What a surprising book!
A murder mystery which at first doesn’t appear to contain a murder… a criminal who is really just a sweet and kind retired widow… it is all very different from your usual crime read.
It does however mean you are easily surprised by the twists and turns the story takes.
Although I didn’t care much for the police team (too many descriptive details for me for characters who could well have just been side characters), it all ties together at the end makes this a well written, well-rounded book I really enjoyed reading, gasped out loud at, and was shocked by at times.
If you want to know a little about the story, read on (but it will ruin the first and possible second surprise):
Meet the Exiteers, a group of people who help you die, except they don’t help physically, they just keep you company. Anyone with a terminal illness or similar, who wants to end their life, can employ the Exiteers so they don’t die alone. But the clients have to take the medication themselves, the Exiteers cannot help. So far, so good.
Except one time it goes wrong, and a new Exiteer helps a man by passing him the mask with the “medication”. No one is there to notice, except when a man appears, and he is the man who was supposed to die. He was the one who signed the waiver and his will, who was ready to leave the earth peacefully. The person the Exiteer just handed the mask to was his son.

This was the first but it won't be the last book that I have read by this exceptional author.

I won't waste time telling the plot as many others have done so before me, but it was original and ingenious and the tale was told beautifully and brilliantly and with some dark humour too.

My attention was grabbed from the beginning and I can thoroughly recommend this excellent book.

Felix Pink is an elderly widower with a secret – he is an ‘Exiteer’ – one of a small group of volunteers who sit with the terminally ill when they have decided to end their life at home. However, when he attends a ‘job’ with a new partner events take an unexpected turn and go badly wrong as she fails to follow the Exiteers very strict guidelines and the wrong person dies. Felix flees the scene and then tries to understand what went wrong and make amends whilst avoiding discovery and arrest.
This is a very enjoyable read, with lots of humour and sympathetic characters. The premise feels original, and Belinda Bauer introduces themes of ageing, loneliness and friendship with a dark underbelly of gambling and debt that I felt really represented a small West Country town.
My only criticism is that I find the cover misleading – it seems to suggest a modern thriller, possibly medical themed, and I am concerned that this will prevent this great read from reaching an audience that will appreciate it.
Highly recommended.

This is sure to be another winner for the fabulous Belinda Bauer it’s a real joy of a book to read and I loved everything about it. This is a slow paced mystery but it’s a whole lot more than just a mystery and much more character driven read and the characters were all just brilliant.
Felix Pink a 75 year old widower is at the heart of this book and I fell in love with him right from the start he is an exiteer a person who is there to witness a dying persons last breaths, Felix is a deeply compassionate man and when things go wrong he is full of guilt and heartbroken. What follows is a story that is full of twists and also very funny at times as Felix tries to find out just what happened and who was responsible for what seems to be a terrible mix up or is it more that that.
I loved the book it was so many things and for me the widely different characters just made this a read to cherish, I will miss them especially Felix.
So highly recommended and a massive thank you to Belinda Bauer for giving me so much pleasure and also laughter.
My thanks also to NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, Bantam Press for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

A satisfyingly multi layered book with the important themes of the ethics of assisted suicide, bereavement and guilt at its core. However, these are dealt with using humour and a very light touch providing the basis of
a page turning whodunnit with a cast of well rounded characters.
This is the first book I've read by Belinda Bauer, but her previous ones are now on my Christmas wish list!
Thank you to netgalley and random house for an advance copy of this book

“Felix Pink hadn’t expected to be a wanted man when he’d left home this morning. He’d expected to go to Abbotsham, oversee a man departing this life with quiet dignity, and be home in time for tea.”

Exit is the sixth stand-alone novel by British journalist, screenwriter and author, Belinda Bauer. At seventy-five, widower Felix Pink is just marking time until he can join Margaret, just waiting until their dog, Mabel departs the world. Happy to be useful in the interim, he has joined the Exiteers, whose remit is to advise the terminally ill on a method of committing suicide, then to just sit there and witness the end of life so they don’t die alone.

Introducing himself as John, Felix has witnessed, always together with a partner, twenty-seven routine deaths and tidied up afterwards, removing the requisite waiver, copy of the will, and the gas canister and face mask. But there’s a hiccough on his twenty-eighth visit: along with his new young partner, “Amanda”, he somehow, accidentally, assists the wrong person out of this life.

Gallantly, Felix assures her that he will take care of everything, take full responsibility. But as the police noisily arrive, Felix, ready to surrender (“He hoped they wouldn’t make him lie on the floor to cuff him. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to get up again, because of his hip”), suddenly remembers Mabel will need feeding, and rushes out the back door. But before he gets around to presenting himself to the police, certain things have him wondering if he hasn’t been set up.

The last thing PC Calvin Bridge was expecting on a call out to a possible suspicious entry on Black Lane at Abbotsham was bodies: one dead one, and one, very much alive and shouting about still being so. The briefcase left at the scene puts the Exiteers under the spotlight, but their director, Geoffrey Skeet, who was clearly not present at the death, steadfastly declines to comment. Despite his reluctance to act as a detective, Calvin diligently follows up clues and irregularities. Will he discover what really happened?

What an excellent crime novel this is! Bauer populates her tale with a wholly believable cast of characters, people just like those we encounter in everyday life; she gives them natural dialogue and their inner monologues are thoroughly entertaining. Several aspects of the plot are blackly funny and both the dialogue and the action produce many laugh-out-loud moments. Deliciously dark, this is brilliant British crime fiction.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Random House UK.

Warning: some readers may find the premise of this novel distressing or distasteful.

Exit is not your average crime novel. Felix Pink is no ordinary killer. Instead he is part of a small group of anonymous individuals known as the exiteers, assuming a passive role in witnessing the death of those no longer wishing to be part of this world. With kindness and calm he executes this unusual, irregular job to perfection. That is until one day within the walls of number 3 Black Lane events go horribly wrong and this elderly and adorable gentleman finds himself on the wrong side of the law for the very first time in his life. Ostensibly Felix is on the run from the police in what is one of the funniest, entertaining and cleverly plotted crime novels I’ve had the pleasure to read. On his journey to remain one step ahead of the law you will meet a host of delightful, eccentric and likeable characters all involved in some way, big or small, in this unfortunate crime. Of course there are a few shady, untrustworthy characters too who will threaten to derail Felix’s attempts at understanding this complex crime in which he has made himself the prime suspect, adding to the overall sense of suspense and excitement.

The action is mainly centred around the inhabitants of 3 Black Lane and the lives of three generations of Canns. Grandfather Skipper, his son Albert and Albert’s son Reggie. One man is dead and that’s all I’m inclined to say regarding the plot line except to say I am convinced you will enjoy the antics of Felix Pink immensely as he endeavours to extricate himself from this woeful mess of his own making. His backstory will only add to your glowing impression of a man whom you just feel inclined to wrap in a hug.

There’s so much kindness and compassion in this storyline mixed up with some clever skulduggery and wrongdoings. Humour, both at times deliciously dark or simply lighthearted is first and foremost what compelled me to keep reading. Time stood still as I lost myself in the world of Felix Pink and the Cann household , my heart won over by all the supporting cast of characters caught up in this bizarre and wrongful killing. I would describe Exit as a dark comedy of errors, overlayed with a bittersweet tone and blended with a fiendishly impossible to crack crime. This original refreshingly different approach to murder succeeds in blowing all other crime fiction out of the water and my review can in no way do justice to the author’s writing capabilities.

Thinking about how character driven this novel is (but not to the detriment of the plot) I felt every one of them was a star in their own right, however small their part may be in the narrative. Naturally Felix Pink has to be the most loveable fictional killer you could ever have the pleasure to meet. With his beige anorak, his jam sandwiches and his penchant for jigsaw puzzles this septuagenarian is experiencing a late colourful adventure in his otherwise boring life. A retired accountant, mourning the loss of his beloved wife Margaret and the long ago death of his only son Jamie, Felix is a true gentleman and I loved him through and through. Together with faithful doggy companion Mabel he is the hero of the hour. Despite having been a most law abiding citizen until now, I found it highly amusing that Felix could be so resourceful in evading the law. Calvin Bridges, acting DC for the second time in his career is my second favourite character who can never quite decide whether his is the best or worst job ever. More used to tackling low level crimes such as burglary, shoplifting and those drunk and disorderly, a murder is his chance to (reluctantly) shine and shine he does. In fact the author has imagined some fantastic personalities amongst all the police personnel in this quirky crime novel which makes their involvement in solving the murder of one of the Canns so very very entertaining. Plus they all seem rather obsessed with tea towels but that’s up to you to find out why! The way in which all the members of the Cann household, the betting shop regulars, the leader of the exiteers Geoffrey, cleaner Hayley and Felix’s next door neighbour Mrs Knott all connect with one another, slotting seamlessly into place in the storyline, just like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle is simply down to the author’s ability to execute the plot flawlessly. I couldn’t find fault with the writing where characters and plot are second to none, the pacing just perfect so that I never once became distracted from the words on the pages. Life was on hold until I finished!

I’ve read some outstanding books this year, plenty of great ones, plenty of average ones and a handful of ones I haven’t particularly enjoyed but Exit without hesitation falls into the outstanding category. Sometimes I struggle to decide how to rate a book for other readers but not in this instance. It is ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT and if I could award this novel ten stars I would. For me it’s off the scale in terms of plotting, execution, with every single character honed to perfection in terms of their individual roles. If you were to only read one book next year (published January21) and you love crime fiction then please make it this one. Whilst I’m a voracious reader and race through novels like there’s no tomorrow this is one I struggled to put down and it was with mixed feelings that I reached the end. I was applauding the author for a brilliant piece of fiction yet regretting closing the pages on some memorable characters. They made excellent company! Those readers who have enjoyed Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club will surely love Exit just as much as I have. My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review.

Belinda Bauer holds a special place in my heart and her writing is always a pleasure to read.

One of my favourite tropes is OAPs kicking ass and Felix was just that. A slightly crumpy, because he hasn't "done many exciting things" in his life, yet incredibly soft and kind hearted old man absolutely impossible to hate.

Exit's premise really sounded interesting, although Bauer's books are my autobuys regardless of what they say on the back.

In addition to clever storylines she also writes and developes her characters making it near impossible not to root for them in the end.

Exit is no different. It's an absolute joy to read and the ending hit me right in the feels.

Exiteer – A person who sits with, supports, and bears witness to a client with terminal illness final moments. A client who has chosen to die by their own hand because their pain has become unbearable. An Exiteer in no way assists or enablers the person, but is simply there so they are not alone.

Senior citizen Felix Pink is an Exiteer, and has been one for 27 clients. But when Felix enters the residence of his latest client a terrible mistake is made. One that sees Felix fleeing police. But was what happened a disastrous mix-up, an accident, or murder?

Sounds heavy doesn't it? But, believe it or not, Exit is on the lighter side of domestic noir – I would even go as far as to class it as a ‘cosy' mystery. Belinda Bauer has a flair for approaching serious, taboo and controversial topics in a fun and comedic manner. It worked for Snap, it worked for Rubbernecker and it worked for Exit. I can't count the number of times I chuckled to myself. Yes, there were some scenes surrounding end of life, dying, choosing to die, and ongoing grief which made me a little uncomfortable and emotional but they were written and conveyed with sensitively, dignity and respect.

The numerous quirky lovable characters (both human and animal) warmed my heart. I adored Felix the most, especially his newfound lease on life, the lengths he sought to make amends, and his entertaining, amusing, and poignant innermost thoughts. And, the way characters treated and deferred to their animals was the sweetest. Also, readers will recognise DC Calvin Bridge, DCI Kirsty King, and others. from another of Bauer's books – The Facts of Life and Death. I haven't read that one yet, but I'm keen as now.

The plot moved at a fairly swift pace with lots of action and unexpected plot developments, but the chapters involving gambling and bookies were a bit of a bore to say the least, and I don't think it was necessary to go into such an amount of detail. There were some clever twists and turns, including one early on that had me gasping in shock because I just couldn't believe it!

Regular readers of Belinda Bauer, and those new to her work, are going to be all in for Exit.

I'd like to thank Netgalley, Random House UK Transworld Publishers, and Belinda Bauer for the e-ARC.

Publication Date: 21st January, 2021.

Gripping and fantastic. Edge of the seat kinda reading.. My favourite!
Loved it. Brilliant writing. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers and author for the privilege to read this book for my honest review

Exit By Belinda Bauer tells the story of Felix Pink a bumbling 75-year-old widower who spends some of his time performing acts of charity and kindness helping people take their last breath whilst he keeps them company and I feel to say more would spoil this delightful whimsical book.
This is the fourth book I have read by Bauer after her fabulous Exmoor trilogy and this is a complete departure from those but in a good way.
The story that Bauer tells here is laugh out loud funny and touching at the same time as she deals with a difficult subject at its heart.
The characters are delightful to spend time with especially Felix as some of the situations that Bauer puts him are laugh out loud funny but all the supporting cast are well-rounded and fleshed out.
I never once found myself not wanting to turn the page as the writing here is first class the story is very clever and the ending had me completely fooled.
This is a book for anyone it is not offence in any way and deals with important issues that she handles in a delightful touching way.
When I read the blurb I thought this would be just another run of the mill thriller but this far from that with a great story clever writing and beautiful crafted characters this is one not to miss.

Well worth your time and hard-earned cash has hit written all over it.

I would like to thank both Net Galley and Random House for supplying a copy of this novel

The book is told two prospectives . Lots and lots of twists. I couldnt put this book down. Lots of quirky characters that you can connect to. This had such an intruiging plot. This book has humour in it so something different and it will definately keep you on your toes.

Exit is a new stand-alone murder mystery by the Brilliant Belinda Bauer (I do love a bit of alliteration!) - I’d previously read and enjoyed Snap, and plan to read the rest of her back catalogue because both have been that perfect blend of humour, suspense and pathos, with wonderfully original characters. It’s not actually due to be published until January, I believe it was delayed by the pandemic, but we’re having a referendum here (NZ) next month on euthanasia so I was interested to see how such a sensitive issue would be handled in fiction.

Lonely 75 year old widower Felix Pink is an Exiteer - that is he supports people with terminal illnesses who have chosen to die by assisted suicide, and don’t want their families or the authorities to know. While careful protocols, such as not intervening in any way, keep their activities just about legal, he keeps his role secret. When his previous partner retires, he is teamed up with a young woman who has never done it before. On their first job, things go horribly wrong and the wrong man dies, leaving Felix and Amanda panic stricken. Initially Felix, honest, steadfast and selfless, wants to hand himself in to the police, but then he learns that they may have been set up...

The beauty of this book is that it actually doesn’t favour either side of the legalised dying debate. Regardless of your views, (for the record, I am emphatically pro-choice) Felix is a sympathetic protagonist who, having lost his wife and son, just wants to help. We meet Reggie and Skipper, the dead man’s son and father, both bewildered by their loss, Calvin the detective investigating the case, struggling with his own problems, unsure as to whether it actually was a murder, and a host of other characters - some lovely, some horrible, and some hilarious. It’s well written with believable dialogue.

The mystery part is well done, with several clever twists, and a poignant ending. You could interpret the moral of the story either way - that if it were legal, the Exiteers would be professionals working under clear guidelines to avoid such complications, or that it should remain prohibited, as we see Skipper gain a new appreciation for his remaining life - up to a point. Polls here suggest that 65% of people plan to vote yes in the binding referendum, and only 25% no, the rest are undecided. I’d be curious to know what the figures would be in the UK, but I think as long as strong protections are in place, it’s the right time and that other countries will follow.

My thanks to NetGalley and Transworld for the ARC, which allowed me to give an honest review. Exit is published on January 21st 2021.

Told from 2 people’s perspectives (an excellent way of writing) this book makes you think. Exiteers do a job that their clients wants (the name is on the tin). It is a kind and cold role. Until something goes wrong. You’re accused of murder and on the run! Breakneck speed of a book. Loved it. Made me think and not just whilst reading .....still pondering on it now. 4/5.

What if you were contracted to kill someone, but killed the wrong guy? Exit, Belinda Bauer’s newest book unfolds exactly this when bumbling pensioner Felix Pink and a ‘co-worker’ Amanda manage to accidentally kill the wrong person.

The book focuses on two perspectives, that of Calvin, a police officer, and Felix Pink, who works as an Exiteer- a person who helps someone basically helps out with assisted euthanasia, without bending any legal rules. After learning that the wrong person had died, he goes to figure out why it happens- ultimately finding that he was set up. This leads him to ask several questions towards his co-worker, boss, and befriending the old guy who was meant to die. Calvin’s perspective serves to link up the gambling background and the other ordinary life details in the town where this is set.

I enjoyed how this book explored the grey morality of Felix, and the other themes of death, ageing, loyalty and friendship. These themes are rather broad, but Bauer brought them together in a neat package that was extremely palatable but also complemented the story well. I also very much enjoyed how Calvin’s past and family are also morally grey, and is alluded to throughout, giving sometimes a needed break between segments of Felix’s story.

The writing was crisp and direct, and made for delight for reading, as there wasn’t much to get swamped out in detail. The way that the perspectives were initially separated, I enjoyed seeing how both were meshed into one excellently woven story. There were elements of world and character building, as well as the plot being fleshed out well- which made me glide through the book! There was also some comic relief in there, and I felt that was a nice touch to an otherwise heavy book. The book was also paced slower in the first half before going to full power by the end- and I felt like I ended up with book whiplash over it.

The book’s concept was definitely somewhat original, and was executed in a way that did not make the storyline sound exaggerated at all. The way Bauer wrote in a way that was sensitive, but also real enough was something I actually did not think could be pulled off so well. However, I was left absolutely surprised by it.

What I felt was lacking though was the lack of story given to the character Amanda, given her role in the Exiteers. I felt like I wanted more of her side of the story, and at times I feel like she was sometimes forgotten, even though she plays a key role in Calvin’s investigation. I also felt that Felix was sometimes too likeable for someone in the Exiteer business, despite essentially being described as a bumbling old man.

I also was definitely intrigued in how the story tied its loose ends so neatly, it actually made me question if I missed anything (I’m pretty sure I did not).

I recommend this very original book for those who like a bit of a different mystery or crime book, and those who are a fan of the ‘who did it and why did they do it’ stories.

Rating: 3.5/5

I am a huge fan of Belinda Bauer having read all her previous work and thought the subject matter of Exit would make for an interesting take on crime fiction.

The good: as always Bauer creates an interesting story with likeable and believable characters and somehow manages to infuse humour into what could be an otherwise depressing tale.

The bad: the story is just a tad too long in this readers humble opinion. There is a lot of unnecessary detail that did not need to be there, Belinda is a wonderful story teller in her simplicity and does not need to add extra frills.

Overall a great read, not as cold and depressing as one might expect given the subject matter., in fact, this book has a lot of heart. An intriguing tale that I found pleasantly unpredictable.

This book about about the Existeer called Felix who is seventy five. His job is to look after people who are terminally ill when they are dying, they support people to pass away without feeling fear of pain. The group started up because people with terminal illness couldn’t afford to go to Switzerland to end their pain. The book starts when Felix and a fellow colleague are helping a client. They have to be careful with what they are doing because authorities may think they are assisting with people dying. Although, their job is not illegal because they are not encouraging their clients to want to die, they are merely supporting people who want to die. They are there to make sure people do not die on their own.

Felix has a new partner and they head off to their first client together. After the death everything is going smoothly until they hear a noise in a different room and realise they they helped to kill the wrong man.

After reading the first page I was hooked. The detail is this book is incredible, it made me feel like I knew Felix. I really felt sorry for Felix when he described his relationship with his wife and son who had previously passed away.

I loved learning about Calvin, the police officer looking at the case. It was good to get a view of both sides of the story and learning about what happened.

I was so happy to receive this ebook from Netgalley, Belinda Bauer’s book, Snap, was incredible and this book followed in its footsteps. As always the writing in this book was phenomenal, I will always enjoy a Bauer book. 5/5 stars.

*Many thanks to Belinda Bauer, Random House UK and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
An entertaining read about a group of people who call themselves Exiteers and who spend the last moments with the terminally ill. Felix Pink, who lost his wife and son decades ago and whose only companion is Mabel, in one of them. One day he takes with him a new member, Amanda. Something goes wrong, and Felix finds himself in a rather complicated situation.
Felix was the only character I rooted for. He seems nice, believing in his mission and concerned his dog. There were moments when I chuckled and moments when I wanted to embrace this lonely old man.
A quick summer read.

Felix Pink is an ordinary 75 year old man, he lives in an ordinary house with his ordinary dog and he has lived alone since the death of his wife and his young son decades earlier. The only unusual thing about his life is that he is an Exiteer. An Exiteer is someone who sits with terminally ill patients as they take their own lives. Felix has done this hundreds of time and prides himself on his calm and peaceful manner. Then one day this all changes. Something goes wrong and suddenly Felix Pink is no longer ordinary, he becomes a fugitive, makes an unexpected friend and even, eventually, finds love again! This is a lovely little story that is extremely amusing and which has you sitting on the edge of your seat rooting for the ordinary Felix Pink!

Felix is an Exiteer - his task is to be with a dying person as they take their last breaths. He's been doing it a while and, so far, it has all gone as smoothly as death can. But this all changes when he is with his new partner Amanda and she breaks one of the golden rules. In the scheme of things, as long as everything else goes OK, no real harm done. Just a lesson to be learned. However... things don't go well and Felix finds himself on the run. On the one hand desperate to avoid the police and stay out of jail, and on the other hand he also really needs to know how it all went wrong.
This is a little quirky and I don't just mean the whole subject matter of what the Exiteers actually do. It crosses a subject so controversial (no spoilers here) with elements of comedy but still manages to be respectful all the way through.
Felix is a great character. He is still suffering from grief from his own bereavements and really understand what his "job" entails for all concerned. But, he is also a bit naive as we soon find out when the whole reason for the Exiteer system comes out (again, no spoilers). This book could almost be Felix's coming of age story as he discovers more about himself and the world he lives in, and the people he crosses, as time goes on.
If that wasn't enough, we also have a rather recalcitrant cat thrown in to lighten the mood. Which, again, with the main subject matter, lightens the mood of the whole book and keeps it balanced rather than going too dark. Oh and those gnomes...!
Other characters are just as well created and have their own humour to add to the mix - I especially loved PC Calvin Bridge and the challenges his job often brings him.
Pacing is good and, once I really got immersed into the book, it pretty much read itself to me the rest of the time. In fact, I got a bit grumpy when I had to put it down to go to work.
I imagine that this will be a marmite book given the main theme and there might be a few DNFs along the way but as I am thankfully devoid of any personal experience with what is contained herein I personally took it on the face value it displayed and absolutely loved it.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.