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..

*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.

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!