I REALLY wanted to love this book. The premies of an assisted suicide going wrong really stuck me as being something that would be really gritty. However I felt the writing was clunky and the story didn't make sense a lot of the time. I think this tried to hard to have lots of twists and just fell flat for me (I did however love Felix, I would read a whole book about him)

Another great novel from Belinda Bauer. Fantastic storyline throughout. Loved the relationships that Felix built up and was rooting for him to find all the answers

How lucky was I to get an advance copy of this book? Since there are no more Belinda Bauer books out there that I haven't read, because I devoured each and every one, from Blacklands, through Rubbernecker, The Shut Eye, The Facts of Life and Death, The Beautiful Dead - and those are just the ones I remember offhand. Oh and the unforgettable Snap! about the three children in the car - how could I forget?
So it is fair to say that Belinda Bauer is one of my favourite authors. There is always mystery, suspense, and the best of all - surprise. After all those titles, you'd be forgiven for thinking that I cannot be surprised and intrigued anymore. You'd be wrong about that.
Exit is a book that should not be mentioned in too much detail before reading. The less you know, the better. So if you've read my reviews before, and you trust me, just go and get it and lose yourself for a day or two.
Oh, you're still here. Well then, what you need to know is that Felix needs to keep a dying man company and he arrives at his house to do just that, and next thing he is on the run, hoping not to be accused of a heinous crime.
It's full of humour, suspense, quirky characters, and it is written in such an engaging, original style. If this is your first Belinda Bauer, I'm a little jealous - you are in for such a treat! Oh I should mention - some of her novels are a little dark. For me that just makes them better, and this one is less shadowy than some of her others, but do be warned.
5 stars to a lovable cast, a pacy plot and a package that always impresses.

I love Belinda Bauer books and believe I am very late to the party reading them.
I apologise it has taken me so long to review this but I have only just read it having only just got back some time to read more.
This book is brilliant, really well written, good story which kept me interested from the beginning. Great characters which are also believable.
I found myself second guessing all the way through.
I really would like to read Belinda's next book.

Felix Pink is an Exiteer. He supports terminally ill people as they die with dignity. He takes care of the administration, but for legal reasons he never plays a part in the death itself.

But then Felix takes on an appointment in Bideford… Accompanied by Amanda, a new and young Exiteer, things take an unfortunate turn. Their roles as observers is compromised and the outcome is unexpected. But what, exactly, happened.

Unusually for a crime novel, the real intrigue is in exactly what crime has been committed. The Exiteers operated with waivers and followed clear procedures. The terminally ill clients were all willing participants in their own deaths. The volunteers were all blameless individuals with no hint of a criminal past…

This noir little novel intertwines the lives of the police, the Exiteers, the family visited by Felix and Amanda, and the clientele of a local bookmakers. This is used to create a claustrophobic set of inter-relationships that nobody seems too keen to unravel. There are twists and turns – someone is playing everyone off against one another, and Belinda Bauer does a great job in passing suspicion from one character to another and back again. If I have one quibble it is that I never quite bought the ending. There was one improbability too much for me.

Having said that, it was an interesting meander through the ethics of assisted suicide and euthanasia. There were some interesting character studies – Felix had a naïve charm about him – and the depiction of a small town was well done.

Felix is a retired widower, leading a quiet life in Devon with his little dog Mabel. He does volunteer work with a group called the ‘the Exiteers’ who, whilst staying within the confines of the law, support people are terminally ill and who want an end to their suffering on their own terms. They just don’t want to be on their own right at the end. We first meet Felix as he meets up with Amanda, a new and surprisingly young addition to the group, to help an elderly man called Charles Cann die with dignity. Only once they have let themselves into the house and located Charles in his bedroom, Amanda breaks one of the cardinal rules and helps the man instead of just sitting quietly. Felix will have to have a word with her later about that. Unfortunately things take a dark turn when it transpires that there were actually two elderly men in that house, and the wrong one died!! There then ensues a wonderful series of events that impact in turn on each other, as an anonymous tip off to police sees Felix climbing fences and trees and fleeing from the police to check on Mabel before determining to hand himself in. We meet young PC Calvin Bridge, a lovely character but whose nefarious family are holding back his career, and his partner and boss, DCI Kirsty King. The story takes us through a host of quirky and eccentric characters, all beautifully drawn and easy to picture, with a few surprises along the way for the reader until it reaches an eminently satisfying ending.
I adored this book, bursting with lovely memorable characters, such as Felix and Calvin. The whole subject matter of end of life is dealt with carefully and sensitively. There is a wonderful dark comic streak that runs throughout and gave me many a chuckle, especially that parrot!! The narration perfectly compliments the story telling and this is one book I will definitely listen to more than once!

I love this author and always look forward to reading her new books. A definite favourite of our contemporary thriller writers.

Although this wasn't the most plausible of stories, it was brought to life by some great characters and the use of dark humour throughout.

Our hero Felix Pink helps people who wish to end their lives, and he has his own sad reasons for doing so. But when something goes very wrong, he finds himself in a spot of bother...

I enjoyed the different points of view in the book, and there are lots of twists and turns - some less believable than others.

But it is Felix who makes the book for me - he is a great character and it is also nice to see a strong older character in a novel - he gets into all sorts of scrapes despite his dodgy hip and advanced years. The ending was perfect :-)

A really fun and unique read.

This was a mishmash of thriller and funny in parts too, dark humour, I thought it was a fantastic book and devoured it whole 😂 really enjoyed it and will read more from Belinda if the rest are anything like this one!

Felix Pink works for a company called Exiteers who help terminally ill people end their lives at home safely and painlessly. However, he goes to a job with newbie Amanda and things go horribly wrong. They let themselves into 3 Back Lane and soon find themselves in a sticky situation so the police are called in. DCI Kirsty King and DC Calvin Bridge take on the case as Felix feels forced to run. Racked with guilt he wants to confess his involvement but he has to consider his scruffy dog, Mabel and his responsibilities towards Amanda.

This was an excellent, darkly plotted novel from Belinda Bauer and I relished every moment of it. Her characterisation is second-to-none and I loved the compassionate, amusing, seventy-five-year-old widower Felix. DC Calvin Bridge is in charge of the investigation into this catastrophe, and even he is charmed by Felix. I loved the camaraderie between the police officers at their headquarters which elevated the story from what might have been a depressing tale.

Exit is certainly a very different read but in a good way. I was equally invested in trying to figure out the mystery, but I was also looking forward to the next quip or comedic moment. A totally enjoyable heartwarming and twisty novel that I recommend to everyone.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Random House UK, Transworld Publishers/ Bantam Press via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Exit is the new novel by Belinda Bauer and it’s full of mystery and twists and it focuses on the theme of euthanasia and loss.

Seventy-five-year-old Felix has known his own share of suffering, loss, and grief in his life and now, a pensioner, he is an Exiteer and he helps others to end their own suffering. Who are the Exiteers? They assist people to die when they choose to end their agony due to a terminal illness, all within the limits of legality. Felix has kept company to many people during their last moments and, in his latest assignment in Number 3 Black Lane, he is accompanied by twenty-three-year-old Amanda. Everything seems to go as smoothly as usual until something goes very wrong and the police declares the death a murder and Felix is on the run.

The two main protagonists of the novel are Felix and detective Calvin Bridge. I adored the character of sweet and kind-hearted Felix who just wants to do the right thing. He is still facing his painful past and I really felt for him. While he tries to figure out what went wrong in Number 3 Black Lane, the police is also investigating led by detective Calvin Bridge. He is also an interesting and favorite character and I enjoyed his easy relationship with his colleagues and I liked how he develops throughout the novel.

Exit is not a fast-paced thriller, but the suspense is high and there is a lot of humor and wit. Brilliantly-written and with a clever and entertaining plot, this is another gripping and dark novel by one of my favourite crime authors and I highly recommend all crime fans – and not – to not miss it!

This is a light hearted, heart warming and at times hilarious book.

75 year old Felix lost his wife to a dreadful disease where he had to watch her die slowly. He is now living alone with his dog, Mabel. He hasn’t any friends as they seemed to disappear when his wife died. He decides he wants to be there for others who wish to end their life due to a serious illness. He becomes an Exiteer. He has watched a number of people die. His job is just to be there for company at the end. He is not allowed to assist them in any way.

Known as John to the other Exiteersto hide his real name, he is sent on a job with a new Exiteer Amanda, a young twenty something who joined the team after her grandmother died. They attend a house and sit with a man who has requested their assistance. After he has died, they hear movement in the house and realise they have made a dreadful mistake. The wrong man has died. They hear a police siren getting closer to the house and think they will be caught.

Calvin is one of the police officers called to the scene. A neighbour has reported intruders at the property. He searches the property for the reported intruders but finds the body and a murder enquiry begins.

The relationship between Calvin and one of his colleagues is a hoot as they try to beat each other to the ‘worst day’ and the ‘worst job’. Calvin also has a hilarious relationship with the vending machine which often refuses to vend!

We follow Felix in his quest to right his wrong and Calvin as he and his colleagues investigate the death.

Look out for the parrot it had me in stitches!

A very solid 5 stars from me and a huge thank you to the author, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and NetGalley for a review copy of the book. I will be highly recommending it and look forward to reading more from Belinda Bauer.

A murder mystery, with a sense of humour! I really enjoyed this book!

Felix Pink is in his 70's and lives alone, having lost his wife and son. To keep himself occupied and useful, he works as an Exiteer, helping people to end their lives with dignity; keeping them company while they take their last breath, at their own hands.

His latest job though goes wrong!! He is now on the run for murder, but it was just a mistake! How can he live with this, should he hand himself in, is his memory playing tricks on him, was that what really happened?

As you may expect, there is more to this and he needs to find out exactly what happened, before he is arrested but also to give himself peace of mind or is he just loosing it!

This book is funny, whilst still delivering a serious subject.

Give it a go, I gave it 5 stars

Septuagenarian Felix Pink is just your average pensioner wearing a beige jacket who sits compassionately waiting whilst some very sick people take their dying breaths. He's not by their side to help their demise in any way but when the sad affair is over, Felix calmly packs away the detritus of his presence and steals away never to be seen again, that is, until one day when it all goes horribly wrong.

It's been a while since I read a crime thriller which made me laugh out loud but from the moment I met Felix I knew that he was going to fully occupy my thoughts for the time it took to read this excellent story. Felix so just inoffensively ordinary that you can't help but love him and that's where the absolute strength of this story lies in that everyone is just so ordinary, and yet the author brings out all the subtle nuances of their quirky personalities with a delicious sense of mischief, and a real talent for making the ordinary become absolutely extraordinary.

Belinda Bauer shows that it is perfectly possible to juggle both humour and tragedy and still write a daring crime story. There's a lightness of touch throughout which allows the really dark moments in Exit to have the desired impact whilst at the same time softening the blow with something deliciously daft which makes you laugh out loud. I thought I knew where the story was heading but I really didn't and I loved it all the more because I didn't see what was coming.

Reading Exit over the past few days has been a real delight which is why I have no hesitation in making it my Featured Book of the Month for February.

Super thriller! Felix is an exiteer, someone who supports a person who is ready to end their own life. A tricky legal minefield to navigate but he thinks he understands the limits. All that is fine until the wrong man dies. Thoroughly enjoyable read that I tore through. Belinda Bauer is building an impressive canon, this is a little different to the preceding books (in a good way) and marks her out as an author to follow. Highly Recommended.

EXCERPT: In the front bedroom an old man was leaning out of a bed by the window, trying to reach a walking stick that had apparently fallen on to the wooden floor. He propped himself on an elbow, glared at Felix and grumbled:
'You took your time!'

Felix froze.

Took in the gaunt grey face, the frail body, the bedside table filled with pills . . .

Then he stepped backwards out of the room and pulled the door smartly shut behind him.

Amanda was at his shoulder now. 'What is it?' she said, but Felix couldn't speak because all the words he'd ever known seemed to be whirling round inside his skull like bingo balls.

The ones he needed finally dropped slowly from his numb lips.

'We killed the wrong man.'

ABOUT 'EXIT': IT WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO BE MURDER ...Pensioner Felix Pink is about to find out that it’s never too late ... for life to go horribly wrong.

When Felix lets himself in to Number 3 Black Lane, he’s there to perform an act of kindness and charity: to keep a dying man company as he takes his final breath ... But just fifteen minutes later Felix is on the run from the police – after making the biggest mistake of his life.
Now his routine world is turned upside down as he tries to discover what went wrong, while staying one step ahead of the law.

MY THOUGHTS: Belinda Bauer's books always take me by surprise. Exit starts out as a gentle slow burn then veers off in directions I could never have foreseen.

I love Bauer's characters . . . they just jump right off the page, they are so realistic. The main two characters are Felix, a seventy-five year old widower who became an Exiteer after his son died of cancer, then his wife of dementia. The second main character is policeman Calvin Bridge who suffers from a lack of confidence, exacerbated by his wife leaving him. Neither of these characters have gotten over their losses, and both are vulnerable.

Bauer injects the subject of assisted dying with wit and humour, but doesn't lessen the gravity of the subject at all. She cleverly presents both sides of the argument wrapped up in a heartrending and heartwarming story that could almost be called a comedy of errors. I both laughed and cried during this read.

This is one of those stories that grew on me as I read and became embroiled in the characters lives. Bauer has written an entertaining piece of crime fiction that also poses a moral dilemma.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

#Exit #NetGalley

#contemporaryfiction #crime #mystery

THE AUTHOR: Belinda Bauer grew up in England and South Africa. She has worked as a journalist and screenwriter, and now lives in Wales.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, Bantam Press, for providing a digital ARC of Exit by Belinda Bauer for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

From her earliest days as an author Bauer has shown a terrific knack for penning memorable main characters - the kind that stick with you not just because they're a little different to the crime fiction norm, but because Bauer infuses them with heart, depth, and nuance. Whether it's an adolescent boy hoping to mend his broken family (BLACKLANDS), or a medical student with Asperger's looking to solve a murder (RUBBERNECKER), Bauer brings heart and soul to her crime writing. And her most recent books in particular, a really adroit balance of hilarity and heartache, of touching on some dark deeds and tough issues via offbeat tales.

Few authors mesh darkness and (de)light as well as Bauer, and her latest novel EXIT underlines that deft touch for offbeat characters and original writing.

Living in his village near the Devon coastline, Felix Pink is a pensioner with a purpose: he’s a veteran Exiteer, a volunteer who sits with the terminally ill as they leave this world a little early. Felix doesn’t help them on the way, just comforts and supports them at the time they choose their final moments. But when he’s paired with rookie Amanda and things go horribly wrong on a new case, Felix ends up on the run from the police.

Put simply, EXIT is an absolute delight of a read. It flows along wonderfully with Bauer's characters and prose. There's a zing to the story and plenty of emotional pull and punches. Zany isn't a word you'd often use in a crime fiction review, but it could be appropriate at times here, with some of the laugh-inducing situations Felix and other characters get themselves into, or out of. Yet it never feels 'thin' or one-note - there's depth and heart and big issues here too, woven in among the chuckles.

Many years ago a famous US college basketball coach named Jim Valvano gave a speech at a national awards show. He was dying of cancer, and spoke about how to live well with the days you had:

"When people say to me how do you get through life or each day, it’s the same thing. To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. Number three is you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think and you cry, that’s a full day. That’s a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you’re going to have something special." - Jim Valvano, ESPY Awards, 4 March 1993:

For whatever reason, I couldn't help but think of Jimmy V's words as I was reading EXIT. Perhaps it was because some of the character in it are dying of terminal illnesses, as he was, that my mind wandered to that speech I first heard a long time ago; one that has become iconic in the sports world.

But also I think it was because in EXIT, Bauer has crafted another extraordinary crime novel that in one story delivers all three of those things Jimmy V says can make a heck of a day: it can make you laugh, it can make you think, and it can move you to tears. It is a marvellous novel, original and zesty and so much more, from a writer at the top of her very considerable game. Highly recommended.

Felix Pink is an Exiteer, a stranger who sits with a terminally ill person whilst they commit suicide. Exiteers are forbidden to assist (commit euthanasia) so they skirt the law on assisted suicide, but they must go in pairs and they use fake names. Felix aka John has sat with several people but this time he is accompanied by a new Exiteer, a young girl named Amanda, and something goes wrong. Somehow the wrong person ends up dead, and Felix is now wanted for murder.

I requested this as I have read Snap by the author and enjoyed it, but unfortunately this one didn't live up to my expectations. I found the MC to be rather dull to be honest, and I expected it to take a darker turn, given the subject matter, than it did. My thoughts seem to be in the minority as many other reviewers seemed to like it, so it obviously was just not my cup of tea.

Thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Random House UK/Transworld, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Happy publication day to Exit! 75 year old Felix Pink arrives at number 3 Black Lane to perform an act of kindness and charity - keeping a terminally ill man company as he exits life. Only minutes later, after making the biggest mistake of his life, Felix is on the run from the police. Exit sees Felix trying to work out what went wrong whilst trying to evade the law.
I'll be honest after reading Snap, which I didn't rate I wasn't expecting to enjoy Exit half as much as I did. I have been sitting on my advanced copy of this book from Random House for almost 12 months, after a global pandemic delayed the original publication date, I'm so happy I actually got around to it.
Belinda Bauer has successfully written an intriguing and heart-warming book about a really dark subject matter whilst still managing to maintain a twisty mystery throughout. The characters are so endearing and humorous, reading them was an absolute delight.
I'm so glad I gave Bauer a second chance because I will definitely be reading more in future!

I somehow managed to request this as both an audiobook and an ebook but I listened to the audio so my review is based on that experience. I absolutely loved the book which delights in both style and content. The characters are wonderful especially Felix who I challenge anyone not to want as at least their grandad.
It had hints of Alexander McColl Smith I think but with lots more substance or that’s how I found it anyway.