# I See You've Called In Dead

By John Kenney

Profile: https://hahafiction.com/books/i-see-you-ve-called-in-dead-1dc5105c/

Obituary writer Bud Stanley publishes his own obituary by drunken mistake. Already struggling after a divorce, he now has to wait while his employer decides what to do with an employee it has recorded as dead. He begins attending the funerals of strangers, looking for some direction in other people's lives.

## What makes it funny?

Before the woman arriving for their date reaches him, Bud has already imagined a marriage with her and given her the name Phoebe. He then calls his actual date by that invented name. Even the flowers get diverted: they end up with the bartender.

### The comedy at work

Bud can keep adjusting a fantasy in his head, but a real conversation gives him less room to edit. His first-person account lets readers follow the self-justifications and imagined scenarios before an embarrassing remark reveals how far he has wandered.

### Try this if…

Awkward dating and midlife self-reproach provide much of the comic company. The friendships have warmth and emotional weight, making room for readers interested in living with grief as well as laughing at social mistakes.

### Good to know

Divorce, alcohol use, funerals and bereavement are central. The blind-date excerpt also includes a suicide joke.

## What to expect

- Genre: Contemporary & literary
- On the shelf: Workplace comedy
- Kind of humor: Dark comedy · Dry wit
- The atmosphere: Warmhearted
- Format: Novel
- Audiobook: 7 hr 34 min
- Published: 2025

## A few distinguishing details

- An obituary writer accidentally declaring himself dead
- Strangers' funerals as a guide to getting on with life

## Sources & further reading

- Publisher: [Publisher](https://zibbymedia.com/products/i-see-youve-called-in-dead)
- Review: [Kirkus review](https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/john-kenney/i-see-youve-called-in-dead)
- Reading sample: [Opening excerpt](https://tertulia.com/article/i-see-youve-called-in-dead-by-john-kenney-an-excerpt)
- Library catalog: [Library audiobook](https://kdl.overdrive.com/media/11669622)