I See You’ve Called in Dead by John Kenney @johnkenneywriter @seanpatrickhopkins @zibbypublishing @librofm @libro.fm #ISeeYouveCalledInDead

the setup…
Bud Stanley is stuck. He’s a middle-aged obituary writer living in Brooklyn, divorced from a woman who left him for someone unremarkable. Bud is going through the motions of life and even his writing has gone stale. One night after too much to drink, he pens his own obituary and accidentally publishes it. His newspaper wants to fire him but because their records now list him as dead, they have to wait until the system makes him “undead.” While he awaits his fate, Bud embarks on a journey with his friend, Tim and a young woman he meets at a funeral where they attend the wakes and funerals of people they don’t know…learning how to find a way to live again.

the heart of the story…
Bud has a wicked, self-deprecating wit, especially when he’s with Tim, his wheelchair-bound friend who was a former art dealer, and his acerbic colleague Tuan. But they also offer him perspective in those exchanges. As Bud immerses himself in the lives of strangers’s at their wakes, he slowly revives himself, rediscovering his own life. I was inexplicably drawn into this story, finding parallels in my own life and asking myself similar questions. Yes, it’s funny and strange but there’s sunstance to it all.

the narration…
Sean Patrick Hopkins made me believe he was Bud and captured that incredible wit. I loved his performance, funny when it was intended and tender in the right moments.

the bottom line…
There’s an eloquence in the journey, transitioning from the quick comic jabs to self reflection and awareness of the world. Bud represents everyone who’s reached a certain age and been a little broken in the process. His search for meaning touched me deeply and I loved this little gem of a story that wormed its way into my heart.

Book Info

• Release Date: April 1, 2025
• Narrator: Sean Patrick Hopkins
• Audio Length: 7 hours, 34 minutes
• Publisher: Zibby Publishing

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(Thanks to Zibby Publishing and Libro.fm for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)