This is a surprisingly funny book, without a huge amount of tension. The plot is tight and clever, and everyone ends up in the right place, the good rewarded and the bad flattened. There's an element of hyper-coloured simplicity to it, like one of those TV programmes that's modern but also rooted in a perfect retro English town. A good read, but not really crime. Enjoyed it though!

The premise of this book is rather bleak - widowed pensioner Felix Pink who lives alone with his dog Mabel, is an Exiteer. This means that he keeps a dying person company as they decide to take their final breath.
When of his visits goes wrong, and the wrong person dies, Felix finds himself on the run from the police.

However, the cast of characters, and Felix himself, make this a joyful, life-affirming read.

Caught up by circumstances beyond his control, he is swept along on a tide of suspicion, mistaken identity, and fraud. Along the way he encounters a policeman from a criminal family, with a betting habit, a friendly neighbour, a retired sailor.
In his head, Felix hears the voice of his late wife Margaret, giving him good advice, as he strives to do the right thing.

I love the fully rounded characters that Belinda Bauer creates – even the most minor has a back story, and they all deserve their own series of books. There is drama, humour and a lot of love in this book, and the story, after many red herrings, some comedy and a little tragedy, comes to a very satisfying end for all concerned.

An excellent read.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin UK – Random House for the opportunity to read this book.

his was slow and lacked a little substance for me. It didn’t grab me and I was really disappointed by the slow pace and lack of detail. I’m parts it was hard to keep going.
Not a long book but could have been even shorter. Wordy in parts.
Definitely not what I was expecting following snap which I only read recently.

It's early in the year but I think this is going to be one of my favourite books of 2020! When I started it, my heart sank a little as it was so far removed from my usual book of choice but I quickly fell in love with the main character and it was just so beautifully written and not what I was expecting at all. Highly recommended.

Belinda Bauer never ceases to surprise her readers.
This is a tale of a group of people that sit with individuals with terminal illnesses that wish to take their own life.....but everything is not what is seems.
This tale twists and turns and the end is not predictable.
As well as the complex and compulsive storyline the highlight of this book are the characters; the main character Felix Pink is an absolute delight. There are not many books where the hero of the story is an elderly gentleman who would describe his life as uneventful and predictable.
I love the pace of the story and the turns it take and it is highly recommended.
A delicate subject matter that is told with grace and humour.
Thanks you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read in return for a review.

This could have been such a depressing read but, although thought-provoking, it turns out to be the opposite.
You're expecting a crime thriller with the opening but Bauer offers the reader much more than that as the story unfolds. Your ethical opinion is awakened by the actions of the main characters and then you are dropped in the middle of what appears to be quite an entangled crime.
I loved the conclusion too!

Thank you to Bantam Press (Penguin Random House) and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Huge Empathy And More Than A Dollop Of Dark Humour......
Felix Pink, pensioner, has made a mistake. One that sees him on the run from the Law. However, Felix was all about the good. What could possibly have happened to see Felix in such dire straits? Fully engaging novel from Belinda Bauer. Written with huge empathy and more than a dollop of dark humour. Highly recommended.

There is a lot of discussion lately going on about the right people have to end their own life when they feel they have lived it in full. You can almost imagine something like the Exiteers in this book would be very welcome.
Felix is a very skilfull Exiteer but in this story we learn that there is lots more behind this organization that claims to want to do nothing but good.
I immensely enjoyed reading this story, with so many interesting characters, with clever twists and turns and a few unexpected surprises. The story is built on compassion ánd greed, on mistakes made in the past and mistakes that could be prevented.
It is very cleverly written and highly enjoyable – I think I found a new favorite author.

Thanks to Netgalley for this digital review copy.

This author goes from strength to strength. Her books are packed full of rich characters and moments of everyday eccentricity, and this is one of her best. If you like the crime fiction of Kate Atkinson, you’ll love Exit.

Exit is a crime novel with a difference; its got the crime, the victim, the perpetrator and detectives but its also got humour and a wonderful cast of characters that include Felix Pink, a pensioner who lives alone with his loyal dog Mabel and wears a beige jacket.

Felix is an Exiteer, one of a small group of people who work in pairs, offering support to those who are terminally ill and have decided to take their own lives. With strict protocol to follow, Felix always plays by the rules and is comfortable with his role until one day when teamed up with a young inexperienced 'first time exiteer' it all goes horribly wrong.

I thought Exit was a really good read, it was easy to get into and very hard to put down. The characters might not all have been likeable but each and every one of them was well written and easily visualised with quirks and mannerisms that made them unique and very real.
With a plotline that flowed well, kept me guessing to the end and combined good, bad and downright ugly with romance, poignancy and a good dollop of humour this was a perfectly balanced read and I loved it!
A clever, well plotted novel that left me with a wistful smile on my face.
My thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

This isn’t how things are meant to be, Felix is meant to comfort the people who have chosen to die. The Exiteers are supposed to be a secret. But the wrong person has died and now Felix is out of his depth and running out of time before the trail & the blame leads straight to him.

I loved the balance of the twisty mystery with the black humour popping out when you least expect it. The author highlighted important issues in a refreshing way. I thought Felix was a wonderful character with an interesting voice. However I didn’t warm to Calvin Bridge which was a shame.

Overall I found this an enjoyable book.

This book is very different to previous Belinda Bauer novels. It is a detective novel, with a murder to be solved, but is largely humorous and indeed hilarious in parts. It is also very moving; some characters are very kind and human, in the nicest way. Sometimes books that try to be different just don’t work, this one does, very well. I suspect it is a stand alone book, but if a second book was written with the same detectives I’d definitely buy it.

I loved Belinda Bauer’s previous book, Snap, so much that I persuaded the book chain I work for to stock it. I was so looking forward to this book but it is quite different. It took a while for me to warm to the story and the characters but in the end I loved them. The odd group reminded me a bit of David Baldacci’s Camel Club series.
Felix is in his 70s, he is a widower and lives alone with his dog Mabel. He is rather eccentric and set in his ways. He also is an Exiteer. This is a company that assists in suicides of the terminally ill. Canister of nitrous oxide and masks are left within reach of those that want to leave this world, and the Exiteers sit with them while they pass on. On this occasion Felix has a new partner, a young girl named Amanda. When they arrive at the address where the next person lives that needs their help, they let them selves in and go in search of the client. They find him upstairs in bed struggling to breathe. The cylinder and mask have fallen out of reach of the client and their is nothing Felix can do. They must not aid the client, just be with him until he takes his last breath. Amanda being her first job, isn’t aware of the rules and she passes the man, Albert, the mask. After he has taken his last breath and the pair are about to leave they discover another gentleman in the next bedroom and he is actually their client. It seems they have killed the wrong man. But it is a whole lot more complicated and twisted than that. There are the police looking for clues, Felix trying to fix things himself, there is gambling and fighting, intimidation and a game afoot.
Although initially not liking this novel too much I ended up enjoying Felix’s character so much I hope there is another story about him.

My thanks to the Publishers via NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review. I gave this a 5 stars or 10/10.

Whilst, I was reading this story I had visions or thoughts that I knew which way it was going. How wrong could I have been? Obviously, I was very wrong as it didn't go where I was expecting it to.

Belinda Bauer has a way of engaging with the reader. Her writing style draws you in to the lives of her characters. Felix Pink is an elderly gentleman, he is an Exiteer. The Exiteers are a group of people whose aim in life is to help others at a time in their lives, when they sometimes want to take fate into their own hands.

Sadly, for Felix things take a turn for the unexpected one day and as a result he finds himself on the run from the Police. As events unfold, Felix begins to realise that all was not as he thought and he tries to find out where things went wrong this time. Can Felix stay ahead of the law, while trying to work out what went wrong?

This was a great story that kept me guessing, as I mentioned earlier I had my thoughts on where this was going, but it surprised me and took me on a completely different journey with Felix and his associates than I had expected.

I loved the premise of the story and the fact that it surprised me completely.

I'm a big fan of Belinda Bauer's books and was really looking forward to reading Exit. I was not disappointed. Exit is a page-turner of a thriller, but at the same it made me laugh. The betting shop scenes were brilliantly done. The police procedural aspect had a slightly bizarre quality, but at the same time it brought to life how police work can often be mundane and dealing with situations that border on the ridiculous. But underneath it all is a serious story about a group of people - the Exiteers - who provide support to people wanting to commit suicide. The thriller aspect comes in when it all turns sinister. I loved the characters including the eccentric Felix Pink and the way his mundane life soon fills with twists and turns. It doesn't matter to Felix when a police curfew stops him going out at 9pm, because that's his bed time, after all.

Highly recommended thriller with a slightly different angle on the genre. I read Exit in one sitting - drawn into the plot, the often funny, somewhat absurd story world and cast of characters, and the brilliant writing of Belinda Bauer that is a pleasure in itself to read.

Another great book by Belinda Bauer. A very enjoyable read but not her usual gritty storyline.
The twists and turns of the story keep you turning the pages to see what happens next. The many different characters are solidly written and believable. The story is at first look a typical tale of crime. However, it is a tale of relationships, love, jealousy and loss. This is a really interesting tale which involves, as well as all the other ingredients, a touching on the area of euthanasia which is obviously a controversial topic.
All in all I would recommend this book to all who love a twisty and involving story.

Recently I wrote about how my carefully crafted reading schedule goes up in flames every time I get a book by Sharon Bolton. Well, you’ll be relieved to know I gave myself a stern talking to. There’s a proper list to be followed so like a responsible adult I reached for the next book in the queue. Then I got the latest from Belinda Bauer.

*Sigh*….Here’s my review.

I should begin with a trigger warning for those of you passionate about garden gnomes. The book contains a scene that can only be described as utter lawn ornament carnage & it’s not pretty. So maybe skim that part. You’re welcome.

This is the story of how one simple mistake alters the lives of a handful of residents in the small village of Bideford. The cast is a mixture of decent folk & quirky oddballs who all weigh in as the book progresses. But the 2 main narrators are Felix Pink & PC Calvin Bridge.

Felix is a 75 year old widower. He lives a quiet, orderly life & has always played by the rules. After watching his wife lose a slow battle with dementia, Felix became an Exiteer…..one of a small group who witness the death of those who have chosen to end their suffering with assisted suicide. They work in pairs & for his next assignment, Felix is accompanied by new recruit Amanda.

They travel to the home of Charles Cann, an elderly man with cancer. One look & Felix knows it will be a short visit. In fact, he’s more worried about Amanda. Ah well, the first time is always the toughest. All they have to do is sit there so really, what could go wrong? Oh ye Gods, where to start…

In the blink of an eye, Felix goes from upstanding citizen to man on the run. Worse yet, someone called the cops which brings PC Calvin Bridge to the Cann residence.

Calvin is a 27 year old guy who is trying to remember why he became a cop. After a brief stint as a detective under DCI Kirsty King, he’s happy to be back in uniform & patrolling the streets. He knows the local criminal element well so when he gets a call about a home invasion, he figures he’ll have it solved by tea time. And he might have…if only he hadn’t found a body.

This is one of those reads where you should go in knowing as little as possible about the plot so I’ll quit while I’m ahead. But what you’ll find is a story that is just as much about the characters as who-dun-it. Compared to the author’s previous book, this is a slower paced tale full of warmth, humour & surprising twists.

It all kicks off with the body. Then we meet the cast & learn of the events & people that have shaped their lives. The MC’s are 2 men at very different stages but as the story progresses, both begin to reflect on the choices they’ve made. I particularly enjoyed Felix’s journey. When we first meet, he’s a man who is awaiting his own demise as he helps others on their way. But a funny thing happens as events spin out of control. He’s not allowed to passively stand by & is forced to participate in his life.

Bauer excels at characterization & with just a few sentences, even minor characters jump off the page. The dialogue is sharp & economical & as the pace picks up in the second half, it becomes an entertaining mix of mayhem & misunderstandings as characters race to either find or avoid each other.

It’s much more than a cleverly constructed murder mystery. Interspersed with devious twists & wry humour are moments that are poignant & all too familiar for those of us with elderly family members. Through Felix & Charles, we feel the heartache of losing someone bit by bit & frustration over the small things we gradually surrender with age. Multiple story lines eventually intersect & there are plenty of surprises in store. The ending brings the story full circle & I thought it was perfect. Wishing you red skies every night, Skipper.

Oops, I forgot to include a warning for those fond of vending machines. Oh well, you’ll get over it. Now, where did I put that reading list….

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I have never read any of this authors books and now I know what I have been missing. Loved Felix Pink, storyline and the rest of the characters.

I wasn’t sure about this book at first. It takes a serious matter, assisted suicide, and portrays it in quite an irreverent way.

However, you can’t help but be sucked in by the characters. Felix Pink is exactly the sort of pensioner that most of us can recognise. He’s charming and funny but vulnerable all at the same time. I loved him and Mabel! The other characters are equally well written and described.

I haven’t read any books like this before, a sort of comedy crime genre, and it took me a while to get into it. I loved the story and I loved the characters but I didn’t find it gripping. More entertaining. It’s the sort of book you can dip in and out of without risking losing the momentum of the story.

Overall, I enjoyed this more than I thought I would when I first picked it up. I will seek out further books by this author! Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.

This is the story of the Exiteers from Exeter - an organization which helps people to end their lives by suicide. They always work in secret and in pairs. The clients are provided with a mini canister of nitrous oxide and the Exiteers are present to witness the event without directly helping, or they could be charged with murder. Felix Pink is a widower who works for the organization and believes fervently that he is providing a necessary service. He is partnered with Amanda, a first timer, but things go awry and the wrong person is despatched. Felix does his bungling best to cover up the crime but, full of remorse, he tried to make amends. However, it turns out that all is not what it seems to be - someone is using the organization to get rid of people they have a grievance with. Who is behind this? The local detectives do their best to find out, but the wrong people keep confessing.
All of the characters in this book are well rounded and the whole thing is very amusing.