This is an utterly delightful crime novel, by the brilliantly talented Belinda Bauer. Felix Pink is a seventy five year old pensioner, whose beloved wife, and only son, are dead. He lives a lonely life; waiting only for his dog, Mabel, to die before he plans to end his own life. He also volunteers as 'an Exiteer,' who - while not exactly assisting suicides - will act as witnesses and stay with those dying. This doesn't sound a delightful read so far, does it, but stay with me...

When Felix and new Exiteer, Amanda, go to visit a dying man and sit with him while he ends his life, they discover, to their horror, that they have assisted the wrong man in dying. Felix is determined to take the blame and protect young Amanda, but before long he discovers that not all is what it appears. For all of his life, Felix has been a gentle, calm and, possibly unadventurous, man. However, circumstances will lead him to discover hidden depths he had no idea he possessed.

I loved the character of Felix Pink and also of Calvin Bridge, a policeman with a secret past. These are not the stuff of movie heroes, but they are real life heroes. People doing their best and of all the motives that exist, even in small, and uneventful towns. Greed, selfishness and jealousy. This novel started out quite dark and depressing, but gradually I was drawn in by the warmth of the characters and the humour which Bauer conveyed so brilliantly. It is only January, but this will be one of my reads of the year. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.

Exit by Belinda Bauer
I give this book 5 stars
My favourite read so far of 2021!

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.

This was an engaging read and l simply didnt want to put it down.
Good plot and detailed characters especially Felix who l loved! A great mix of crime and humour with an ending l didn’t see coming.
I would highly recommend this book from an author l love.
With thanks to Netgalley,the publishers and the author for my chance to read this .

I admit I wasn't quite sure of where this one was heading when I began but it is entertaining and quite unique!

Felix Pink staves off boredom in retirement and widowerhood by focusing on what could possibly be described as a charitable work which he indulges in with a partner. But when his partner quits and he is assigned a new sidekick, things begin to go a bit wrong and panic sets in. Taking the option to leave the scene before the police discover him there, Felix is riddled with guilt. The thought that he could possibly be to blame for the death of another haunts him and Felix sets out to discover why events took the turn that they did.

I think the idea this novel is based on is rather commendable given our current laws on the matter in hand and I quite admired Felix's little 'hobby'. While there's a serious side to all of this, it's a very entertaining read which had me in fits of giggles from time to time and I really couldn't work out where it was heading. Quirky and so very different from anything else I've read lately I was really gripped by this until the very end. Definitely worth reading and one I'm happy to give four stars.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

Felix Pink, the elderly, unremarkable main character of Belinda Bauer’s new crime novel, Exit, is an ‘Exiteer’. It’s his job to sit with terminally ill people who have decided to end their lives, as they draw their final breaths. They’ve let their families know of their intentions, they’ve signed a waiver, and the Exiteers don’t physically assist their deaths in any way. What could possibly go wrong? Quite a lot, as it turns out…

Felix is horrified when things go massively awry on a job - through absolutely no fault of his own - and he gets caught up in a murder investigation. Being a well-intentioned and decent man, he endeavours to work out what happened, put things right, and protect his colleagues - with hilarious, but also touching consequences.

I absolutely loved Exit. I devoured it over the course of 24 hours, during which time I snorted with laughter on several occasions at Bauer’s trademark observational humour and the escalating farce, changed my working theories of who pulled the strings behind Felix’s ‘mistake’ a number of times, and felt really moved as Felix bloomed as a character, having previously been on a kind of joyless autopilot following the deaths of his wife and son.

As a police procedural, Exit is top notch. Bauer leads you a merry dance with frequent red herrings and twists, and it’s great fun to watch the police try to untangle what happened, especially as Felix’s involvement throws some brilliant spanners in the works. It’s easy to get a keen sense of the trials and tribulations of working out of Bideford police station, with its sigh-inducing patrons - whether they’re reporting or accused of crimes - and the recalcitrant vending machine that’s almost a character in itself.

Bauer brings the various officers working on the case to vivid life with their quirks, backstories and interactions with one another, whether they’re main characters such as Calvin Bridge - previously seen in The Facts of Life and Death - who does much of the legwork, or bit-part players like Tony Coral, whose wife makes notoriously bad fruitcake.

This is also true of the wider cast - there are a quite a few characters, but none of them feel two-dimensional, helping you instantly remember who they are when they unexpectedly pop up and/or take on a larger role later on. Everyone Bauer introduces is there for a reason beyond showcasing her excellent, often highly comical descriptions of people, even if their significance isn’t at all obvious at first.

Characters aren’t the only things Bauer brings to tangible, sparkling life. Like Transworld stablemates Kate Atkinson and Lissa Evans, she has a talent for making the most everyday situations and mundane objects leap off the page, infusing them with magic and humour. To name just a couple of examples, I loved the way she wrote about a minor character’s gnome collection, and Felix’s beige coat. From the way she described it, with keenly-observed reference to its serviceability and ubiquity among men of a certain age, I knew exactly the coat she meant!

Exit is amazing: I laughed, I was moved, and I was pleasantly bamboozled as Bauer continually upped the ante with the twists, turns and farce.

What a fun read! I
I found it to be an easy and fast read and quite farcical at times!

It's a story centred around Felix Pink who is an Exiteer. Their job is to support people who are terminally ill and who want to take their own lives. They don't help them but go and sit with them in the end and then clean up so it looks like a natural death. What a terrible job to do! So what do you do if it all goes wrong? Was it human error or something more sinister...

There are a few nice twists that you don't see coming and I will definitely look out for more books from this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

My first but not last Belinda Bauer book. Exit is a book that begins with euthanasia but becomes something else entirely.

I loved the writing style of this book, it was so darkly comedic and I loved the main character Felix, a 75 year old Exiteer who approached every situation with the best of intentions only for it to go so badly wrong in the funniest of ways.

Although at times tragic and with a serious subject at the heart of the book I was laughing out loud at the twists, turns and misunderstandings throughout.

The ending was my favourite the way the elements of each storyline pulled together in such an unexpected way.

I wasn’t at all sure about Exit by Belinda Bauer when I first started to read it a few months ago, so put it to one side and only picked it up again a few days ago. What initially put me off was the opening chapter, which sets the scene for the work of the Exiteers, a group of people who provide support for people with a terminal illness to end their lives. Their role is ostensibly passive, just to be there to keep the dying company as they take their final breaths. But they do provide the means! And one assignment for John (real name Felix Pink) and Amanda goes wrong when they discover they have ‘helped’ the wrong man.

But I read on and what at first looks like a novel considering the ethics of assisted suicide turns into crime fiction as Felix and Amanda realise they have become murder suspects. It’s all mayhem after that as Felix, overcome with remorse, tries to put things right and to discover how and why the wrong man had died.

Far from being a ‘thriller’ it becomes a borderline ‘cosy’ murder mystery, verging on farce in places and I was amused by the wry humour and surreal scenes. It’s a comedy of errors, interspersed with poignant scenes as we learn about Felix’s grief over the deaths of his wife, Margaret and son James. His thoughts always end up with wondering what Margaret would do in the same situation.

It gets off to a slow start, the pace only gradually picking up in the later chapters, when the multiple twists kept me engaged and keen to know how it would end. There are quite a lot of characters in the book, which I found a bit confusing at first, although the main characters, Felix and Acting DC Calvin Bridges are clearly defined and distinctive characters. Some of the minor characters, such as old Greybeard and other clients in the betting shop, are clearly quirky and their actions absurd. And I particularly liked old Skipper, Albert’s father. But underneath the comedy there is a tragedy, as Felix discovers how he has been deceived all along. And the ending is bitter sweet. I began not sure I really wanted to read Exit and ended it feeling I’m glad I did. It’s unlike anything else I’ve read!

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for my proof copy.

A clever, smart, witty, character driven novel about Felix (72) who helps people to die (who want to) until one day something goes wrong and the police become involved. Devoured it in a day. Highly recommend.

The joyous bit about reading Belinda Bauer's novel Exit is the off-kilter unfolding of a story headed somewhere you were not expecting. Without fail, her books are amusing, delightful and often gently misleading but in a good-hearted, 'you got me there!' kind of way. There's a lightness of hand in her writing that makes these stories sparkle with simplicity, tenderness and lightly buried genius that makes the world feel ever so slightly better. If you cannot tell, I loved Exit...now to the story.

Exit is about Exiteers who volunteer to be present when an elderly/terminally ill person decides to take his/her own life. Exiteers give guidance on how to proceed but do not physically assist in the act in any way. Instead, they are there to give comfort so the person intending to die does not have to pass away alone. It's a really lovely notion and made me think about how we deal with death.

Our main character, Felix Pink, is an old age pensioner who has attended a number of deaths. He's charming, sweet and wants to give comfort to those who wish to end their lives. The trouble is things don't go quite to plan and events spiral out of his control. It's looking pretty dodgy for him but the interweaving of police, Felix, Felix's neighbour and the occupants and visitors of the house where things went off the rails is utterly brilliant. Funny, sweet, touching with surprise twists, too, Exit has not only a moral story behind it but is full of heart as well. This novel is pure delight in these troubled times. It may seem a dark topic but Exit is anything but. Pure joy, honestly. I hope you agree.

This was my first time reading Belinda Bauer. I thought I knew what kind of books she writes, but I was wrong - this wasn't just good, it was delightful! Actually I read it concurrently with a Kate Atkinson novel (one of my favourite authors), and I had to keep reminding myself that this wasn't the Atkinson. Bauer's style here is a very similar warm and gently humorous one, with some laugh out loud moments as well as a sneaky tear or two.

Widowed for a while now, lonely Devon septuagenarian Felix Pink spends some of his time volunteering as an Exiteer, providing company to the terminally ill in their final moments before they complete suicide, and tidying up afterwards to minimise distress to those left behind. The method of suicide is one that will result in an apparent peaceful death by natural causes. The Exiteers always work in pairs, and when Felix is partnered with 20-something Amanda for her first case, she panics when something goes wrong. Ever the pragmatist, Felix prepares to take the blame so that her young life won't be ruined. But then the Exiteers' coordinator is arrested, giving Felix a little more time to try to understand what has happened. He soon realises that things aren't as they should be when he stumbles upon Amanda meeting her boyfriend at a local cafe.

"Bloody hell," said Pete [DC Shapland of the local police force]. "I did not see that coming."

Nor did I, Pete! I thought I had the plot all figured out, but I could not have been more wrong! Twists and turns and red herrings had me so far off the money, I had to laugh at myself when the resolution came. With characters that you'll care for and a well-paced plot with a rather unique premise, this book is highly recommended.

Belinda Bauer’s Exit is a delightful novel. It is darkly comic, full of wonderful characters and the plotting is exquisite – every time you think you understand what is going on, Bauer wrong foots the reader and things turn out to be not at all what they seem.

The crux of the story centres on Felix Pink a 75 year old widower from Devon and member of a group who call themselves ‘the Exiteers’, a bunch of (largely) elderly people who, without actually breaking the law, act in support of those who are terminally ill and wish to end their own suffering.

We meet Felix as he is preparing to embark on an outing with a new recruit, Amanda, younger than most members, but whose own experience of a suffering relative has, she tells Felix, made her understand the importance of the Exiteers cause.

Together they arrive at No 3, Black Lane, the house of Charles Cann, an elderly man whose cancer has taken hold and who has contacted the Exiteers for their help in ensuring an orderly end to his suffering. They key is where it should be and they let themselves in. Felix knows this could be tough for Amanda so he is prepared for her to be upset. But when she breaks the cardinal rule to not actually help a patient Felix is determined that she should not be blamed. She will need to learn, but now is not the time. However, when it transpires that the wrong man has died, things are very much murkier indeed!

Felix is determined to shoulder the blame for what has happened and determines to hand himself over to the police. But wait! First he to make sure Mabel his dog is taken care of. So he hot foots it over the back fence and heads for home just as young pc Calvin Bridge arrives with his partner to investigate after an anonymous tip off.

Calvin is a lovely lad. He’s just finished a spell in plain clothes where his boss, DCI Kirsty King, thought he displayed talent and initiative. But Calvin harbours a terrible secret. He comes from a family whose criminal activities are well known in this neighbourhood and despite changing his name, Calvin knows that his connection to them could end his police career were it to become known. So he sits on his ambition and goes back to on the beat work without a murmur.

Belinda Bauer’s book has a light and quirky touch that belies its body count and controversial subject matter. It is a beautifully plotted and elegantly constructed novel that offers us two charming if slightly sad protagonists in Felix and Calvin both of whom are in search of the real answers as to what exactly is going on. Our joy as readers in following their paths as they converge and diverge again is in seeing how both find a renewed sense of self and a refreshing interest in the people around them.

Bauer’s book is full of wonderful characters. The dialogue is sharp and witty, the characters endearing and the hilarious sets of misunderstandings and fantastic plot points lead to a brilliantly funny murder mystery I think everyone will enjoy.

Verdict: A fantastic book. This is a moving and often poignant novel that has real heart, a spritely humour and lots of really clever twists. It celebrates its characters in a way that makes you feel as if you know them. By the time you finish , you will both know and love them and that makes this a real wonder of a book.

Another great book from this multi-award winning author, who always dares to be different and transports the reader into a mesmerising and masterful mystery, that delivers a clever plot, elegant prose and humorous dialogue.
Don’t be fooled by the quaint and sleepy locations used in Devon, as there is plenty of intrigue and mayhem going on behind the scenes.
An excellent cast of characters, with two main protagonists providing interesting and contrasting points of view.
Retired widower Felix Pink is kind and decent, and his well-meaning and voluntary support of euthanasia gets him into serious trouble.
Calvin Bridge is a sensible, bored but sharp policeman, who has cropped up before, (Facts of Life & Death), but the books and stories are completely stand alone.
Their seemingly quiet lives are about to be propelled into a complex tangled web of deceit, fraud, coercion, violence and murder. A number of topics, actions and consequences are handled with care, sensitivity and great wit, and the whole interconnected drama is told and revealed with great skill, providing another very satisfying read. I have had the privilege to read all of her books and this is right up there as one of her best yet.
I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review, and I thoroughly recommend this book not only to Belinda’s fans, but also to fans of clever mysteries and thoughtful crime fiction.

Wow! This is such a unique plot and having read a couple of Belinda Bauer's books previously (which I also loved) this was not what I was expecting at all. I'd definitely recommend this if you enjoyed The Thursday Murder Club or anything by Fredrik Backman - it's a crime thriller but with heartwarming, humorous characters and writing.

It's really such an interesting idea. A group of people - "Exiteers" - who sit with terminally ill people to give them company as they choose to end their life. But unfortunately on one of these occasions things go wrong and our protagonist, Felix, ends up running from the police. What follows is a crime story featuring some sad and difficult times - but it never feels too dark and was a really enjoyable read. The only reason for the 4/5 is I struggled at times with the number of characters, especially with the number of side characters and aliases.

‘It was never supposed to be murder’ - ‘Exit’ cover tag line.

My thanks to Random House U.K./Transworld Publishers for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Exit’ by Belinda Bauer in exchange for an honest review.

Pensioner Felix Pink is a member of the Exiteers, a group of discreet volunteers who serve as witnesses for terminally ill people that have chosen to end their lives. They also tidy up, ensuring that the deaths appear to have been by natural causes.

Accompanied by Amanda, a new Exiteer, Felix goes to Number 3 Black Lane where they will keep a dying man company as he takes his final breath . . . Yet fifteen minutes later, after something goes terribly wrong, Felix instructs Amanda to quietly leave while he goes on the run.

Felix realises that he must find out if he's really to blame, or if something much more sinister is at play. All while keeping one shaky step ahead of the law.

This was my first experience of Belinda Bauer’s work and it proved quite a surprise. I came to it with little prior knowledge of the plot, as I prefer to read mysteries and thrillers ‘cold’. I hadn’t realised that despite it being crime fiction, dealing with a sensitive subject, that there would be a strong comedic element running throughout. Still, the choice of Tim McInnerny, well known for his work in comedy, as the narrator for the audiobook should have been a clue.

I loved this novel from the start! It was packed with quirky, memorable characters combined with a charming plot that was also thought-provoking. There were also some great twists. I appreciated the idea of the Exiteers, serving as quiet companions for the final moments of life.

Overall, an intelligent, well written novel. I was very impressed by Belinda Bauer’s writing and plan to seek out her other books.

It is the kind of novel that I expect will appeal to reading groups for its highly engaging plot, the gentle humour, strong characterisations, and the opportunity it provides for discussion on a range of topics. I also feel that Mabel, Felix’s scrubbing-brush of a mongrel, will prove a huge hit with readers. She certainly won a place in my heart as did Felix himself.

Highly recommended.

A new novel by the excellent Belinda Bauer is always an event and Exit is certainly worth waiting for. Well written with a clever plot and interesting characters, it deals with the contentious theme of assisted suicide. Although the central plot is serious and thoughtfully dealt with, there is a certain amount of levity in the book which I felt slightly detracted from the overall satisfaction of the story.

"Exit" by Belinda Bauer is an original, fascinating and clever crime novel which I loved and which also gave me a new perspective on certain matters.

All of the characters are wonderfully depicted, none moreso than Felix the seventy five year old at the centre of the story. The charitable service that Felix provides turns out to be a much wider enterprise than he could have imagined and one which draws the attention of the local police. Torn by his honesty and loyalty, Felix is unable to provide a convincing explanation of events, which could land him in a lot of trouble.

This book is funny but also asks serious questions about dealing with death.

The unique premise of Exit is centred around the Exiteers; an underground and secretive group who observe and support assisted suicide. Pensioner Felix Pink is 75 and when he finds out he may have killed the wrong man it triggers a whole host of events he could never have foreseen.

Exit is a delightful book full of dark British humour which is touching in places but also laugh out loud funny throughout. It’s almost exactly how I was hoping Richard Osman’s (slightly disappointing) The Thursday Murder Club would be and I heavily recommend Exit to anyone who enjoyed that. Bauer perfectly balances the tough subject matter with farcical humour and her writing style is so engaging that I finished it in two sittings.

Felix is a sweet and well-rounded character who only wants to do what he believes to be the right thing, even when his idea of what is right might be somewhat questionable! He also has a little dog named Mable who has a very large personality, a friendship with his next door neighbour and a touching backstory with his deceased wife and child. We are also introduced to PC Calvin Bridge, a lazy cop with a secret gambling addiction who is tasked with solving the crime. The narration begins from just Felix’s perspective, then alternates between him and Calvin and then by the end we get to hear perspectives from lots of different characters involved. Although sometimes this technique can get a little confusing, it was actually nice to get introduced to the inner workings of other characters in this way. Even the minor characters are very well written and have such interesting personalities that they seem to jump off the page.

The crime itself has a lot of twists and turns and becomes quite complex by the end, although it works its way through it in a clear and concise way so you never felt too overwhelmed. The ending was perfectly poignant and I shall certainly keep an eye out for more books written by Belinda Bauer in future.

Overall, Exit is a delightfully British murder-mystery full of dark humour which is engaging and well written. Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK & Transworld Publishers – Bantam Press for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love Belinda Bauer as I feel she takes a sideways look at the world in all her novels and includes a hefty dollop of humour to make the unsaid truths palatable.

Exit looks at the secret life undertaken by the Exiteers - men and women who make sure a planned suicide looks like a natural death thereby ensuring that all insurance etc. is paid without fail to those who the one exiting the world intended.

The fabulously named Felix Pink was paired with a new Exiteer on the day everything went wrong and the planned suicide became murder...

If his time on the run from the police wasn't full enough of humour the author includes a great secondary character by way of Mabel the dog! Perfect for lovers of crime fiction and character led reads alike.

I enjoyed this quirky crime novel by Belinda Bauer. It’s my second outing with the author, having loved The Beautiful Dead and enjoyed Snap.
As the above synopsis mentions it’s about Felix Pink who’s life turns unexpectedly upside down when he is involved in an accidental murder. Felix a mild mannered widower in his 70s is the last person you’d expect to be involved in something so nefarious. He’s very shocked by what has happened, and resolves to sort it all out, even if that involves handing himself into the police.
I’m not going to tell you any more about the plot except to say that it’s very funny in places and intricately plotted. Oh yes and there’s a dog called Mabel and a cat called Buttons and a lovely neighbour called Miss Knott.
I loved the way the author weaved the plot and characters together, making the big reveal a satisfying aha moment for me! I definitely recommend this one if you enjoy character driven crime novels, with laugh out loud moments.

Really disappointed. I loved Snap by this author and was excited for another fantastic sounding story.

Exit was not for me. It jumped around so much between characters, the story was way over the top and it just didn’t feel anything like her other books. The premise sounds like my kind of book but it did not deliver.

I can see that I am in the minority here but if we all liked the same things life would be boring.

Thanks for o Netgalley and Bantam Press for my advanced copy of this book to read