You would not expect to find yourself thoroughly enjoying a novel the subject matter of which is euthanasia. But Belinda Bauer succeeds in introducing both pathos and real humour into this subject in her tale featuring Felix Pink as the innocent player in a euthanasia which ends up involving the police. Felix has recently lost his wife to cancer and, as a result, is empathetic towards those wishing to practice euthanasia. He takes on a role of attending, but not assisting, those who request support form the agency that refers him. His work is entirely voluntary and unpaid but ensures his clients don't die alone. Belinda Bauer uses his naivety in taking on this role to form the basis of a truly charming story. Surprisingly by the end of the book I felt really good about Felix and his determination to think the best of everyone and yet not to impose his opinions in any way. He is a true gentleman and we could all do a lot worse than to emulate his humble humanity. A genuinely heart-warming read which will certainly have you chuckling.

Felix Punk is a 75 year old widower who lost his son to cancer and his wife to dementia and being a kindly man, joined a group of people called the exiteers to "oversee" people with terminal illnesses take their own life without involving and creating issues for their family. He visits a house with Amanda, a "newby" to the exiteers to oversee a suicide. However, it all goes wrong and Felix has to run, leaving behind key evidence of his presence and the presence of the exiteers group.

He wants to protect Amanda but at the same time better understand what went to wrong. To this end he re-visits the house and in particular visits with "Skipper" the orginally intended suicide victim and starts to get to know Skipper, his son and the cleaner. The police have seen on a camera that 2 people entered the house and eventually link the wrongful death to Felix.

The cast of characters is strong including the police investigating the case and in particular PC Calvin Bridge who has his own mysterious background. You cannot help liking all of the characters and this is a highly amusing tale. I have read other books by this author and always been impressed with her writing but this is my favourite to date. It is full of humour and pathos and I recommend this book to fans of the author but also anybody who has not read any of her other books.

I would like to thank Netgalley, and publisher Bantam press for allowing me an advance ARC copy of this book for a fair and honest review of the book.

Senses of loss, irony, humour, a sense of wonder but somehow Belinda Bauer's rhythmical writing reaches senses you didn't know you'd got. Stay in! don't miss the Exit.

#Exit #NetGalley A very different type of 'crime' novel that I wasn't sure at first whether I was going to enjoy. however, as the book went on I became more attached to the main story tellers and found myself really liking this. Not a nitty gritty crime thriller but there were elements of tension and action particularly near the end. The character of Felix was very charming and it was obvious that others in the book thought so. Although I am not sure how many police officers would go home to fetch a pillow and duvet so that a suspect could be comfortable in the cells! warm and emotional in parts and humorous in others, I would recommend this to anyone wanting something a little bit different from the norm.

A sincere thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for providing me an ebook copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. Unfortunately I didn’t finish this book. I didn’t like how it was written and too much going on all the time. Moreover I didn’t identify with, or believe, any of the storyline.

I was so excited to get my hands on a copy of Belinda Bauer’s new release Exit after loving Snap so much! (Her other books are on my to be read pile!)

The main character, Felix, is a 75-year-old man who, despite having a slightly odd ‘job’, is quite loveable from the beginning though I am not sure that was actually the intention! Felix, otherwise known as John, is an Exiteer. Working with a small group of others and organised by Geoffrey, they ‘help’ people who are terminally ill to die through what is essentially an assisted suicide programme.

Felix is passionate about helping others to make a smooth transition after watching the love of his life die cruelly. Their programme is totally innocent and above board legally until something goes wrong and Felix and his companion find themselves in a bit of a mess! Always the gentleman, Felix says he will take the blame and sort all the consequences.

The story takes you through the period after the incident and entwines the lives of others around the exiteers. While this is a great crime novel there are some humorous and very loving parts to it, some of the characters are heart-warming even if they don’t appear to be so initially.

The books flows really well and draws you in, I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next and the ending was the icing on the cake. Another great book from Belinda Bauer!

Another darkly plotted novel from Belinda Bauer, ‘Exit’ is primarily about euthanasia. 75 year old Felix Pink is an exiteer - someone who sits with the terminally ill who wish to exit their world of pain and suffering. The exiteers aren’t allowed to assist the person to die, indeed they stay very much within the law. However, when Felix enters number 3 Black Lane with newbie exiteer 23 year old Amanda in tow, something goes very wrong, and it puts the pair of them in a really sticky, (not to mention) illegal situation. Felix needs to evaluate just what went wrong, and decide how, and at what point he should hand himself into the police, bearing in mind he would have to arrange for someone to look after his little dog.

A widower, Felix lives alone with his delightful dog Mabel for a companion. He’s a wonderful human being, has impeccable manners, and he’s also extremely amusing, though he doesn’t realise this himself, which makes it even more amusing.

DC Calvin Bridge is in charge of the investigation into this catastrophe, and even he is charmed by Felix, indeed the whole team treat him like their own grandfather. Yes a team of police officers with a caring nature! The only thing this police team could be accused of is cruelty to vending machines!

This is certainly very different, but in a good way. I wasn’t sure if this was going to be for me, but I was proved wrong. The main protagonists were great, and the constant humour lifted it from what could have been a depressing read, into a really heartwarming one. Very enjoyable.

'Felix' is an exiteer, he 'helps' people who are terminally ill to die.
He watched the loves of his life die cruelly and is trying to stop the same thing happen to other people. But there are rules and there are standards.
These are broken and 'Felix' has to step away from what he has always known to find out how his noble ideals are being exploited.

How can a book about such a grim topic be so heartwarming? It made me smile, it did make me laugh, but it also made me think.
Great.

Thanks to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

You can always rely on Belinda Bauer to produce a compelling, highly original take on the mystery genre. This book is no different. A crime novel with a humorous overtones is the novelistic equivalent of chalk and cheese, it shouldn't work, but it does. 'Exit' is further proof of this alchemy, an alchemy that is uniquely the creative product of Belinda Bauer. This one has all the hallmarks of an eminently satisfying read, and it certainly delivers in this respect. The novel revolves around a group of people called the Exiteers. The Exiteers provide support to individuals who want to end their lives. All perfectly innocent, this is not assisted suicide by any means, but.... well, in this case, there is a hitch. The noble rationale of the Exiteers has been subverted - someone has been murdered! Cue a deliciously funny, moving, twisty mystery, with an inimitable, highly original hero at the heart of events. It is up to the indominable, delightful, Felix Pink to unravel the motivations behind these strange happenings. The twists and turns of this novel were both satisfying and unpredictable. Indeed, the cosy prose-style and plotting of Bauer's novels should not fool anyone into thinking that style equals substance. There is a sharp mind at play in the construction of Belinda Bauer's novels, which taken in the right spirit, is somewhat naturally criminally inclined. I loved every page of this wonderful novel. Original and utterly compelling - a must read for fans of crime fiction everywhere.

I loved this book! I started off reading it thinking oh maybe this was a mistake, it is going to be awful depressing - but honestly it wasn't what I expected at all. I loved the author's book Snap so when I got the chance to read Exit as an advance copy I thought I had to read it although the subject of assisted dying involving a group of people called the Exiteers didn't sound like a laugh a minute! It was actually really funny and quite touching and poignant. It was essentially a character led story with some elements of a thriller and whodunnit, containing a lot of humour. I am a sucker for books featuring vulnerable older people and I fell in love with Felix Pink.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it.

How can a person watch a person die, for company, and not help if in distress. I guessed who the perpetrator was, however, didn't work out how 'how it was done. Poor Felix and forthright Mrs Knott. Enjoyed.

5 Stars from me

So good!

If Exiteers aren't a thing then they totally should be.

I loved this book from start to finish, it is beautifully sharp and funny in all the right places.

I found the characters to be engaging and I simply couldn't read the book fast enough - I raced through the pages needing to find out what happens to Felix.

Great story, great ending, highly recommended.

This one was average just like the previous book by this author that I read. It was well written and kept a steady pace throughout but it didn’t really hold my attention and it wasn’t anything new.

This is a very clever, original murder mystery.

The Exiteers support people who want to end their lives. The law doesn't allow them to actively help suicides, but they're there for the final moments so the individual isn't alone. But when the wrong person kills themselves, it throws into question everything they've been doing.

Felix Pink is the main protagonist, one of the Exiteers who was there when the wrong person dies. He takes it upon himself to unearth what really happened and the truth is very surprising.

It's a gentle read, rather like a pleasant stroll in the park when the sun is shining. It's terribly sweet, with subtle intrigue and more than a few shocks along the way.

One of those unexpected delights.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC without obligation.

I loved this! Can a review be that short and to the point?
I dont like to provide a synopsis in reviews so I will just say that Exit made me think a lot about end of life, ageing, and how easily wires can get crossed. And it made me smile, a lot!

What a clever subject to write a novel about - assisted suicide, and all the complexities that this throws up.

It felt very dark at the beginning of the novel, but quite quickly turns into a charming, if that’s the right word to describe assisted suicide, easy read with some gentle twists along the way. Not really my sort of book, but that said, I enjoyed it.

Exit starts out feeling very dark, It quickly shifts its tone, adding a layer of black humor and then slipping quietly into a mystery. Belinda Bauer is a very talented writer; one whose books I always anticipate!

Another intriguing outing from Belinda Bauer! Exit deals with some pretty heavy issues with assisted suicide, when Felix an "exiteer" inadvertently finds himself at the heart of a murder case. This book will have you laughing out loud, whilst the intrigue stacks up. This was so brilliantly intertwined and clever wrapped up.

There's not much not to love about this book. It's funny, with brilliant characters, that are down to earth and relatable... if relatable means you find yourself in terrible situations (we've all been there, but perhaps we're not all quite so unlucky as Felix Pink). I love how the point of view flips, and I was utterly blown away with some of the twists (not all of them), which doesn't happen often these days.

I was left with one lingering question who is the ginger cat and what happened to him??

I would like to thank Netgalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for an advance copy of Exit, a stand alone novel set in Devon.

Felix Pink is an Exiteer who sits with the dying as they take their last breath but his latest mercy mission takes a disastrous turn and he is soon running from the law.

I thoroughly enjoyed Exit which is a charming, quirky tale with a compulsive plot. I wasn’t quite sure at first if I would like it as there is a certain slapstick element to it and that isn’t my thing but it soon settles into a comedy of errors that masks a very clever, ingenious plot with several good twists. It is not a long novel but it packs quite a punch, leaving me baffled at times at how it was going to turn out, gasping at some of the twists and the author’s trademark sleight of hand and, at others, laughing out loud.

The novel has a very inviting tone that just begs the reader to continue. It just feels warm and cozy. It is told from various points of view but rather than being distracting each point of view adds something to the narrative and gives the reader an added perspective. In the end the very mundanity of the solution, after all the shenanigans, is jaw dropping and adds another layer.

I liked Felix Pink’s journey through the novel. He discovers more about himself in these few days than he has done in the previous 75 years and his neighbour, Miss Knott is a revelation.

Exit is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

I love Belinda Bauer! She's such a great writer and does character so well and so effortlessly (rare to find). This one didn't disappoint. Bauer's plots have the perfect balance between tense and farcical. Read her stuff! She's fab.