenig zu langatmig für meinen Geschmack, aber ich kann mir gut vorstellen, dass es gut ankommt bei der Kundschaft.

*The Man Who Died Seven Times* by Yasuhiko Nishizawa is a delightfully intricate time-loop mystery that blends classic whodunit tropes with a surreal, almost playful structure. Set within the tense confines of a wealthy family’s estate, the story follows teenager Hisataro Fuchigami as he repeatedly relives the same New Year’s Eve—each loop offering new perspectives and deepening suspicions after the family patriarch is murdered. With each reset, layers of family dysfunction, hidden motives, and buried secrets unravel, making for a cerebral yet accessible puzzle. Nishizawa’s narrative is clever and self-aware, balancing deduction with humor and a strong sense of place.

The novel’s premise is inventive and its structure engaging. It’s a smart, often surprising mystery that dares to play with form while still delivering a satisfying game of cat and mouse.

Two of my favourite genres - classic whodunnit and sci-fi - are blended perfectly in this really fresh and clever time-travel murder mystery. The narrator of 'The Man Who Died Seven Times' is sixteen year old Hisataro, spending new year at his wealthy grandfather's house, together with his cash-strapped, feuding and greedy extended family. Every new year, the patriarch rewrites his will, but he announces this time will be the last. No surprises, he's soon been bonked over the head with a vase and everyone is a suspect.

What's unusual is Hisataro's supernatural affliction, known only to him. He frequently gets stuck in a 'time loop' where the same day repeats itself nine times before time continues as normal. While everyone else carries on in exactly the same way as in the previous 'loops', Hisataro is aware of the repetition and can choose to change his actions - and therefore potentially those of others, although he finds events will try to stick to the 'original' as much as possible. Suddenly Histaro is in a position to prevent a murder - but doing so proves surprisingly difficult. As his nine 'loops' of the same day progress, he becomes more and more concerned that he won't be able to save his grandfather when the final 'definitive' loop takes place.

The interesting thing here is that the mystery is less about who committed the crime, but about how to cheat fate itself. There are mystery elements, and a very satisfying solution in the end in case you're worried. But it's a bit out of the standard mould of crime fiction, whilst still retaining the best elements of that genre. Hisataro is a really likeable protagonist, and his relatives are suitably awful and entertaining. Nishizawa manages the inevitable repetition of someone living the same day over and over without it being boring. The writing style is really easy to read and flows well. It's witty and engaging, just what you want for a book of this style. There's also a deeper element in the way that different scenarios play out and the way the characters respond and behave in each one reveals their true natures and motivations.

I'd highly recommend this book to all fans of murder mysteries (as long as they don't completely veto anything supernatural in a story) and to fans of time travel stories. But also general readers who read across genres should put this high on their lists - it's a really good book that should have wide appeal. The good writing and originality make it a pleasure to read and should be appreciated by most book lovers I think..