Lovely book and plot revolving around the topic of "assisted suicide" in the case of old, terminally-ill patients. Told with a lot of humour and some very likeable and some very dubious characters. Touched on issues of accidental death, gambling, drug addiction and old age. Really enjoyed it and was sad when it ended. I would have liked to continue reading about Felix Pink and his dog Mabel.

I could not get into this book, ultimately it was not form me and I could not finish it. It may be one for other readers

This is one of the better books I've read lately. Yes, there's a murder and a police investigation, but the characters in this book make it one that my friends and family simply must read!!!

I enjoyed this and thought the plot was engaging and well thought out. My first book from this author and it won’t be the last

The dry sense of humor that the author mixed into this book was what kept me reading. Normally, this is not something that I would read, but I love the wet and dry humor. This is a very cozy book and normally I would say it read slow but that was perfect for this book

I enjoyed this book, read in a couple of sittings. It was a cosy type of crime setting. There were some great characters and the plot was great. Looking forward to reading more by this author.

While not really my cup of tea, I would enjoy sharing tea with Felix, who charmed me immediately, as I enjoyed the chapters with him much more so than those spent with the actual detective, Calvin.

I really loved this book, that reminded me so much of a cross between A MAN CALLED OVE and GOOD DOGS DON'T MAKE IT TO THE SOUTH POLE.. It has the same sensibility and the same dry sense of humor about a normally non-humorous subject. It is a kind book, and while I can't imagine events actually playing out this way, I hope that in a kinder world than ours they might. While it's about death, sort of, it's also about love and caring. And Bauer writes with such a light hand that any expected nastiness is pretty much non-existent. Pets play a positive role, as they do in real life, and no pets are harmed in the course of the book.

The only fault that I can find with this book is that it takes the truly heroic effort of sympathetic souls who stay with those who are dying and twists it in a way that seems wrong. However, the twist doesn't take away from the good that the "Exiteers" are doing, and the resolution allows us to imagine a world in which those who are dying are allowed to do so on their own terms.

I am a member of the American Library Association Reading List Award Committee. This title was suggested for the 2022 list. It was not nominated for the award. The complete list of winners and shortlisted titles is at <a href="https://rusaupdate.org/2022/01/readers-advisory-announce-2022-reading-list-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/">

This is an enjoyable book, set in England, about Felix, a man of age, who is an Exiteer.
Felix is part of a team that is contacted to just sit with the person at the end, so they know they are
not alone. No active participation on the part of the Exiter! All previous "arrangements" have been
made by the individual or family.
Behold, a huge mistake happens! What follows is the story of Felix, the relatives of the departed and
the investigation.
This is a heartwarming story with likeable characters, some humor, and true to life feelings of everyone
involved. Give it a read, I think you will like it.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is well written and the characters are described well. I enjoyed Felix and Amanda's character within this book. This book is about the exiteers and guys it is so good. I would recommend it to anyone and everyone. It will keep you on the edge of your seat trying figure out what just happened. It is a good thriller. The pacing is good for a thriller and. It is definitely suspenceful. It is in stores for $26.00 (USD).

After his wife's death, 75-year-old Felix is waiting for his own exit from this world. In the meantime, he volunteers with a clandestine group called the Exiteers, whose members show up to witness--not assist--people who want to take their own lives because of terminal illness. And so, Belinda Bauer's moving Exit begins, with Felix arriving at Skipper Cann's house and staying by the man's bedside until the fellow finally expires from a self-administered lethal dosage of nitrous oxide.

But as Felix and his volunteer partner, Amanda, leave the house, he hears a loud bang and encounters an old man in another bedroom. Turns out Felix and Amanda just witnessed the wrong man dying, and realize they might have been set up as accessories to murder.

Exit contains Bauer's (Snap) trademark blend of poignancy, dark humor and vivid characters. The right to die is a controversial notion--and illegal in many places--but Bauer shines a humane light on it and the story is more uplifting and funny than the subject matter implies. Though Felix starts out as a lonely septuagenarian who believes his life is mostly over, he finds new purpose by befriending the old man who originally hired the Exiteers and poking into who might have set up the wrong person to die. The story's other viewpoints include that of a police officer named Calvin, who's determined not to make detective; Felix's partner, Amanda; and Skipper Cann's nephew, Reggie. Bauer keeps readers in the dark about her characters' motivations and level of guilt all the way up to an ending that's sublimely bittersweet.

My father always says he doesn’t want to live on machines he always says to make sure he dies “in dignitas”, he wants no measures to prolong a life that in his eyes would not be life he would want to live. Even though this is what he wants, I also know it will be hard to make that decision at the time. This is where the “exciters” in this books come in. They support people as they leave this life, but something goes wrong for exited Felix Pink and he finds himself on the run from the law. This was an interesting mystery with a topic I didn’t think would work, but it really did. A cool but thoughtful read.

Great read, this book has everything. Based around some dark topics but with unexpected humour and heartwarming moments. Thoroughly enjoyed this book, would definitely recommend

3.5 rounded up because it’s Belinda Bauer!

Least favorite read of hers that I’ve had but still entertaining.
I think the excitement I had leading up to reading this set the bar high for my expectations.
The whole concept of the 'Exiters' was so unique that I think I was disappointed that that wasn’t the main focus of the plot.

Bauer still can do no wrong in my eyes-I’m forever a fan!

ARC provided by NetGalley

I live a good cozy mystery, and I’ve read all of Agatha Christie’s, so this was a treat. I liked all the characters, especially Felix Pink, but I was a bit confused about a few others, a lot of time was spent on Calvin and I’m not sure why. I liked him but I wasn’t sure what to do with him. And why him and not DCI King?

Also, giving away Terry/Exiteer guy wasn’t my favorite. I kinda guessed that he was shady, but still.

Lots of twists and turns. Overall good!

Thank you fir the ARC.

Death, in the end, beats us all. The ultimate end of life is inevitable but for some, it's harder to leave this world than others. Can we choose to leave of our own accord if we no longer have a quality of life? Can we get help if we make that fatal decision?

Not everyone can afford to travel to Switzerland for assisted suicide. Enter the Exiteers, good men and women whose job is to sit next to a terminal patient and witness the end of their life. Exiteers can't actively help the patients but they can provide the silver cylinder and plastic mask needed for the final act.

This is the background of the warm and witty Exit by Belinda Bauer (Bantam Press, January 2021), a brilliantly plotted and totally unique crime novel.

Seventy-five-year-old Felix Pink is an Exiteer, a good man working under a pseudonym with an honest desire to help others whose lives are no longer bearable. After all, if he didn't do it, who would? With his experience, Felix serves as a mentor for young Amanda, who joins him to witness a dying man's final breath. "I don't think I can do this," Amanda says. "You'll be fine," Felix assures her. What could possibly go wrong?

But something goes horribly wrong, and soon Felix is on run from the police and suspected of murder.

Exit is a whodunit/whydunit mystery but its strength is in its characters—real people with real lives and emotions. Felix is weighted down by events in his past. Calvin Bridge, the policeman on his trail, wonders why he ever agreed to take on the "worst job ever." Skipper, the elderly man who planned to commit suicide with the Exiteers' assistance, comes to realize that his grandson is after a bit more than what is promised to him in the will. What make the characters even more human is the fact that many of them have pets to care for.

Exit is not exactly what you expected in a crime novel but exactly what you need for an enjoyable read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really enjoyed “Rubbernecker” and couldn’t wait to read “Exit”, the latest by Belinda Bauer. I was not disappointed! This book is great fun, a rollicking romp that is very reminiscent of classic P.G. Wodehouse with its dry humor, intricately plotted spiraling mayhem, sweetly comical characters, and bad guys that deserve everything they get.

The story follows the “Exiteers”, a group of earnest volunteers who work, within a very fine legal line, to provide end-of-life emotional support, but no actual assistance, to the terminally ill.

Our main protagonist, Felix, an Exiteer and an elderly gentleman himself, is a total charmer (along with his adorably determined pup Mabel). Needless to say, things do not turn out as planned for Felix, whose unshakeable sense of integrity sets him on a path that is both heart-breakingly tense for the reader, and laugh-out-loud funny.

I found this collection of big-hearted misfits and evil villains (it’s up to you to sort out who is who as the plot unfolds) delightfully entertaining, - that’s now two for two and I’m looking forward to reading more of this author.

A big thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author, for an advance review copy of this book. All thoughts presented are my own.

This book was one of the first good books I read this year.

So, the story goes that the Exiteers are (mostly) pensioners who sit beside dying people and hold their hands and talk to them and make them feel loved as they are going. Felix is an Exiteer. He is 75 and sits besides dying people to give them a dignified exit.

Once he has an unexpected companion - 23-year-old Amanda as a fellow Exiteer.. But something happens and things begin to go horribly wrong. Felix, a widower and a harmless pensioner, is suddenly on the police radar and on the run. DCI Kirsty King and PC Calvin Bridge are on the case.

The story is so hilarious that you cannot help laughing out loud in places you should be maintaining a straight face. Felix is totally amazing. I never thought I would be rooting so hard for a 75-year-old protagonist. The way he thinks of his wife and his interactions with his dog, Mabel, are so endearing that you will fall in love with him. At least, I did.

The other characters are also well-written. Geoffrey Skeet, Amanda, Calvin, and Kirsty all stand well. And the villain comes as a surprise.

For a perfect blend of mystery and humour, 5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC.

This is the second Belinda Bauer book I have read and thoroughly enjoyed. I will definitely be checking out her backlist. Felix Pink is retired and keeps busy and feeling useful volunteering as an Exiteer—someone who sits with terminally ill people as they die by suicide. He assists with logistice, lends moral support and removes evidence so family and friends are not implicated in their deaths. On this job, he is working with a young woman named Amanda that he has not worked with before. She does the unthinkable, then when it ends up that the wrong person died, Felix is thrown into a police investigation.

I really enjoyed this original and unique mystery/thriller. Was this a mistake or was Felix set up as the fall guy for murder? The story is told from two points of view. The first is Felix and the other is the detective investigating, Calvin Bridge. Felix is a seventy-five year old widower who became an Exiteer after his son died of cancer, then his wife of dementia. Bridge suffers from a lack of confidence and is struggling with his wife leaving him. Both of these men are likable and realistic. Bridge and his team try to unravel all of the twists and turns in this crime. It is not simple, it is pretty convoluted and I was kept guessing throughout. The subject of assisted dying is handled well in this story and both sides are presented. Bauer also uses humor in a dry way to lessen the seriousness somewhat. This story has a slow build up in the investigation and it kept me glued to this story. A wonderful mystery that also has a moral issue at its core. Well done Belinda Bauer.