It was never supposed to be murder...

I'm new to Belinda Bauer's world, but I hope she'll invite me to visit occasionally, as I have really enjoyed the time I've spent there so far.

Felix Pink, a retired seventy-something widower, might be one of the most endearing characters I've had the pleasure to welcome into my life for years. His is a world which is fairly straightforward, and very black and white. I laughed throughout the entire story at his innocent thoughts and exploits. There was a particularly hilarious scene between Felix and a police officer, which had me waking my poor husband, in the middle of the night, with my giggles.

The story was well-plotted, beautifully paced, and actually managed to throw a couple surprises at me in the end. So, why not a five-star rating, Bridgett? There were two, relatively minor, reasons.

1. Without giving too much away, there were several characters who were barely mentioned throughout the novel. By the time they were brought back into the story, I'd forgotten who they were and was mildly confused. I had to go back and re-read some passages for clarification.

2. Perhaps it's just because I've never read a story quite like Exit, but it felt as though it couldn't decide on a genre...was it a dark comedy? A domestic drama? A cozy mystery? Personally, I think it could easily fit into all those genres, but I went in expecting a thriller, so I was a bit thrown off when I started reading.

Overall, though, I adored this story and I definitely plan to read more of Ms. Bauer's work. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to all my friends and fellow readers, if for no other reason than as an introduction to Felix. He was such a gem.

Available for purchase February 2, 2021.

**My sincere appreciation to NetGalley, Edelweiss, and Grove Atlantic for my review copy.

My first Belinda Bauer. Not my last. This books as great. I read it in a day. Extremely well written, fast paced, intelligent and completely different. Not a rehash of anything and you don’t see the twists and turns coming. Emotionally charged as well, Bauer goes to the top of my list. Read it. Trust me.

4.5* from me which makes this a great read.
Belinda Bauer never fails to deliver.
What an inspired theme for a book.
I always love the authors easy going writing style. You just ease straight on into the book, and it got my attention straight away.
Felix is such a likeable honourable character, so I was immediately onside with him. So sweet and well intentioned 😊
It has humour, that had me laughing out loud.
I felt quite emotional at the end.
It makes you stop and think about the ethics and morality of assisted suicide.
I feel honoured to have had the opportunity of reading arc of Exit.
Thanks to Netgalley.

I wish to extend my sincere thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for Belinda Bauer's newest book. She is one of my favourite writers, and when I finished my first book by this author I enjoyed it so much that I read all her books in rapid succession. Her plots are always original and enthralling, infused with wit and warmth, and her characters are memorable and unique.

Exit focused on the themes of ageing and death. It was sometimes heart-wrenching and sad, but parts were hilarious. Felix is a widower in his mid-seventies. He misses his wife and son who have both died. He bases decisions on what his wife would think or do. He has never taken chances, nor had adventures, and lacks friends. He is passive and considers himself to be boring, but he is a kindly, compassionate, and practical man.

Felix has joined a small group of Exiteers who sit and comfort those who commit suicide to end their terminal pain. They do not assist in bringing about the death but do everything by strictly legal means. They clean up afterwards to allow the families to believe that death was peaceful and came naturally.

He enters a home where his services have been requested. He is to give comfort and witness the death of elderly Charles Cann who is terminally ill with cancer. Felix is accompanied by a new volunteer, Amanda, age 25 years. To his horror, things go dreadfully wrong. Overcome with guilt, he wants to confess to the police and to protect Amanda. First, he must return to his house to make arrangements for the care of his elderly dog, Mabel, in case he finds himself in jail. A neighbour, Miss Knotts agrees to look after Mabel, and they begin a friendship.

He feels the need to return to the Cann home to make amends. The house is now occupied by the elderly Skipper who is terminally ill, his adult grandson, Reggie and a lazy and slovenly house cleaner, Hayley. Felix becomes proactive and energized and begins to investigate the cause of his horrible mistake after becoming suspicious that he and Amanda were set up. He expects to be arrested at any moment and is engulfed in a catastrophe set to destroy his later years.

Meanwhile, Detective Calvin Bridges, who had been the first responder at the scene, is proving himself to be a proficient investigator. He lacks self-confidence and a social life and has a gambling problem. He knows most of the towns' lowlifes. His family is much involved in criminal activity which he is intent on keeping secret from his colleagues
The ending is poignant and emotional but brought a smile to my face.

I hadn’t planned on making this my next read but as soon as I had a peek at the first few lines that was that. Having loved every single previous book by Belinda Bauer (and I’ve read them all) I was really looking forward to this one. I was not in the slightest bit disappointed and devoured this book in two sittings. This is the story of a small secret group of people that go by the name of the Exiteers. They witness suicides in the terminally ill, making sure they die with dignity, and aren’t alone in their final moments. You would think that given its such a sensitive and controversial subject it would be quite a depressing read, but it’s far from it. As with all of her books, there is an element of humour throughout, and there were more than a few laugh out loud moments along the way. I absolutely adored the quirky characters, especially Felix Pink, and I highly recommend this book. It’s the best I have read for a while.