Charming and Heartwarming!

4.5 stars

“Maybe that would be the best way to go -drunk and stupid.”

Exit is a cleverly plotted mystery about an assisted suicide gone awry.

75-year-old Felix Pink has led a boring and predictable life, all up until he becomes an Exiteer, a person who assists with suicide. When he and his Exiteer partner, Amanda, who happens to have very sensible eyebrows , mistakenly assist the wrong man die, they find themselves in the middle of a murder investigation.

Told primarily through the eyes of Felix, and Calvin, a young police officer, both characters are equally charming and lovable. Felix especially pulled at my heartstrings. While Felix and Calvin differ, both find themselves stuck in their pasts, unable to live in the present.

I had a little bit of a hard time connecting in the beginning, and I really wasn’t sure this book was for me, but I am so glad I stuck it out.

Don’t let the subject matter keep you away from reading this book. The plot is dark, but there is so much wit and humor that once the first couple of deaths occur, it doesn't feel dark at all. This book is filled with heart-warming characters, snappy dialogue, lots of humor, some crazy antics, two lovely dogs, and of course, why not a character with sensible eyebrows? I will never look at one’s eyebrows the same way again!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

“Exit” is just the type of book we American anglophiles adore. “Exit” features a cozy country English village, filled with a cast of lovable, quirky characters- the old, set in his ways widower, and next door to him, a bubbly widow. A bumbling young police officer, several young women, and a house full of misfit types completes the main cast. They all drink plenty of tea to get through pleasant and unpleasant moments and several of them have memorable pets. A nice bucolic romance, right?

Until the author, Belinda Bauer, turns the whole plot on its head. The author has been described as “Britain’s most original crime writer.” I have to agree. Many crimes are committed in this entertaining book, many SERIOUS crimes. And the old, daft, but proper widower, Felix Pink seems to be the agent of all the mayhem.

The crimes will keep the reader puzzled until the end, and this part of the story is fun and fascinating. But what makes the story truly memorable are the characters. Each one has a heart and soul. They’ve lived through deeply sad times and times of happiness. They have flaws and desires, and a few hopes and sometimes the sun does shine for them.

I highly recommend this book. I received an advance review copy from NetGalley and Grove Atlantic. This is my honest review.

I've asked several times now if it is possible to provide this book as an epub, as it's difficult to read pdf on the device I'm currently using (my other device one gave up a few weeks ago). So far no response. It wouldn't be fair to give a review since I only got a chapter or two in but it seems I have to. I'll award 3 stars since it's right in the middle.

Exit at first seems to be about a group of do-gooders who sit with terminally ill patients while they commit suicide with the help of materials provided by their leader. Felix Pink is along for the first one we read about, where he goes by the name John. as he and his accomplice, Amanda, are asset to leave following the death, he realizes that the wrong man has been assisted. The real one is saying "What took you so long?" Amanda and John escape, but now we wonder who set them up? That's the story that Belinda Bauer tells, and I did find it enjoyable. We meet several cops, and a few gamblers. The world that we discover along with Felix is not so innocent. It's a good read with several surprises.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

Question: What do you get when you mix A Man Called Ove with a Police Procedural?
Answer: Belinda Bauer's Exit.

From the very first page of Exit I was hooked. The narrative of the main character is but one example of how the author’s ability to create suspense is simply great. The book’s plot is seemingly simple, at first. "John" is an Exiteer...like Muskateer but to help the ill pass on with company. Upon arrival at the lastest Exit things immediately take a turn for the sinister, and "John" realizes he and his new assistant have "killed" the wrong man!

I really liked the tight plot, with tidbits given away gradually while the reader almost begs for more. Another plus was the excellent character development. There are also well-timed moments of humor, usually having to do with John’s inner musings. He’s not a saint, but that’s probably why I loved him so much. I can't believe this is my first book by this author...My bad. BUT I <b>will</b> be adding more from her repertoire.

Exit by :Belinda Bauer is a very humorous and touching novel about a 75 year old widow named Felix, who volunteers his time working as an Exiteer, someone who kindly witnesses people while they commit suicide due to terminal illness. On his first day with a new Exiteer partner, 23 year old Amanda, things go terribly wrong while "assisting" an elderly gentleman and Felix is soon on the run from the police and trying to figure out who and why. There is a lovely cast of characters in addition to Felix! This book is classified as crime fiction, but I felt it was more a comedy of errors. At one point, about 75% in, I was on the floor laughing during a police interview. I'm not kidding! It's been a while since I found something so funny. This is a sweet story and I recommend for everyone. Loved it!
Thank you to Netgalley and Grove Atlantic/Atlantic Monthly Press for the opportunity to read and review this book. Also, I highly recommend her previous book which I loved, [book:Rubbernecker|16071656].

A black comedy unlike any book I have read in that it covers several genres. Watching someone die is not a crime, assisting them to die most certainly is. Agreeing to offer a presence and comfort as someone chooses to die, named in the book as an exiteer should a job title enlighten, is a grey area,; assisting in the killing , particularly the wrong person would be a crime. Well drawn out believable characters bring this most unlikely premise to life with a convoluted storyline, covering debt, murder, mistaken identities and black humour. A story of serious issues and malevolent criminals is turned on the head by farcical repercussions and a struggling police force. And yet an amazing and bizarre set of circumstances and life affirming conclusion manages to tie up numerous loose ends . Ultimately the reader is left with a positive affinity and attachment to this curious and unexpected delightful yarn. Many thanks to author, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

If you want to read a book to escape from 2020 this is it. Although the premise for the plot is a serious one the majority of the book is quirky, witty and fun. I chuckled aloud many a time while completely loosing myself in the reading of this tale. Great characters developed by a very talented and entertaining writer. It reminded me a bit of A Man Called Ove but I enjoyed it even more.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an early release in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Oh, I needed this book. It’s just such a delight, with a great premise. Felix Pink, a 75 years old widower, is an Exiteer. Someone who sits with the terminally ill as they die slightly ahead of their time. The important rule is to never assist in that dying. Right after he completes his 28th assignment, along with newbie Amanda, he realizes there’s been a horrible mistake. The wrong man has died. And Felix is suddenly in a very, very complicated situation.
What I didn’t expect was the humor in this book. I found myself grinning - a lot. There's a dry humor underlying most of the story and then starting at about the 70% point, quite a few laugh out loud moments.
I thought I knew where the book was going, but I was mistaken. Bauer surprised me with the plot twists here. It ended up being more convoluted than I expected. And I thought the ending was just perfect (and brought a tear to my eye).
I adored Felix. He’s not just sweet, he’s ethical and determined to do what’s right, even if that actually deters the police from figuring out the actual criminal.
I had never read any of Bauer’s work prior to this. But that’s a mistake I plan to rectify.
My thanks to netgalley and Grove Atlantic for an advance copy of this book.

“Exit” by Belinda Bauer is a quirky murder mystery with a fantastic protagonist.
Felix Pink is a widowed retiree who works as an exiteer (a person who sits with a terminally ill person as they die by their own hand.) Felix leads a routine, somewhat boring life until he accidentally witnesses a murder.
I enjoyed this book. It was quite funny too which I wasn’t expecting.

Excellent book! 4 stars! Read with some of my Goodreads buddies and we all loved it. will add full review closer to pub date. What a great premise! i really loved the main character, Felix. Perfect ending.

This was such an interesting mystery dealing with a subject we don't see all the time: assisted euthanasia. Protagonist Felix is a lovely, caring man still grieving the death of his wife and son. He is an Exiteer, part of a group that sits with terminally ill patients who wish to die peacefully. And while they can't aid or interfere in any way, they can lend moral support as the patient wishes. But something goes horribly awry and the wrong patient dies. Now Felix is in a bind and things get worse at every turn. Bauer manages to create a twisty, unbelievable entertaining tale with characters who come to life and challenge us to understand concepts that aren't always talked about.

Chilling thriller about euthanasia. Very, very different.

Exit is an insanely good thriller for many reasons, but what struck me the most is my relationship with the main character. Felix is a kind, charitable lad who serves as a death doula, helping patients die in peace and comfort. Felix is a widower with good manners who lives with his cute dog. But then.... something goes terribly wrong and instead of peacefully helping a patient exit the world, he is on the run from the police.

What. The Heck?! He couldn't possible have done anything bad, could he? I found myself rooting for Felix like my life depended on it without really having the full story.

I was at the edge of my seat, unsure what to believe is going on. As a hardcore fan of thrillers, this was a much needed refresher for me, reminding me why I love this genre so much.

This is my first book by this author but I'm reading everything she writes from now on.

*Thank you to the Publisher for a free advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“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 Grove Atlantic

Do you know how thick wood sounds when it hits the wall! I know exactly how it sounds! That’s my thick head makes this awful sound! It deserves to be hurt because my wasted grey cells haven’t noticed how a Belinda Bauer wrote amazing books before! That’s my first waltz with the author and I’m so sorry for my years I wasted without reading any of her works.

I enjoyed my unique reading journey a lot with the perfect characterization! ( can you imagine a book without any character you truly hate! Oh boy, I adored all these characters a lot. None of them earned my vicious wrath or any punching points! They were so decent, nice! Especially our true hero Felix was book grandpa! - a brand new term after book boyfriend- I like to write a new song for him: won’t you be my neighbor or my grandpa? What a sweet, unique, incredible human being he was! )

I talked about my praises and from my direction of the conversation you may guess some blazing five starred review is coming up! ( well deserved, impeccably written)

Let’s take a look at the plot line: Felix Pink is 75 and his partner in crime Amanda is 23. They are exiteers. ( helping people pass away in peace)
When you read Felix’s past, his heart wrenching years he spent with his wife who was suffering from a terrible traumatic illness, his compelling experience as he sees his love of life’s destructive battle with dementia, even you’re a cruel cutthroat bitch, you cannot help yourself and start to wipe a like a baby! That’s why he chose his profession to help people get through those painful times.

As he helps those people, he gets more lonely and his only true companion is Mabel, an adorable dog. ( more points to love Felix!)

But at their last exit operation, his follow exiteer doesn’t follow the protocol and things get out of control. And after several unfortunate chain of events later they found themselves into a murder investigation!

As I told before I feel like I was living at a parallel law and order universe when I was reading this book. All the officers who are conducting the investigation are extremely decent and likable. Even Calvin who comes from a corrupted family and his colleague Kristy were well crafted, unique characters.

I actually enjoyed this book which has fatal and dark concept but with the talents of the author, your reading experience goes smooth. She handled those sensitive matters adroitly with smartness and creative sense of humor.

No more blabbering. I love it. I need more books of the author ASAP! Take my five shining stars!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic/ Atlantic Monthly Press for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

Thank you NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the eARC.
Wow, I absolutely loved this book! It is gripping, funny and heartwarming...a super good read.
Felix is a 75-year old widow who is a member of a group called The Exiteers. The group assists clients who wish to end their lives by just being there, not helping in any physical way, but emotionally supporting them.
When Felix and newbie Amanda help terminate the life of the wrong client, life becomes a nightmare for Felix. But before he confessed to the police, he tries to figure out how on earth this happened.
He's such a wonderful, caring man, who slowly comes out of his shell as his sleuthing progresses. He and Mabel, his plucky, assertive dog, have many adventures, some terrifying, some comical. There is a big cat in the story as well, making me laugh.
I wish I was a good enough reviewer to be able to convey what a clever and twisty tale this is, but all I can say is: read this book, it's fabulous and honestly the most enjoyable book I've read this year. 5+++ stars and highly recommended.
Thank you so much, NetGalley, Random House and Belinda Bauer, for allowing me to read the eARC.

Laughing Gas - Not so Funny

Who knew that nitrous oxide could be used as a conduit to suicide?

The story centers around Felix, a member of the Exiteers who perform end of life services for the sufferers of terminal maladies. Their role is limited to providing emotional support and a witness to those choosing to end their own lives. There is no assistance.

When a job goes rogue, a series of events sets Felix on the path to self discovery at the ripe age of seventy five. With his wife and son passing before him, Felix had already resigned himself to winding things up until he literally stumbled into new life purposes.

Written with humor and warmth this could almost be described as a Cozy, but underlying subject matters ground the story.

This will be especially appealing to those pet enthusiasts like me who adore the human animal bond. I loved this book!

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for my Advanced Readers Copy.

<b> Belinda Bauer has been on my list of to-read authors for quite some time and I’m excited to read more of her books!

Animal lovers will be pleased to know there is no animal abuse in this delightful and witty mystery! Although I would have looked the other way if the ginger tomcat, that was a semi-lovable bully, accidentally received a faceful of water 😂.</b>

It’s not often that I can call a mystery/thriller delightful! I usually enjoy fast-paced thrillers, filled with suspenseful slaughter and carnage. Even though this one didn’t fit the bill, it was very unique and I loved it!

Felix Pink has always lived a boring and predictable life. But that changes after his wife dies...not necessarily intentional. He joins a group that calls themselves the Exiteers. The group helps the terminally ill end their suffering and pain. Technically, the service they provide isn’t against the law, but they walk a thin line. They don’t provide the “means” for the process, just companionship and comfort at the end.

Felix was just one of the incredible and compassionate characters...mixed in with the extremely unlikable, of course!

Thank you to NetGalley, Belinda Bauer and Atlantic Monthly Press for this free digital ARC, in exchange for my honest opinion!

<b>My Rating: </b> 5 ⭐️’s
<b>Published:</b> February 2nd 2021 by Atlantic Monthly Press
<b>Pages:</b> 336
<b>Recommend:</b> Absolutely!

@BelindaBauer @NetGalley
#Exit #AtlanticMonthlyPress #NoRulesJustThrills #InExchangeForReview #BookReview #JustFinished
#CozyMystery #MustRead #NetGalley

Exit by Belinda Bauer

Seventy five year old Felix Pink is an Exiteer, being present for the last breath of those who are ready to let go of the suffering and pain in this life. Felix supported his wife through all the heartache, tears, and bewilderment of dementia and that experience prompted him to help others avoid such a fate. Felix's "friends" had been through his wife and now he's alone except for his much loved, much doted upon little dog, Mabel. Felix is here for Mabel, to her last day, but once she is gone, he's already bought his own canister and mask, so he can exit this life, too. 

On Felix's latest charity mission, he's accompanied by a new Exiteer. Things go wrong, protocol is not followed by the newcomer, and Felix realizes that they have murdered a man who was not the client that was ready to die. Willing to take full responsibility for what has happened, Felix first needs to tie up some loose ends, such as make sure his neighbor will take care of Mabel. So Felix ends up being on the run from the police, as he also tries to figure out just how things went so wrong. 

Enter the local law enforcement, featuring Calvin, a young uniformed policeman, who failed his one try at being a plainclothes officer. Calvin never wants to work another murder but here he is, having to deal with this latest death. At first I wasn't sure about Calvin but by the end of the story he and Felix were favorites of mine. And I loved the silly comradery of the police headquarters, with their constant battle against the thieving snack machine, jokes about ever present fruitcake, and Calvin's daily contest with his partner for who has had the "worst day ever". 

And the dogs, Bauer knows and loves dogs, without a doubt, and she knows dog talk, dog think, the love of a dog by the dog's person. I laughed at her dog bark translations and could have read an entire book about Mabel going through her day, doing doggie things, as presented by Bauer. The characterizations of the "good" people (not perfect but well meaning, without a doubt) left me with such a good feeling, once I finished the book. I had some questions, in my mind, about little details mostly to do with the gambling part of the story, which I could have done without, but this story was a solid 5 stars from me. 

Thank you to Grove Atlantic/Atlantic Monthly Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

4.5 humorous stars

I read “Snap” back in 2018 and I remember really liking the author’s writing style, when I saw this one, I had to snap (ha ha) it up! I was expecting a gritty thriller, but this author has more talent than just repeating an earlier formula. In fact, I’ve seen some references to the fact that all of her books are unique. I like that and it is a good reminder to not go in with preconceived ideas about a book!

You wouldn’t necessarily expect a book about euthanasia to be laugh-out-loud funny. This one had a lighter feel and I really appreciate that at this time in the world. I adored the character of Felix Pink, he’s 75 and wonders how much longer he’ll be around this world. He sorely misses his wife and son and he’s not sure about continuing his work as an Exiteer. This group consists of a pair of individuals who will go and sit with someone and comfort them in their final moments/hours.

Just as he’s contemplating his future as an Exiteer, the latest one goes terribly wrong and soon Felix and his fellow Exiteer (a brand-new recruit) are on the run. Here’s where some of the humor comes in as this should be a serious situation, but the author has magically created the humor. Throw in some wonderful pets, a friendly neighbor who likes to rate the neighborhood gardens and this one is a gem!

The other storyline features the detective Calvin and some of his police work in this case and a few others. There are some gambling and horse racing scenes with some interesting characters thrown in the mix here. Calvin’s character grew on me, but I must say I preferred the portions that featured Felix.

Not only is there humor in this book, but a few mysteries that get solved at the end and I was completely fooled! I love when an author does this! I would definitely recommend this book and at some point I want to go back and read some earlier books by this author.