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螆尉慰未慰蟼
螝伪谓慰谓喂魏维 未蔚谓 胃伪 苇蟺蟻蔚蟺蔚 谓伪 蔚委蠂蔚 魏伪蟿伪位萎尉蔚喂 蟽蔚 蠁蠈谓慰鈥�
螣 桅委位喂尉 螤喂谓魏 苇蠂蔚喂 蟺维蟻蔚喂 蟽蠉谓蟿伪尉畏. 围萎蟻慰蟼 蔚未蠋 魏伪喂 蟺维谓蠅 伪蟺蠈 渭喂伪 未蔚魏伪蔚蟿委伪 魏伪喂 蔚尉慰蠀胃蔚谓蠅蟿喂魏维 蟽蟿慰蠂伪蟽蟿喂魏蠈蟼, 味蔚喂 渭喂伪 味蠅萎 蟻慰蠀蟿委谓伪蟼 魏伪喂 伪蟺位蠋蟼 蟺蔚蟻喂渭苇谓蔚喂 萎蟻蔚渭伪 魏伪喂 魏伪蟻蟿蔚蟻喂魏维 谓伪 蟺蔚胃维谓蔚喂, 蔚位蟺委味慰谓蟿伪蟼 慰 胃维谓伪蟿蠈蟼 蟿慰蠀 谓伪 蔚委谓伪喂 蔚尉委蟽慰蠀 蟺位畏魏蟿喂魏蠈蟼 魏伪喂 纬伪位萎谓喂慰蟼. 螖蟻伪蟽蟿畏蟻喂慰蟺慰喂蔚委蟿伪喂 蔚胃蔚位慰谓蟿喂魏维 蠅蟼 螘尉慰未慰蠁蠉位伪魏伪蟼, 伪谓伪位伪渭尾维谓蔚喂 未畏位伪未萎 谓伪 魏维胃蔚蟿伪喂 魏慰谓蟿维 蟽蔚 伪谓胃蟻蠋蟺慰蠀蟼 蟺慰蠀 未喂伪谓蠉慰蠀谓 蟿慰 蟿蔚位蔚蠀蟿伪委慰 蟽蟿维未喂慰 伪谓委伪蟿蠅谓, 蔚蟺蠋未蠀谓蠅谓 谓蠈蟽蠅谓 蟿畏谓 蠋蟻伪 蟺慰蠀 伪蠀蟿慰魏蟿慰谓慰蠉谓, 尾慰畏胃蠋谓蟿伪蟼 蟽蟿喂蟼 蟺蟻伪魏蟿喂魏苇蟼 位蔚蟺蟿慰渭苇蟻蔚喂蔚蟼, 蟺伪蟻苇蠂慰谓蟿维蟼 蟿慰蠀蟼 畏胃喂魏萎 蠀蟺慰蟽蟿萎蟻喂尉畏 魏伪喂 魏伪蟿蠈蟺喂谓 蔚尉伪蠁伪谓委味慰谓蟿伪蟼 蟿伪 蟺蔚喂蟽蟿萎蟻喂伪 纬喂伪 谓伪 渭畏 尾蟻蔚胃慰蠉谓 渭蟺位蔚纬渭苇谓慰喂 慰喂 蟽蠀纬纬蔚谓蔚委蟼 魏伪喂 慰喂 蠁委位慰喂 蟿慰蠀蟼. 螌蟿伪谓 慰 桅委位喂尉 渭蟺伪委谓蔚喂 蟽蟿慰 蟽蟺委蟿喂 蟺慰蠀 尾蟻委蟽魏蔚蟿伪喂 蟽蟿慰谓 伪蟻喂胃渭蠈 3 蟿畏蟼 螠蟺位伪魏 螞苇喂谓, 蟽魏慰蟺蠈蟼 蟿慰蠀 蔚委谓伪喂 谓伪 蔚蟺喂蟿蔚位苇蟽蔚喂 渭喂伪 蟺蟻维尉畏 蟽蠀渭蟺蠈谓喂伪蟼 魏伪喂 蔚蠀蟽蟺位伪蠂谓委伪蟼: 谓伪 魏蟻伪蟿萎蟽蔚喂 蟽蠀谓蟿蟻慰蠁喂维 蟽蔚 苇谓伪谓 蔚蟿慰喂渭慰胃维谓伪蟿慰 蠋蟽蟺慰蠀 谓鈥� 伪蠁萎蟽蔚喂 蟿畏谓 蟿蔚位蔚蠀蟿伪委伪 蟿慰蠀 蟺谓慰萎.
螒位位维 渭蠈位喂蟼 苇谓伪 蟿苇蟿伪蟻蟿慰 伪蟻纬蠈蟿蔚蟻伪, 慰 桅委位喂尉 蟿慰 蟽魏维蔚喂 魏蠀谓畏纬畏渭苇谓慰蟼 伪蟺蠈 蟿畏谓 伪蟽蟿蠀谓慰渭委伪, 苇蠂慰谓蟿伪蟼 未喂伪蟺蟻维尉蔚喂 蟿慰 渭蔚纬伪位蠉蟿蔚蟻慰 位维胃慰蟼 蟿畏蟼 味蠅萎蟼 蟿慰蠀. 韦蠋蟻伪 慰 萎蟽蠀蠂慰蟼 魏伪喂 蟽蠂慰位伪蟽蟿喂魏维 蟺蟻慰纬蟻伪渭渭伪蟿喂蟽渭苇谓慰蟼 魏蠈蟽渭慰蟼 蟿慰蠀 魏伪蟿伪蟻蟻苇蔚喂, 魏伪胃蠋蟼 蟺蟻慰蟽蟺伪胃蔚委 谓伪 未喂伪位蔚蠀魏维谓蔚喂 伪谓 伪蠀蟿蠈 蟺慰蠀 蟽蠀谓苇尾畏 萎蟿伪谓 伪蟺位蠈 位维胃慰蟼 萎 蟺蟻慰渭蔚位蔚蟿畏渭苇谓畏 蟺蟻维尉畏. 螖慰位慰蠁慰谓委伪.
螠蔚蟿维 蟿慰 Snap, 蟺慰蠀 未喂伪魏蟻委胃畏魏蔚 蟽蟿畏 渭伪魏蟻维 位委蟽蟿伪 蟿慰蠀 尾蟻伪尾蔚委慰蠀 Man Booker 2018, 畏 螠蟺蔚位委谓蟿伪 螠蟺维慰蠀蔚蟻 蔚蟺喂蟽蟿蟻苇蠁蔚喂 渭蔚 蟿慰 谓苇慰 渭蠀胃喂蟽蟿蠈蟻畏渭维 蟿畏蟼, 蟺慰蠀 蟽蠀谓未蠀维味蔚喂 蟿畏 蟽蠀渭蟺慰谓蔚蟿喂魏萎 渭伪蟿喂维 魏伪喂 蟿慰 蟽魏慰蟿蔚喂谓蠈 蠂喂慰蠉渭慰蟻 渭蔚 蟿畏 纬蔚渭维蟿畏 伪谓伪蟿蟻慰蟺苇蟼 魏伪喂 蔚魏蟺位萎尉蔚喂蟼 蟺位慰魏萎 蔚谓蠈蟼 魏伪胃畏位蠅蟿喂魏慰蠉 胃蟻委位蔚蟻.
螣 桅委位喂尉 螤喂谓魏 苇蠂蔚喂 蟺维蟻蔚喂 蟽蠉谓蟿伪尉畏. 围萎蟻慰蟼 蔚未蠋 魏伪喂 蟺维谓蠅 伪蟺蠈 渭喂伪 未蔚魏伪蔚蟿委伪 魏伪喂 蔚尉慰蠀胃蔚谓蠅蟿喂魏维 蟽蟿慰蠂伪蟽蟿喂魏蠈蟼, 味蔚喂 渭喂伪 味蠅萎 蟻慰蠀蟿委谓伪蟼 魏伪喂 伪蟺位蠋蟼 蟺蔚蟻喂渭苇谓蔚喂 萎蟻蔚渭伪 魏伪喂 魏伪蟻蟿蔚蟻喂魏维 谓伪 蟺蔚胃维谓蔚喂, 蔚位蟺委味慰谓蟿伪蟼 慰 胃维谓伪蟿蠈蟼 蟿慰蠀 谓伪 蔚委谓伪喂 蔚尉委蟽慰蠀 蟺位畏魏蟿喂魏蠈蟼 魏伪喂 纬伪位萎谓喂慰蟼. 螖蟻伪蟽蟿畏蟻喂慰蟺慰喂蔚委蟿伪喂 蔚胃蔚位慰谓蟿喂魏维 蠅蟼 螘尉慰未慰蠁蠉位伪魏伪蟼, 伪谓伪位伪渭尾维谓蔚喂 未畏位伪未萎 谓伪 魏维胃蔚蟿伪喂 魏慰谓蟿维 蟽蔚 伪谓胃蟻蠋蟺慰蠀蟼 蟺慰蠀 未喂伪谓蠉慰蠀谓 蟿慰 蟿蔚位蔚蠀蟿伪委慰 蟽蟿维未喂慰 伪谓委伪蟿蠅谓, 蔚蟺蠋未蠀谓蠅谓 谓蠈蟽蠅谓 蟿畏谓 蠋蟻伪 蟺慰蠀 伪蠀蟿慰魏蟿慰谓慰蠉谓, 尾慰畏胃蠋谓蟿伪蟼 蟽蟿喂蟼 蟺蟻伪魏蟿喂魏苇蟼 位蔚蟺蟿慰渭苇蟻蔚喂蔚蟼, 蟺伪蟻苇蠂慰谓蟿维蟼 蟿慰蠀蟼 畏胃喂魏萎 蠀蟺慰蟽蟿萎蟻喂尉畏 魏伪喂 魏伪蟿蠈蟺喂谓 蔚尉伪蠁伪谓委味慰谓蟿伪蟼 蟿伪 蟺蔚喂蟽蟿萎蟻喂伪 纬喂伪 谓伪 渭畏 尾蟻蔚胃慰蠉谓 渭蟺位蔚纬渭苇谓慰喂 慰喂 蟽蠀纬纬蔚谓蔚委蟼 魏伪喂 慰喂 蠁委位慰喂 蟿慰蠀蟼. 螌蟿伪谓 慰 桅委位喂尉 渭蟺伪委谓蔚喂 蟽蟿慰 蟽蟺委蟿喂 蟺慰蠀 尾蟻委蟽魏蔚蟿伪喂 蟽蟿慰谓 伪蟻喂胃渭蠈 3 蟿畏蟼 螠蟺位伪魏 螞苇喂谓, 蟽魏慰蟺蠈蟼 蟿慰蠀 蔚委谓伪喂 谓伪 蔚蟺喂蟿蔚位苇蟽蔚喂 渭喂伪 蟺蟻维尉畏 蟽蠀渭蟺蠈谓喂伪蟼 魏伪喂 蔚蠀蟽蟺位伪蠂谓委伪蟼: 谓伪 魏蟻伪蟿萎蟽蔚喂 蟽蠀谓蟿蟻慰蠁喂维 蟽蔚 苇谓伪谓 蔚蟿慰喂渭慰胃维谓伪蟿慰 蠋蟽蟺慰蠀 谓鈥� 伪蠁萎蟽蔚喂 蟿畏谓 蟿蔚位蔚蠀蟿伪委伪 蟿慰蠀 蟺谓慰萎.
螒位位维 渭蠈位喂蟼 苇谓伪 蟿苇蟿伪蟻蟿慰 伪蟻纬蠈蟿蔚蟻伪, 慰 桅委位喂尉 蟿慰 蟽魏维蔚喂 魏蠀谓畏纬畏渭苇谓慰蟼 伪蟺蠈 蟿畏谓 伪蟽蟿蠀谓慰渭委伪, 苇蠂慰谓蟿伪蟼 未喂伪蟺蟻维尉蔚喂 蟿慰 渭蔚纬伪位蠉蟿蔚蟻慰 位维胃慰蟼 蟿畏蟼 味蠅萎蟼 蟿慰蠀. 韦蠋蟻伪 慰 萎蟽蠀蠂慰蟼 魏伪喂 蟽蠂慰位伪蟽蟿喂魏维 蟺蟻慰纬蟻伪渭渭伪蟿喂蟽渭苇谓慰蟼 魏蠈蟽渭慰蟼 蟿慰蠀 魏伪蟿伪蟻蟻苇蔚喂, 魏伪胃蠋蟼 蟺蟻慰蟽蟺伪胃蔚委 谓伪 未喂伪位蔚蠀魏维谓蔚喂 伪谓 伪蠀蟿蠈 蟺慰蠀 蟽蠀谓苇尾畏 萎蟿伪谓 伪蟺位蠈 位维胃慰蟼 萎 蟺蟻慰渭蔚位蔚蟿畏渭苇谓畏 蟺蟻维尉畏. 螖慰位慰蠁慰谓委伪.
螠蔚蟿维 蟿慰 Snap, 蟺慰蠀 未喂伪魏蟻委胃畏魏蔚 蟽蟿畏 渭伪魏蟻维 位委蟽蟿伪 蟿慰蠀 尾蟻伪尾蔚委慰蠀 Man Booker 2018, 畏 螠蟺蔚位委谓蟿伪 螠蟺维慰蠀蔚蟻 蔚蟺喂蟽蟿蟻苇蠁蔚喂 渭蔚 蟿慰 谓苇慰 渭蠀胃喂蟽蟿蠈蟻畏渭维 蟿畏蟼, 蟺慰蠀 蟽蠀谓未蠀维味蔚喂 蟿畏 蟽蠀渭蟺慰谓蔚蟿喂魏萎 渭伪蟿喂维 魏伪喂 蟿慰 蟽魏慰蟿蔚喂谓蠈 蠂喂慰蠉渭慰蟻 渭蔚 蟿畏 纬蔚渭维蟿畏 伪谓伪蟿蟻慰蟺苇蟼 魏伪喂 蔚魏蟺位萎尉蔚喂蟼 蟺位慰魏萎 蔚谓蠈蟼 魏伪胃畏位蠅蟿喂魏慰蠉 胃蟻委位蔚蟻.
392 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2020
945 people are currently reading
7026 people want to read
About the author
Belinda Bauer
23听books1,987听followersBelinda Bauer grew up in England and South Africa. She has worked as a journalist and screenwriter, and her script THE LOCKER ROOM earned her the Carl Foreman/Bafta Award for Young British Screenwriters, an award that was presented to her by Sidney Poitier. She was a runner-up in the Rhys Davies Short Story Competition for "Mysterious Ways," about a girl stranded on a desert island with 30,000 Bibles. Belinda now lives in Wales.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,672 reviews
March 9, 2020
Another darkly plotted novel from Belinda Bauer, 鈥楨xit鈥� 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鈥檛 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鈥檚 a wonderful human being, has impeccable manners, and he鈥檚 also extremely amusing, though he doesn鈥檛 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鈥檛 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.
* Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK, Transworld for my ARC. I have given an honest unbiased review in exchange *
A widower, Felix lives alone with his delightful dog Mabel for a companion. He鈥檚 a wonderful human being, has impeccable manners, and he鈥檚 also extremely amusing, though he doesn鈥檛 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鈥檛 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.
* Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK, Transworld for my ARC. I have given an honest unbiased review in exchange *
November 30, 2020
Charming and Heartwarming!
4.5 stars
鈥淢aybe that would be the best way to go -drunk and stupid.鈥�
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鈥檛 sure this book was for me, but I am so glad I stuck it out.
Don鈥檛 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鈥檚 eyebrows the same way again!
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 stars
鈥淢aybe that would be the best way to go -drunk and stupid.鈥�
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鈥檛 sure this book was for me, but I am so glad I stuck it out.
Don鈥檛 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鈥檚 eyebrows the same way again!
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
February 2, 2021
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听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.听
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.听
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".听
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.听
Publication: February 2, 2021
Thank you to Grove Atlantic/Atlantic Monthly Press and NetGalley for this ARC.
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听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.听
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.听
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".听
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.听
Publication: February 2, 2021
Thank you to Grove Atlantic/Atlantic Monthly Press and NetGalley for this ARC.
January 29, 2020
Belinda Bauer returns with more of her offbeat and comic crime fiction in which the life of 75 year old widower Felix Pink, a compassionate and good man, becomes derailed when he and 23 year old Amanda let themselves into 3 Black Lane. He is there to perform an act of kindness and charity, to keep a dying man company in his final moments of life. However, to his horror, it all goes catastrophically wrong, with Felix forced to run home as the police turn up. Wracked by guilt, Felix wants to confess, but he needs to care of his beloved scruffy old mongrel, Mabel. He wants to protect Amanda, she is young and doesn't deserve to have her life destroyed by a mistake, he feels propelled to make amends, apologise and to try to understand what happened as he returns to the home of the Canns, the terminally ill Skipper, suffering from cancer and his grandson, Reggie, with their cleaner, Hayley.
Felix hears the voice of his late wife, Margaret, in his head, he still misses her and its to her advice he turns to when he needs to make critical decisions. His grief for the loss of his son, Jamie, knows no bounds, all friends have disappeared from his life, socially awkward, he has become a loner. He finds his handyman skills once again, and begins to play chess in his efforts to do right. Expecting to be imminently arrested, he wants to make sure Mabel will be looked after, this has him breaking the habits of a lifetime as he tasks his neighbour, Miss Knott with this necessary job, unexpectedly finding comfort and friendship in her company. As Felix investigates, could it be that what he thought was a heartbreaking mistake was in fact a deliberate set up?
Calvin Bridge returns, and despite having skills as a detective and proved himself previously to DCI Kirsty King, he made the decision to go back to uniform. He has kept the criminal history of his family secret from his law enforcement colleagues, and is a regular presence in a betting shop. It is Calvin and PC Jackie Braddick who are first on the scene at the home of the Canns, and once again he demonstrates that he is a more than decent detective under Kirsty's leadership, mulling over the fact that this just might be where he belongs. I am a huge fan of Bauer's brand of crime fiction, with her offbeat characters, and a narrative blended with wit and humour. This is a brilliantly entertaining crime read, with a ordinary pensioner at its heart, a Felix who managed to capture my heart as he tries to untangle and get to the bottom of the horror that looks set to destroy his life. I recommend this to fans of Bauer and especially to those who have yet to become acquainted to her fine crime fiction. Many thanks to Random House Transworld for an ARC.
Felix hears the voice of his late wife, Margaret, in his head, he still misses her and its to her advice he turns to when he needs to make critical decisions. His grief for the loss of his son, Jamie, knows no bounds, all friends have disappeared from his life, socially awkward, he has become a loner. He finds his handyman skills once again, and begins to play chess in his efforts to do right. Expecting to be imminently arrested, he wants to make sure Mabel will be looked after, this has him breaking the habits of a lifetime as he tasks his neighbour, Miss Knott with this necessary job, unexpectedly finding comfort and friendship in her company. As Felix investigates, could it be that what he thought was a heartbreaking mistake was in fact a deliberate set up?
Calvin Bridge returns, and despite having skills as a detective and proved himself previously to DCI Kirsty King, he made the decision to go back to uniform. He has kept the criminal history of his family secret from his law enforcement colleagues, and is a regular presence in a betting shop. It is Calvin and PC Jackie Braddick who are first on the scene at the home of the Canns, and once again he demonstrates that he is a more than decent detective under Kirsty's leadership, mulling over the fact that this just might be where he belongs. I am a huge fan of Bauer's brand of crime fiction, with her offbeat characters, and a narrative blended with wit and humour. This is a brilliantly entertaining crime read, with a ordinary pensioner at its heart, a Felix who managed to capture my heart as he tries to untangle and get to the bottom of the horror that looks set to destroy his life. I recommend this to fans of Bauer and especially to those who have yet to become acquainted to her fine crime fiction. Many thanks to Random House Transworld for an ARC.
April 7, 2021
Exit grabbed me with its premise of assisted suicide gone wrong, but it didn't quite turn out the way I was hoping.
Felix is an old man past his prime. He doesn't have much going on, but he is part of a small organization of like-minded individuals who help those suffering at the end of life find a way out with grace and dignity. When one of those sessions goes horribly awry, it seems he will go down for murder unless he can figure out what really happened.
The beginning of this book was riveting, and I was immediately sucked into this interesting and unusual premise. The first 100 pages flew by while I tried to figure out where the story was going. I find assisted suicide to be a fascinating topic, and was looking forward to seeing how the book would explore this complex and worthwhile idea.
But then we reached the core of the story, and it just started dragging on. The pacing slowed way down. There were frequent asides about horse gambling, boats, and sailing terminology. My eyes glazed over. Lots of seemingly irrelevant characters were introduced (some with multiple names), and I started having trouble keeping them straight. Meanwhile, the actual murder investigation stalled.
The pacing did pick up at the very end, but the story itself left me somewhat bewildered. All of a sudden, random people started showing up and crazy things started to happen. Yes, there were lots of twists near the end, but they didn't feel like the satisfying sort. Rather, they left me confused, and I didn't really understand what was going on or who was who.
Part of my detachment from this story is that I never connected with the characters, in particular Felix. I can see that he is meant to be a bumbling and endearing old man, but I found him really trying. He couldn't figure out the right things to do and often went in circles with decisions. This book also employs a pet peeve of mine, in which conflicts come from misunderstandings that could be immediately cleared up by the characters just talking to each other. But they don't, so I am stuck reading 200 extra pages of puzzling subterfuge.
The other thing that disappointed me is the way assisted suicide was presented in this book. I know it can be a contentious topic, which is why I was so looking forward to seeing how it would be explored in this story. But no insightful tidbits were offered. Almost everyone in here seems to think assisted suicide is akin to murder, and their views did not change throughout. There were no subtlety or complexity offered, and in fact, there was hardly any discussion about it at all.
While I enjoyed the story enough, I didn't quite connect with it the way I wanted. I had gone in hoping for a smart and insightful commentary on assisted suicide, something that would give me a new way of thinking about this complicated topic. But instead, this became more of a dithering story with a large cast of characters, which ended on a muddled explanation that left me more confused than satisfied.
Felix is an old man past his prime. He doesn't have much going on, but he is part of a small organization of like-minded individuals who help those suffering at the end of life find a way out with grace and dignity. When one of those sessions goes horribly awry, it seems he will go down for murder unless he can figure out what really happened.
The beginning of this book was riveting, and I was immediately sucked into this interesting and unusual premise. The first 100 pages flew by while I tried to figure out where the story was going. I find assisted suicide to be a fascinating topic, and was looking forward to seeing how the book would explore this complex and worthwhile idea.
But then we reached the core of the story, and it just started dragging on. The pacing slowed way down. There were frequent asides about horse gambling, boats, and sailing terminology. My eyes glazed over. Lots of seemingly irrelevant characters were introduced (some with multiple names), and I started having trouble keeping them straight. Meanwhile, the actual murder investigation stalled.
The pacing did pick up at the very end, but the story itself left me somewhat bewildered. All of a sudden, random people started showing up and crazy things started to happen. Yes, there were lots of twists near the end, but they didn't feel like the satisfying sort. Rather, they left me confused, and I didn't really understand what was going on or who was who.
Part of my detachment from this story is that I never connected with the characters, in particular Felix. I can see that he is meant to be a bumbling and endearing old man, but I found him really trying. He couldn't figure out the right things to do and often went in circles with decisions. This book also employs a pet peeve of mine, in which conflicts come from misunderstandings that could be immediately cleared up by the characters just talking to each other. But they don't, so I am stuck reading 200 extra pages of puzzling subterfuge.
The other thing that disappointed me is the way assisted suicide was presented in this book. I know it can be a contentious topic, which is why I was so looking forward to seeing how it would be explored in this story. But no insightful tidbits were offered. Almost everyone in here seems to think assisted suicide is akin to murder, and their views did not change throughout. There were no subtlety or complexity offered, and in fact, there was hardly any discussion about it at all.
While I enjoyed the story enough, I didn't quite connect with it the way I wanted. I had gone in hoping for a smart and insightful commentary on assisted suicide, something that would give me a new way of thinking about this complicated topic. But instead, this became more of a dithering story with a large cast of characters, which ended on a muddled explanation that left me more confused than satisfied.
November 2, 2020
This is the fourth book that I鈥檝e read by this talented author and each one has been completely unique in its own way. If you are expecting a fast paced crime thriller this is not the book for you. There is definitely a crime committed, many actually, but that is not all that this talented writer has in store for you.
One of the strengths in this novel, as in all of her books, are the incredible characters that she introduces us to. There is a fairly good sized cast of characters here, some old, some young, good guys and bad guys, and some people who are just trying to get along in life. Felix is one character who fits into this last category. He鈥檚 a widower and misses his wife and son dearly. In this effort to still be of service to his community, he has a secret job, he is an 鈥淓xiteer鈥�. The Exiteer鈥檚 job is to sit with a person who is choosing to end his or her own life, most often due to terminal illness, incredible debilitating pain, etc. They are not allowed to assist in any way, they are just there so that their families know that they didn鈥檛 die alone.
Sounds like a good way to die, what could possibly go wrong??? As it turns out PLENTY鈥�!!!!!! Before the first 30 pages are complete Felix will be on the run from the police, a new Exeteer is sure that she has murdered someone, and the police just want to know what happened at #3 Black Lane.
The story is told from two points of view. One is that of Felix, described above, the other is that of detective Calvin Bridge. He and his team try to unravel all of the twists in this crime, and there are many! Calvin grows a lot throughout this book, both in his personal life and in the faith he has in his own skill at his job.
I could not put this book down. I was equally invested in the story line and trying to figure out the mystery, but I was also looking forward to the next bit of humor that I would come across. This was a completely enjoyable and twisty novel that I can recommend to everyone.
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Edelweiss.
While you are awaiting the publication of this novel on February 2nd, I can highly recommend both 鈥淪nap鈥� and 鈥淩ubbernecker鈥� by this author.
One of the strengths in this novel, as in all of her books, are the incredible characters that she introduces us to. There is a fairly good sized cast of characters here, some old, some young, good guys and bad guys, and some people who are just trying to get along in life. Felix is one character who fits into this last category. He鈥檚 a widower and misses his wife and son dearly. In this effort to still be of service to his community, he has a secret job, he is an 鈥淓xiteer鈥�. The Exiteer鈥檚 job is to sit with a person who is choosing to end his or her own life, most often due to terminal illness, incredible debilitating pain, etc. They are not allowed to assist in any way, they are just there so that their families know that they didn鈥檛 die alone.
Sounds like a good way to die, what could possibly go wrong??? As it turns out PLENTY鈥�!!!!!! Before the first 30 pages are complete Felix will be on the run from the police, a new Exeteer is sure that she has murdered someone, and the police just want to know what happened at #3 Black Lane.
The story is told from two points of view. One is that of Felix, described above, the other is that of detective Calvin Bridge. He and his team try to unravel all of the twists in this crime, and there are many! Calvin grows a lot throughout this book, both in his personal life and in the faith he has in his own skill at his job.
I could not put this book down. I was equally invested in the story line and trying to figure out the mystery, but I was also looking forward to the next bit of humor that I would come across. This was a completely enjoyable and twisty novel that I can recommend to everyone.
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Edelweiss.
While you are awaiting the publication of this novel on February 2nd, I can highly recommend both 鈥淪nap鈥� and 鈥淩ubbernecker鈥� by this author.
November 20, 2020
Do you know how thick wood sounds when it hits the wall! I know exactly how it sounds! That鈥檚 my thick head makes this awful sound! It deserves to be hurt because my wasted grey cells haven鈥檛 noticed how a Belinda Bauer wrote amazing books before! That鈥檚 my first waltz with the author and I鈥檓 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鈥檛 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鈥檚 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鈥檚 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鈥檚 destructive battle with dementia, even you鈥檙e a cruel cutthroat bitch, you cannot help yourself and start to wipe a like a baby! That鈥檚 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鈥檛 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.
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鈥檛 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鈥檚 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鈥檚 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鈥檚 destructive battle with dementia, even you鈥檙e a cruel cutthroat bitch, you cannot help yourself and start to wipe a like a baby! That鈥檚 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鈥檛 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.
December 1, 2020
Oh, I needed this book. It鈥檚 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鈥檚 been a horrible mistake. The wrong man has died. And Felix is suddenly in a very, very complicated situation.
What I didn鈥檛 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鈥檚 not just sweet, he鈥檚 ethical and determined to do what鈥檚 right, even if that actually deters the police from figuring out the actual criminal.
I had never read any of Bauer鈥檚 work prior to this. But that鈥檚 a mistake I plan to rectify.
My thanks to netgalley and Grove Atlantic for an advance copy of this book.
What I didn鈥檛 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鈥檚 not just sweet, he鈥檚 ethical and determined to do what鈥檚 right, even if that actually deters the police from figuring out the actual criminal.
I had never read any of Bauer鈥檚 work prior to this. But that鈥檚 a mistake I plan to rectify.
My thanks to netgalley and Grove Atlantic for an advance copy of this book.
August 26, 2021
Felix is 75 years old, and lives for being an Exiteer. Exiteer is not a place in Devon where this story is set; an Exiteer is a volunteer that watches over people with terminal conditions who have decided to take their own lives, all within the law. When Felix, and his newest Exiteer partner Amanda, have completed their latest un-assisted 'exit', they're horrified to hear a craggy voice in another room say: "You took your time!".
A story that would be a perfect subject for an 'Ealing Comedy' style thriller harking back to the days of farce, dark comedy and multiple plot twists, but with a 21st century setting. Not withstanding it's nice to see a 75 year old protagonists, that is more than the sum of his years. Overall, what this book is though - is fun! Very readable AND re-readable, it's entertaining and a nice breath of fresh air, in the gore, evil and death absorbed UK-USA thriller genre. A fun read... pick it up! 7.5 out of 12. A story that I would like to sub title, The Widower, the Plonker, the Disabled Man and the Fisherman :)
A story that would be a perfect subject for an 'Ealing Comedy' style thriller harking back to the days of farce, dark comedy and multiple plot twists, but with a 21st century setting. Not withstanding it's nice to see a 75 year old protagonists, that is more than the sum of his years. Overall, what this book is though - is fun! Very readable AND re-readable, it's entertaining and a nice breath of fresh air, in the gore, evil and death absorbed UK-USA thriller genre. A fun read... pick it up! 7.5 out of 12. A story that I would like to sub title, The Widower, the Plonker, the Disabled Man and the Fisherman :)
January 29, 2021
A book about a group known as Exiteers. Of course, your first logical question is, what exactly is an Exiteer? Glad you asked!
A group of volunteers that passively assist someone who suffers from a terminal illness to leave this life. No laws broken. Well...until now!
Most important rule: Exiteers must not take an active roll. All previous arrangement are to be made by the person or their family, to have a tank of nitrous oxide present. The Exiteer simply sits beside to let the person know they are not alone... and of course to witness the passing..
Felix felt the calling to volunteer, to help those in the most dire of times. He鈥檇 witnessed many deaths, but today things didn鈥檛 go as planned. To say the least! Now he鈥檚 running from the police!
When I first started noticing reviews for this book I was fascinated by this most unusual premise and immediately hooked! I knew I had to read it and so glad I did!
The police assigned to the case brought even so much more depth to the investigation. In the words of DC Calvin Bridge, 鈥淲orst job ever!鈥�
You鈥檒l be laugh at the tulip caper...and cry with poor Felix and his solitude and frailties. I just loved Felix! All imaginable emotions are here. So if you鈥檙e searching for a book that will make you feel look no further!
My first read from this author but I have several of her books stashed on my shelf and can鈥檛 wait to dive into them.
Posted to:
Thank you to NetGalley, Grove Atlantic and Belinda Bauer for an ARC to read and review
A group of volunteers that passively assist someone who suffers from a terminal illness to leave this life. No laws broken. Well...until now!
Most important rule: Exiteers must not take an active roll. All previous arrangement are to be made by the person or their family, to have a tank of nitrous oxide present. The Exiteer simply sits beside to let the person know they are not alone... and of course to witness the passing..
Felix felt the calling to volunteer, to help those in the most dire of times. He鈥檇 witnessed many deaths, but today things didn鈥檛 go as planned. To say the least! Now he鈥檚 running from the police!
When I first started noticing reviews for this book I was fascinated by this most unusual premise and immediately hooked! I knew I had to read it and so glad I did!
The police assigned to the case brought even so much more depth to the investigation. In the words of DC Calvin Bridge, 鈥淲orst job ever!鈥�
You鈥檒l be laugh at the tulip caper...and cry with poor Felix and his solitude and frailties. I just loved Felix! All imaginable emotions are here. So if you鈥檙e searching for a book that will make you feel look no further!
My first read from this author but I have several of her books stashed on my shelf and can鈥檛 wait to dive into them.
Posted to:
Thank you to NetGalley, Grove Atlantic and Belinda Bauer for an ARC to read and review
February 14, 2020
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鈥檒l be relieved to know I gave myself a stern talking to. There鈥檚 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*鈥�.Here鈥檚 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鈥檚 not pretty. So maybe skim that part. You鈥檙e 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鈥�..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鈥檚 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鈥�
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鈥檚 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鈥檒l have it solved by tea time. And he might have鈥f only he hadn鈥檛 found a body.
This is one of those reads where you should go in knowing as little as possible about the plot so I鈥檒l quit while I鈥檓 ahead. But what you鈥檒l find is a story that is just as much about the characters as who-dun-it. Compared to the author鈥檚 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鈥檚 are 2 men at very different stages but as the story progresses, both begin to reflect on the choices they鈥檝e made. I particularly enjoyed Felix鈥檚 journey. When we first meet, he鈥檚 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鈥檚 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鈥檚 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鈥檒l get over it. Now, where did I put that reading list鈥�.
*Sigh*鈥�.Here鈥檚 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鈥檚 not pretty. So maybe skim that part. You鈥檙e 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鈥�..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鈥檚 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鈥�
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鈥檚 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鈥檒l have it solved by tea time. And he might have鈥f only he hadn鈥檛 found a body.
This is one of those reads where you should go in knowing as little as possible about the plot so I鈥檒l quit while I鈥檓 ahead. But what you鈥檒l find is a story that is just as much about the characters as who-dun-it. Compared to the author鈥檚 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鈥檚 are 2 men at very different stages but as the story progresses, both begin to reflect on the choices they鈥檝e made. I particularly enjoyed Felix鈥檚 journey. When we first meet, he鈥檚 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鈥檚 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鈥檚 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鈥檒l get over it. Now, where did I put that reading list鈥�.
February 5, 2021
EXCERPT: In the front bedroom an old man was leaning out of a bed by the window, trying to reach a walking stick that had apparently fallen on to the wooden floor. He propped himself on an elbow, glared at Felix and grumbled:
'You took your time!'
Felix froze.
Took in the gaunt grey face, the frail body, the bedside table filled with pills . . .
Then he stepped backwards out of the room and pulled the door smartly shut behind him.
Amanda was at his shoulder now. 'What is it?' she said, but Felix couldn't speak because all the words he'd ever known seemed to be whirling round inside his skull like bingo balls.
The ones he needed finally dropped slowly from his numb lips.
'We killed the wrong man.'
ABOUT 'EXIT': IT WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO BE MURDER ...Pensioner Felix Pink is about to find out that it鈥檚 never too late ... for life to go horribly wrong.
When Felix lets himself in to Number 3 Black Lane, he鈥檚 there to perform an act of kindness and charity: to keep a dying man company as he takes his final breath ... But just fifteen minutes later Felix is on the run from the police 鈥� after making the biggest mistake of his life.
Now his routine world is turned upside down as he tries to discover what went wrong, while staying one step ahead of the law.
MY THOUGHTS: Belinda Bauer's books always take me by surprise. Exit starts out as a gentle slow burn then veers off in directions I could never have foreseen.
I love Bauer's characters . . . they just jump right off the page, they are so realistic. The main two characters are Felix, a seventy-five year old widower who became an Exiteer after his son died of cancer, then his wife of dementia. The second main character is policeman Calvin Bridge who suffers from a lack of confidence, exacerbated by his wife leaving him. Neither of these characters have gotten over their losses, and both are vulnerable.
Bauer injects the subject of assisted dying with wit and humour, but doesn't lessen the gravity of the subject at all. She cleverly presents both sides of the argument wrapped up in a heartrending and heartwarming story that could almost be called a comedy of errors. I both laughed and cried during this read.
This is one of those stories that grew on me as I read and became embroiled in the characters lives. Bauer has written an entertaining piece of crime fiction that also poses a moral dilemma.
猸愨瓙猸愨瓙.5
#Exit #NetGalley
#contemporaryfiction #crime #mystery
THE AUTHOR: Belinda Bauer grew up in England and South Africa. She has worked as a journalist and screenwriter, and now lives in Wales.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, Bantam Press, for providing a digital ARC of Exit by Belinda Bauer for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my 欧宝娱乐.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage
'You took your time!'
Felix froze.
Took in the gaunt grey face, the frail body, the bedside table filled with pills . . .
Then he stepped backwards out of the room and pulled the door smartly shut behind him.
Amanda was at his shoulder now. 'What is it?' she said, but Felix couldn't speak because all the words he'd ever known seemed to be whirling round inside his skull like bingo balls.
The ones he needed finally dropped slowly from his numb lips.
'We killed the wrong man.'
ABOUT 'EXIT': IT WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO BE MURDER ...Pensioner Felix Pink is about to find out that it鈥檚 never too late ... for life to go horribly wrong.
When Felix lets himself in to Number 3 Black Lane, he鈥檚 there to perform an act of kindness and charity: to keep a dying man company as he takes his final breath ... But just fifteen minutes later Felix is on the run from the police 鈥� after making the biggest mistake of his life.
Now his routine world is turned upside down as he tries to discover what went wrong, while staying one step ahead of the law.
MY THOUGHTS: Belinda Bauer's books always take me by surprise. Exit starts out as a gentle slow burn then veers off in directions I could never have foreseen.
I love Bauer's characters . . . they just jump right off the page, they are so realistic. The main two characters are Felix, a seventy-five year old widower who became an Exiteer after his son died of cancer, then his wife of dementia. The second main character is policeman Calvin Bridge who suffers from a lack of confidence, exacerbated by his wife leaving him. Neither of these characters have gotten over their losses, and both are vulnerable.
Bauer injects the subject of assisted dying with wit and humour, but doesn't lessen the gravity of the subject at all. She cleverly presents both sides of the argument wrapped up in a heartrending and heartwarming story that could almost be called a comedy of errors. I both laughed and cried during this read.
This is one of those stories that grew on me as I read and became embroiled in the characters lives. Bauer has written an entertaining piece of crime fiction that also poses a moral dilemma.
猸愨瓙猸愨瓙.5
#Exit #NetGalley
#contemporaryfiction #crime #mystery
THE AUTHOR: Belinda Bauer grew up in England and South Africa. She has worked as a journalist and screenwriter, and now lives in Wales.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, Bantam Press, for providing a digital ARC of Exit by Belinda Bauer for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my 欧宝娱乐.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage
June 22, 2020
How come I have not met up before with any of this author's books? She is a really good writer and is an absolute delight.
I barely noticed the fact that the book is a crime/mystery. I admit the police are featured heavily and there is a murder but to me the joy was in the characters and the humour. The story is really a comedy of errors. Felix Pink has a job as an Exiteer which means he assists people out of this life when they wish to go. Trouble begins when the wrong person is assisted.
I loved that the police are depicted as caring and helpful and just plain nice. I enjoyed all the cats, dogs and garden gnomes. I predicted the murderer very early in the piece and was happy to be proved right. I liked the fact that romance can begin at 75 even for someone who thinks that no one will ever compare to their deceased partner. And I really approve of a murder mystery which ends with sailing off into the sunset.
Now to find more of this author's books....
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
I barely noticed the fact that the book is a crime/mystery. I admit the police are featured heavily and there is a murder but to me the joy was in the characters and the humour. The story is really a comedy of errors. Felix Pink has a job as an Exiteer which means he assists people out of this life when they wish to go. Trouble begins when the wrong person is assisted.
I loved that the police are depicted as caring and helpful and just plain nice. I enjoyed all the cats, dogs and garden gnomes. I predicted the murderer very early in the piece and was happy to be proved right. I liked the fact that romance can begin at 75 even for someone who thinks that no one will ever compare to their deceased partner. And I really approve of a murder mystery which ends with sailing off into the sunset.
Now to find more of this author's books....
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
September 18, 2020
An uneven but satisfying reading experience.
Elderly (but not geriatric) widower Felix is on an assignment with his new partner, Amanda, as an Exiteer. Exiteers are a secret cell of people who anonymously volunteer who provide the means for people with fatal diseases to die. Unfortunately, as they sit in vigil with their latest client, the man fumbles the mask so badly that Amanda violates protocol and assists it onto his face. Awkward, but a potential learning mistake, until they discover the real client is still alive, and they鈥檝e assisted his ailing, deadbeat son into the hereafter.
While Exit contains a number of clever ideas, one of my most significant challenges with the book is one of tone around the premise of the Exiteers. You see, I worked for a number of years as a hospice nurse, and for my entire nursing career as a cancer nurse, so I鈥檝e seen many manifestations of both life and death at the end of the human lifespan. In fact, I believe that people should have a real, controlled way out at the end of their life, if they so choose. So this premise was a struggle, because Felix and his group have truly done a huge disservice to what should be a vital personal right.
That said, once I was able to take my feelings around that issue and put them into a little compartment in the scattered library of my mind, I was able to enjoy the story, particularly as the plot picked up. I hesitate to say any more without spoilers, so let me say that all this is just the beginning of the book. Though it begins with a definite feel of sadness, eventually there there鈥檚 somewhat of a comedy-of-errors feel of it as Felix tries to work through what he鈥檚 done, both emotionally and socially. This is compounded by his own feelings of loss and grief over the deaths of his wife and son:
鈥淣obody ever spoke of the relentless parking that was demanded by a relative in hospital with a prolonged illness. Twice a day, every day, in the dystopian concrete multi-storey that smelled of urine and smog. The constant change for the ticket machine. The long queue at the barrier. The forgetting where the car was. Was it this row? This level?鈥�
However, much like many Shakespeare comedies, 鈥榓ll鈥檚 well that ends well.鈥�
Narration jumps around, at first sticking with Felix, and then alternating with Constable Calvin Bridge, who is assisting DCI King with the investigation. Eventually more viewpoints are brought in. In fact, I think by the end, the reader will get a taste of everyone鈥檚 viewpoint, including the villain鈥檚. Normally, it鈥檚 the kind of device that irritates me, but something about this story worked more like a play, with a large cast of characters, than as a single-person, character or plot-driven mystery. What was nice about that is that it helps sell it as a feel-good tale, knowing as we do the mental and emotional place the characters are coming from.
The pacing is perhaps the most challenging thing about it. The main plot doesn鈥檛 take off until 11%, and the wrinkles that really give it spark aren鈥檛 until 35%. Eventually, there are plenty of twists to keep the reader engaged, to the point where it becomes a little bananas, really. There are frequent humorous asides, such as when he tries to help take care of a cat, his accidentally developing relationship with the elderly neighbor lady, and when he tries his luck standing on a boat.
Ultimately, a fun tale to read that fans of British humor should particularly enjoy. Just remember to keep that personal-ethical-political box locked up tight and have some patience for the ride.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for the ARC
Elderly (but not geriatric) widower Felix is on an assignment with his new partner, Amanda, as an Exiteer. Exiteers are a secret cell of people who anonymously volunteer who provide the means for people with fatal diseases to die. Unfortunately, as they sit in vigil with their latest client, the man fumbles the mask so badly that Amanda violates protocol and assists it onto his face. Awkward, but a potential learning mistake, until they discover the real client is still alive, and they鈥檝e assisted his ailing, deadbeat son into the hereafter.
While Exit contains a number of clever ideas, one of my most significant challenges with the book is one of tone around the premise of the Exiteers. You see, I worked for a number of years as a hospice nurse, and for my entire nursing career as a cancer nurse, so I鈥檝e seen many manifestations of both life and death at the end of the human lifespan. In fact, I believe that people should have a real, controlled way out at the end of their life, if they so choose. So this premise was a struggle, because Felix and his group have truly done a huge disservice to what should be a vital personal right.
That said, once I was able to take my feelings around that issue and put them into a little compartment in the scattered library of my mind, I was able to enjoy the story, particularly as the plot picked up. I hesitate to say any more without spoilers, so let me say that all this is just the beginning of the book. Though it begins with a definite feel of sadness, eventually there there鈥檚 somewhat of a comedy-of-errors feel of it as Felix tries to work through what he鈥檚 done, both emotionally and socially. This is compounded by his own feelings of loss and grief over the deaths of his wife and son:
鈥淣obody ever spoke of the relentless parking that was demanded by a relative in hospital with a prolonged illness. Twice a day, every day, in the dystopian concrete multi-storey that smelled of urine and smog. The constant change for the ticket machine. The long queue at the barrier. The forgetting where the car was. Was it this row? This level?鈥�
However, much like many Shakespeare comedies, 鈥榓ll鈥檚 well that ends well.鈥�
Narration jumps around, at first sticking with Felix, and then alternating with Constable Calvin Bridge, who is assisting DCI King with the investigation. Eventually more viewpoints are brought in. In fact, I think by the end, the reader will get a taste of everyone鈥檚 viewpoint, including the villain鈥檚. Normally, it鈥檚 the kind of device that irritates me, but something about this story worked more like a play, with a large cast of characters, than as a single-person, character or plot-driven mystery. What was nice about that is that it helps sell it as a feel-good tale, knowing as we do the mental and emotional place the characters are coming from.
The pacing is perhaps the most challenging thing about it. The main plot doesn鈥檛 take off until 11%, and the wrinkles that really give it spark aren鈥檛 until 35%. Eventually, there are plenty of twists to keep the reader engaged, to the point where it becomes a little bananas, really. There are frequent humorous asides, such as when he tries to help take care of a cat, his accidentally developing relationship with the elderly neighbor lady, and when he tries his luck standing on a boat.
Ultimately, a fun tale to read that fans of British humor should particularly enjoy. Just remember to keep that personal-ethical-political box locked up tight and have some patience for the ride.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for the ARC
April 14, 2021
A quaint, quite humorous, slow moving mystery
Felix Pink is an exiteer. His job is to keep those who wish to end their life company, but not assist them in any way. One day something goes horribly wrong, was it a mistake? Or something more sinister?!
This book was not what I was expecting! I thought it would be a fast paced thriller, and looking a some other reviews, it seems like I wasn't the only one! Whereas I loved the premise of this, and the idea was such a unique concept, it was a little too slow moving for me. The pace was all over the place, and the story quite often meandered down little side plots. is what I would imagine a cosy mystery would be like!
I did like Felix. Stuck in his dull life, unable to move on from family tragedies, he suddenly realised he was old. For such a risk averse man, he unexpectedly found himself stumbling through a serious of catastrophes, and I did feel for him. He was the only character who I really liked though.
I'm not sure what to think about the book's view on Euthanasia though.. What did the author want to say about it? I really thought the book would delve more into the topic, and expected some insight, but I felt like the tone didn't match the subject matter. As much as I enjoyed some of the humour, it felt a bit like a comedy, when it could've been so much more! The humour did keep me listening, but it got a bit silly towards the end, and the police force were an absolute bumbling farce!
There were quite a few POV's, which could be confusing at times. I also didn't like the narrator's female voices, they were awful! 馃檳
I did quite enjoy the bittersweet ending though, it definitely suited the book.
Many people enjoyed , but unfortunately I fall somewhere in the middle. I didn't dislike it, but I also didn't really love it?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Not sure how to rate this one yet! Really not my thing, and not fast paced at all, but I didn't dislike it?! 馃
Felix Pink is an exiteer. His job is to keep those who wish to end their life company, but not assist them in any way. One day something goes horribly wrong, was it a mistake? Or something more sinister?!
This book was not what I was expecting! I thought it would be a fast paced thriller, and looking a some other reviews, it seems like I wasn't the only one! Whereas I loved the premise of this, and the idea was such a unique concept, it was a little too slow moving for me. The pace was all over the place, and the story quite often meandered down little side plots. is what I would imagine a cosy mystery would be like!
I did like Felix. Stuck in his dull life, unable to move on from family tragedies, he suddenly realised he was old. For such a risk averse man, he unexpectedly found himself stumbling through a serious of catastrophes, and I did feel for him. He was the only character who I really liked though.
I'm not sure what to think about the book's view on Euthanasia though.. What did the author want to say about it? I really thought the book would delve more into the topic, and expected some insight, but I felt like the tone didn't match the subject matter. As much as I enjoyed some of the humour, it felt a bit like a comedy, when it could've been so much more! The humour did keep me listening, but it got a bit silly towards the end, and the police force were an absolute bumbling farce!
There were quite a few POV's, which could be confusing at times. I also didn't like the narrator's female voices, they were awful! 馃檳
I did quite enjoy the bittersweet ending though, it definitely suited the book.
Many people enjoyed , but unfortunately I fall somewhere in the middle. I didn't dislike it, but I also didn't really love it?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Not sure how to rate this one yet! Really not my thing, and not fast paced at all, but I didn't dislike it?! 馃
February 5, 2020
5 star all the way as Belinda Bauer does it again! Felix Pink 75 and 23 year old Amanda are Exiteers. Their role is to aid but not assist those who are terminally ill make a dignified exit. The Exiteers led by Geoffrey Skeet, do not break any laws and are careful not to blur any lines although most Exiteers and certainly Felix, regard their actions as an act of kindness. Unfortunately at one exit something goes wrong and this unleashes a catastrophic chain of events that challenges Felix and Amanda. The ensuing drama is investigated by DCI Kirsty King and PC/DC Calvin Bridge among others. The story is told principally from the perspective of Felix and Calvin.
Felix is such a lovely character. He鈥檚 a widower who channels his dead wife鈥檚 thoughts and his constant companion is his judgemental but adorable dog Mabel. Felix is charming but doesn鈥檛 realise it, he鈥檚 old fashioned, old school, honourable, honest and a real gentleman. Even the police officers who question him are charmed! Calvin Bridge is an interesting character, saddled with a criminal family from whom he鈥檚 estranged, he likes a bet but he鈥檚 not very good at it and he鈥檚 struggling to find his niche in the force. Kirsty King is very likeable too.
The novel is so vividly written you glide through it. It鈥檚 full of wit and humour and though there are occasions in the drama that I know i shouldn鈥檛 have been laughing but it鈥檚 so darned funny and you can鈥檛 help yourself. There are some hilarious mixups for example when Felix is brought in for questioning that are particularly good. The plot hangs together really well and has the prescribed twists and turns for fans of this genre and the twists are really clever! A really intriguing chain of events leads to some surprising outcomes and the unmasking of a villain purporting to be on the side of the angels. I love the Devon setting and some of the characters colloquialisms raise a smile. The end is good and very appropriate as it鈥檚 sad but makes you smile.
Overall, a first class read which is hard to put down and is without doubt another winner from this outstanding author who has a unique ability to blend crime with humour while presenting us with believable characters and plots. Highly recommended.
Big thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld for the ARC.
Felix is such a lovely character. He鈥檚 a widower who channels his dead wife鈥檚 thoughts and his constant companion is his judgemental but adorable dog Mabel. Felix is charming but doesn鈥檛 realise it, he鈥檚 old fashioned, old school, honourable, honest and a real gentleman. Even the police officers who question him are charmed! Calvin Bridge is an interesting character, saddled with a criminal family from whom he鈥檚 estranged, he likes a bet but he鈥檚 not very good at it and he鈥檚 struggling to find his niche in the force. Kirsty King is very likeable too.
The novel is so vividly written you glide through it. It鈥檚 full of wit and humour and though there are occasions in the drama that I know i shouldn鈥檛 have been laughing but it鈥檚 so darned funny and you can鈥檛 help yourself. There are some hilarious mixups for example when Felix is brought in for questioning that are particularly good. The plot hangs together really well and has the prescribed twists and turns for fans of this genre and the twists are really clever! A really intriguing chain of events leads to some surprising outcomes and the unmasking of a villain purporting to be on the side of the angels. I love the Devon setting and some of the characters colloquialisms raise a smile. The end is good and very appropriate as it鈥檚 sad but makes you smile.
Overall, a first class read which is hard to put down and is without doubt another winner from this outstanding author who has a unique ability to blend crime with humour while presenting us with believable characters and plots. Highly recommended.
Big thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld for the ARC.
April 17, 2022
At first I thought this was a story of a future world in which "Exiteers" were individuals going to the beds of the dying to assist with voluntary suicide. I didn't remember the reviews I read of this before plunging in, so I was shocked to discover this was about our modern day society. Elderly Felix Pink, whose wife fought a years long battle with dementia, has been recruited into a secret society who help the terminally ill put a painless end to themselves. Felix has always been a kind man who follows the rules and helps others, so this seems an odd choice for his later years.
He and another Exiteer go to the home of their client to assist with his death and discover afterwards that they have helped kill the wrong man, apparently, there were two, old, sick men in the household. Felix is shocked and despondent and assures the young lady with him, Amanda, that he will take the blame. What follows is mayhem and the subject shouldn't be funny, but there are many amusing bits that happen. One mix up about a mean cat is especially humorous. Felix, himself, is a gem of a character, you would like to know him in real life and somehow feel that you do.
He and another Exiteer go to the home of their client to assist with his death and discover afterwards that they have helped kill the wrong man, apparently, there were two, old, sick men in the household. Felix is shocked and despondent and assures the young lady with him, Amanda, that he will take the blame. What follows is mayhem and the subject shouldn't be funny, but there are many amusing bits that happen. One mix up about a mean cat is especially humorous. Felix, himself, is a gem of a character, you would like to know him in real life and somehow feel that you do.
April 10, 2021
Thriller? I think not. This was a quirky mystery that had me chuckling more than wondering.
Felix Pink. He is an exiteer. Someone who assists those with terminal illnesses to die. But a mistake is made. And Felix, being an honest engine kinda guy, tries to right a wrong at the same time as trying to solve the whodunn what and why. Some nice twists and turns.
A charming mystery
4猸愶笍
Felix Pink. He is an exiteer. Someone who assists those with terminal illnesses to die. But a mistake is made. And Felix, being an honest engine kinda guy, tries to right a wrong at the same time as trying to solve the whodunn what and why. Some nice twists and turns.
A charming mystery
4猸愶笍
November 1, 2020
3.75 rounded up!
Felix Pink is a retired widower who after watching his beloved wife Margaret suffer in her final days, signed up to be an Exiteer. As a volunteer, you support those with 鈥渢erminal illnesses鈥� to 鈥渆xit鈥� a life where pain has become unbearable.
But something goes wrong, when he enters Number 3 Black Lane with his new assistant Amanda, who is along for her first exit.
Was what happened a simple mistake? Or a set up??
I have to agree with some of my other 欧宝娱乐 friends who have read this-it reads like a cozy mystery-
鈥淐ozies鈥� are a sub genre of crime fiction where you have a likable amateur sleuth, a small intimate community, and the crimes are not depicted with much blood or violence.
This one also adds a dollop of silly humor, blunders and misunderstandings for good measure.
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.
And, I must admit that the writing was CLEVER and the misdirection was FLAWLESS.
YEP, I was fooled!!
And, one more note..I loved how all of the characters were more concerned that their pets would be fed, than they were about being arrested on suspicion of murder! 馃樆馃惗
Kudos to Belinda Bauer for that!!
Thank You to the Publisher for my gifted copy.
It was my pleasure to provide a candid review!
Available NOW in the U.K., and on FEB. 2, 2021 in the U.S. !
Felix Pink is a retired widower who after watching his beloved wife Margaret suffer in her final days, signed up to be an Exiteer. As a volunteer, you support those with 鈥渢erminal illnesses鈥� to 鈥渆xit鈥� a life where pain has become unbearable.
But something goes wrong, when he enters Number 3 Black Lane with his new assistant Amanda, who is along for her first exit.
Was what happened a simple mistake? Or a set up??
I have to agree with some of my other 欧宝娱乐 friends who have read this-it reads like a cozy mystery-
鈥淐ozies鈥� are a sub genre of crime fiction where you have a likable amateur sleuth, a small intimate community, and the crimes are not depicted with much blood or violence.
This one also adds a dollop of silly humor, blunders and misunderstandings for good measure.
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.
And, I must admit that the writing was CLEVER and the misdirection was FLAWLESS.
YEP, I was fooled!!
And, one more note..I loved how all of the characters were more concerned that their pets would be fed, than they were about being arrested on suspicion of murder! 馃樆馃惗
Kudos to Belinda Bauer for that!!
Thank You to the Publisher for my gifted copy.
It was my pleasure to provide a candid review!
Available NOW in the U.K., and on FEB. 2, 2021 in the U.S. !
August 13, 2020
It was never supposed to be murder...
I'm new to '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 , 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.
I'm new to '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 , 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.
November 30, 2021
Exit is the story of Felix Pink, an older man with a group called 鈥淓xiters鈥� that helps people who have chosen to die with dignity. But there鈥檚 been a mistake, and Felix鈥檚 life is about to change forever. Now his routine world is turned upside down as he tries to discover what went wrong while staying one step ahead of the law.
Exit is a story that explores the nature of life and death and the complexities of Euthanasia. The first part of the book deals with Felix鈥檚 mistake and how he comes to terms with it. The book finally picks up pace in the second half. After reading the synopsis I was expecting more of a thriller, but it turned out more of a cozy mystery with a humorous tone throughout the story. If you are expecting a fast-paced thriller, this book may not be for you. Having said that, the plot was unique and the writing was excellent. The book started well with an interesting and unfamiliar premise. I thought the book had an interesting topic and I was interested to see how the book would explore this complex idea.
I thought Felix was a nicely written character. A straightforward guy gets embroiled in a tricky situation and his principles and often naive beliefs get him in even more trouble.
Though it was such a unique concept, the pace of the plot was too slow for me and the story quite often got mixed up into several subplots and the actual murder mystery felt neglected. Lots of irrelevant characters were introduced randomly and it became increasingly difficult to keep track of all of them. The pacing did pick up towards the end, but the story was too haphazard for me. The book deals with the controversial topic of assisted suicide but it hardly offered any new insights or any discussion about it at all.
Overall, Exit is filled with a unique plot, some well-written characters, and lots of humor. If you love a nice cozy mystery, this book is just right for you.
Many thanks to the publisher Grove/Atlantic Inc. and Edelweiss for the ARC.
Exit is a story that explores the nature of life and death and the complexities of Euthanasia. The first part of the book deals with Felix鈥檚 mistake and how he comes to terms with it. The book finally picks up pace in the second half. After reading the synopsis I was expecting more of a thriller, but it turned out more of a cozy mystery with a humorous tone throughout the story. If you are expecting a fast-paced thriller, this book may not be for you. Having said that, the plot was unique and the writing was excellent. The book started well with an interesting and unfamiliar premise. I thought the book had an interesting topic and I was interested to see how the book would explore this complex idea.
I thought Felix was a nicely written character. A straightforward guy gets embroiled in a tricky situation and his principles and often naive beliefs get him in even more trouble.
Though it was such a unique concept, the pace of the plot was too slow for me and the story quite often got mixed up into several subplots and the actual murder mystery felt neglected. Lots of irrelevant characters were introduced randomly and it became increasingly difficult to keep track of all of them. The pacing did pick up towards the end, but the story was too haphazard for me. The book deals with the controversial topic of assisted suicide but it hardly offered any new insights or any discussion about it at all.
Overall, Exit is filled with a unique plot, some well-written characters, and lots of humor. If you love a nice cozy mystery, this book is just right for you.
Many thanks to the publisher Grove/Atlantic Inc. and Edelweiss for the ARC.
April 7, 2020
Belinda Bauer's new book, Exit is a brilliant read filled with wonderful, quirky characters and a very original plot. Main character, Felix Pink is an elderly retired man living in Devon, who has lived an ordinary life, never taking risks or seeking adventure. After his beloved wife died a slow death, he joined the Exiteers, a secret group that witnesses suicides in the terminally ill. The Exiteer doesn't assist the dying to commit suicide but tidies up afterwards so the death looks natural to their loved ones. However, one day when Felix is working with a new Exiteer, something goes terribly wrong and Felix finds himself on the wrong side of the law.
What happens next is told from Felix's point of view as he grapples with his mistake and his wish to make amends as well as that of PC Calvin Bridge, a young policeman grappling with whether he has what it takes to be a detective. Full of warmth and charm, Bauer has created some memorable, characters (including Mabel, Felix's dog) and a plot that is humorous and quirky as well as a gentle and respectful commentary on living and dying well.
With many thanks to Random House, Transworld Publishers and Netgalley for a digital copy to read.
What happens next is told from Felix's point of view as he grapples with his mistake and his wish to make amends as well as that of PC Calvin Bridge, a young policeman grappling with whether he has what it takes to be a detective. Full of warmth and charm, Bauer has created some memorable, characters (including Mabel, Felix's dog) and a plot that is humorous and quirky as well as a gentle and respectful commentary on living and dying well.
With many thanks to Random House, Transworld Publishers and Netgalley for a digital copy to read.
August 30, 2020
I鈥檝e read several of the author鈥檚 previous books, but I don鈥檛 remember them as being hilarious. At times in this book I laughed to the extent that I alarmed my cats. That鈥檚 not what one would expect in a mystery involving assisted suicides, but this book is completely delicious and quite charming.
Felix is a 75 year old Exiteer. They give comfort to people who have elected to commit suicide due to serious medical conditions. They are always careful to do nothing that actually helps in the suicide, they simply sit and wait and then clean up the evidence. Felix was boring and he knew it. He had spent his uneventful career as an accountant before his retirement. 鈥淩isk-averse and lumpen, it suited his nature. Independent thought was not required and flair was frowned upon 鈥� and Felix had been more than capable of not bringing them to the table.鈥� However, the first time he is teamed with a new Exiteer, Amanda, things go very wrong, involving him in a possible murder mystery with police, gamblers, a shady dentist, new friends, jealous lovers and garden gnomes. Felix also has to do some cat sitting for the head of the Exiteers. 鈥淔eeding somebody鈥檚 cat was very different from feeding their dog. The cat had to be found before it could be fed, and yet was never where it should be when you needed it to be there. Feeding somebody鈥檚 cat was like trying to plan a mini-break in Brigadoon.鈥�
The cops are just as charming as Felix. Part of the investigation is told from the point of view of Detective Constable Calvin Bridge, who is reluctantly serving as a detective on this case. 鈥淏ut being a cop had turned out to be about more than just being good. There is also a lot of paperwork involved. And a lot of getting up early and going to bed late. And thinking! There was an awful lot of thinking. Calvin wasn鈥檛 stupid, but constantly thinking about things 鈥� like crime, for instance 鈥� required a lot more effort than he imagined it would.鈥�
The plot is clever and the characters are a delight. Late in the book there is a police interrogation that is brilliant farce and the ending of the book is perfection.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
Felix is a 75 year old Exiteer. They give comfort to people who have elected to commit suicide due to serious medical conditions. They are always careful to do nothing that actually helps in the suicide, they simply sit and wait and then clean up the evidence. Felix was boring and he knew it. He had spent his uneventful career as an accountant before his retirement. 鈥淩isk-averse and lumpen, it suited his nature. Independent thought was not required and flair was frowned upon 鈥� and Felix had been more than capable of not bringing them to the table.鈥� However, the first time he is teamed with a new Exiteer, Amanda, things go very wrong, involving him in a possible murder mystery with police, gamblers, a shady dentist, new friends, jealous lovers and garden gnomes. Felix also has to do some cat sitting for the head of the Exiteers. 鈥淔eeding somebody鈥檚 cat was very different from feeding their dog. The cat had to be found before it could be fed, and yet was never where it should be when you needed it to be there. Feeding somebody鈥檚 cat was like trying to plan a mini-break in Brigadoon.鈥�
The cops are just as charming as Felix. Part of the investigation is told from the point of view of Detective Constable Calvin Bridge, who is reluctantly serving as a detective on this case. 鈥淏ut being a cop had turned out to be about more than just being good. There is also a lot of paperwork involved. And a lot of getting up early and going to bed late. And thinking! There was an awful lot of thinking. Calvin wasn鈥檛 stupid, but constantly thinking about things 鈥� like crime, for instance 鈥� required a lot more effort than he imagined it would.鈥�
The plot is clever and the characters are a delight. Late in the book there is a police interrogation that is brilliant farce and the ending of the book is perfection.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
April 21, 2024
Felix Pink is a 75-year-old widower who lost his beloved wife Margaret to a lingering illness.
Now Felix lives in Devon with his dog Mabel, who shoots withering looks and piddles in the house if Felix is delayed at walk time.
This sometimes happens because Felix is an 'Exiteer', a volunteer who supports terminally ill persons committing suicide with nitrous oxide - a process that can't be hurried.
To remain on the right side of the law, an Exiteer must do NOTHING to assist a patient's demise. The sick individuals must assemble the materials and administer the gas themselves, while the Exiteers - who work in pairs - merely sit by the bedside.
After Felix's long-time partner quits the Exiteers, Felix is paired with a twentysomething newbie called Amanda, who's very anxious about her first support job.
Felix and Amanda are sent to the home of Charles Cann, an old man riddled with cancer. The patient fumbles the gas cylinder and Amanda instinctively retrieves it - thus committing a crime. Things get even worse when Felix and Amanda realize they killed the wrong man. Wanting to protect Amanda, Felix sends her away, determined to take the blame himself.
Felix hears police sirens approaching the Cann house - and is waiting to explain the situation - when he remembers Mabel, who needs to be walked and fed. Felix makes a clever getaway, and thinking the whole incident over later on, fears he and Amanda were set up. Felix decides to play detective, and makes some unexpected friends along the way.
Meanwhile, the police also mount an investigation into the Cann homicide. DCI Kirsty King leads the case, and she recruits PC Calvin Bridge to assist her. Bridge was a plainclothes detective for a brief time, but felt overwhelmed, and went back to being a uniformed cop. Still Bridge is glad to be in the big leagues again, if only temporarily.
When he's not working, Bridge hangs out at the local betting shop, where he likes a flutter on the horses.....and Bridge's interaction with his fellow gamblers is a hoot.
Many things are not as they seem in this novel, which is very funny, with quirky characters and unexpected situations. This is an ingenious mystery, highly recommended to fans of the genre.
Thanks to Netgalley, Belinda Bauer, and Atlantic Monthly Press for a copy of the book.
You can follow my reviews at
December 9, 2020
One might think the life of a seventy-five-year-old is one of peace, quiet, and solitude. However, this is not the case for Felix Pink, who has taken on the task of being an Exiteer: one who assists others wishing to commit suicide because of their incredible pain and suffering. [Trigger warning for those who have watched a family member die.]
For most of us, this would not be a job we would take on, but Felix feels after nursing his very ill wife, that being an Exiteer is his calling; easing people into their next life away from pain is what he vows to do. A noble calling for sure! And all goes well as Felix attempts his last exiting with a new partner, until something goes incredibly wrong, and Felix finds himself on the run from the police.
How did this accident happen? He and his dog, Mabel鈥攁 great team of would-be detectives鈥攖ry to puzzle out the details while trying to protect his partner. The police led by Calvin, a uniformed officer, who never wanted to work on cases involving murder, finds himself exactly where he never wanted to be. Calvin and his crew down at the station provide some light-hearted moments with their contrary snack machine, an ever-present fruitcake, and typical comraderies. Calvin and his partner have a running total on who has the 鈥渨orst day鈥� ever, which provides some very funny moments.
There is much gone amuck here. And as the details emerge, we find that there might just be a whole lot more to the death that poor Felix finds himself embroiled in. For Felix, life just might begin at seventy-five and for Calvin, he becomes more secure in what he is becoming.
The bottom line: Belinda Bauer keeps the reader totally involved in the story, and as it continues, we find more to like about both Felix, Calvin, and of course Mabel! Definitely recommend this story for its bright and tight writing as well as a story line that keeps one riveted to the pages of this enjoyable book due out on February 2, 2021.
For most of us, this would not be a job we would take on, but Felix feels after nursing his very ill wife, that being an Exiteer is his calling; easing people into their next life away from pain is what he vows to do. A noble calling for sure! And all goes well as Felix attempts his last exiting with a new partner, until something goes incredibly wrong, and Felix finds himself on the run from the police.
How did this accident happen? He and his dog, Mabel鈥攁 great team of would-be detectives鈥攖ry to puzzle out the details while trying to protect his partner. The police led by Calvin, a uniformed officer, who never wanted to work on cases involving murder, finds himself exactly where he never wanted to be. Calvin and his crew down at the station provide some light-hearted moments with their contrary snack machine, an ever-present fruitcake, and typical comraderies. Calvin and his partner have a running total on who has the 鈥渨orst day鈥� ever, which provides some very funny moments.
There is much gone amuck here. And as the details emerge, we find that there might just be a whole lot more to the death that poor Felix finds himself embroiled in. For Felix, life just might begin at seventy-five and for Calvin, he becomes more secure in what he is becoming.
The bottom line: Belinda Bauer keeps the reader totally involved in the story, and as it continues, we find more to like about both Felix, Calvin, and of course Mabel! Definitely recommend this story for its bright and tight writing as well as a story line that keeps one riveted to the pages of this enjoyable book due out on February 2, 2021.
March 15, 2021
5鈽�
鈥淪omehow he had always imagined himself to be a small part of a much bigger network. A cog in a reasonably sized machine. Not a battleship or a jet fighter, of course, but a steam traction engine, perhaps, or a church clock. It was rather disappointing to realize that he was more of a spring in a pop-up toaster.鈥�
Methodical, unadventurous, creature of habit Felix Pink is a widower struggling to carry on after the death of his wife. He lives with Mabel, their dog, makes himself egg with buttered bread soldiers, and keeps things as they always were.
Except. Yes, except he has stepped outside his comfort zone and joined a kind of dying-with-dignity service where he and another volunteer witness a pre-arranged suicide of a terminal customer. Felix is known only as 鈥淛ohn鈥� to the service and to the patient, and he and the other volunteer take no part in the activities.
They do not make any preparations 鈥� they simply remove all evidence so that the family thinks their relative died naturally and as expected. It鈥檚 a great idea and a simple one. Felix is 75 and is familiar with thinking about and dealing with death. He and Margaret lost their only son when he was a young adult. He was approached after Margaret鈥檚 funeral about joining the 鈥楨虫颈迟别别谤蝉鈥�
鈥淔elix had thought about it for six whole months, because he was not the kind of man to leap before he鈥檇 looked, and then looked again 鈥� and then possibly commissioned some sort of risk assessment report.鈥�
That鈥檚 him. Methodical and cautious. It turned out that he was good at it. He and another elderly gent made a good, reassuring pair to visit those wishing to exit, but today, his usual partner isn鈥檛 there and he鈥檚 assisted by a young woman for whom this is her first assignment.
Something goes wrong, she makes a mistake, and what seemed like it was going to be a slow, straight-forward story about an old guy in a new situation changes entirely. It becomes both suspenseful and funny.
Each time we see Felix try to find out for himself what happened, we want to tell him 鈥淣O鈥�! We know he means well but he鈥檚 out of his depth and he鈥檚 going to end up . . . would you believe, stuck up a tree?
There are many other memorable characters. Crooks, cops, and gamblers. Here鈥檚 one.
鈥淪hifty Sands had been cursed with just enough intelligence to know he was not quite smart enough. Hence, he was a bitter young man.
. . .
He鈥檇 started smoking at twelve, taking a chance that it would kill him by thirty and he might start the next life over with better gifts, more money, and in a warmer place. But he was thirty-six now, and was just starting to worry that 鈥� unless he did something uncharacteristically daring 鈥� he would soon be a bitter old man.鈥�
Don鈥檛 be fooled by Felix鈥檚 mundane existence - he does actually notice the irony around him.
鈥淗e folded the wrapping into a square and placed it under a stone so it wouldn鈥檛 blow away. He鈥檇 take it home with him. Recycle it. Two different boxes, of course. Both inconveniently big, both made of plastic. And then a lorry belching diesel fumes would come along and do its bit to save the planet . . .鈥�
It鈥檚 an inventive story with some delightful surprises. and one of my favourite endings. Thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the preview copy from which I鈥檝e quoted, (so quotes may have changed, of course).
鈥淪omehow he had always imagined himself to be a small part of a much bigger network. A cog in a reasonably sized machine. Not a battleship or a jet fighter, of course, but a steam traction engine, perhaps, or a church clock. It was rather disappointing to realize that he was more of a spring in a pop-up toaster.鈥�
Methodical, unadventurous, creature of habit Felix Pink is a widower struggling to carry on after the death of his wife. He lives with Mabel, their dog, makes himself egg with buttered bread soldiers, and keeps things as they always were.
Except. Yes, except he has stepped outside his comfort zone and joined a kind of dying-with-dignity service where he and another volunteer witness a pre-arranged suicide of a terminal customer. Felix is known only as 鈥淛ohn鈥� to the service and to the patient, and he and the other volunteer take no part in the activities.
They do not make any preparations 鈥� they simply remove all evidence so that the family thinks their relative died naturally and as expected. It鈥檚 a great idea and a simple one. Felix is 75 and is familiar with thinking about and dealing with death. He and Margaret lost their only son when he was a young adult. He was approached after Margaret鈥檚 funeral about joining the 鈥楨虫颈迟别别谤蝉鈥�
鈥淔elix had thought about it for six whole months, because he was not the kind of man to leap before he鈥檇 looked, and then looked again 鈥� and then possibly commissioned some sort of risk assessment report.鈥�
That鈥檚 him. Methodical and cautious. It turned out that he was good at it. He and another elderly gent made a good, reassuring pair to visit those wishing to exit, but today, his usual partner isn鈥檛 there and he鈥檚 assisted by a young woman for whom this is her first assignment.
Something goes wrong, she makes a mistake, and what seemed like it was going to be a slow, straight-forward story about an old guy in a new situation changes entirely. It becomes both suspenseful and funny.
Each time we see Felix try to find out for himself what happened, we want to tell him 鈥淣O鈥�! We know he means well but he鈥檚 out of his depth and he鈥檚 going to end up . . . would you believe, stuck up a tree?
There are many other memorable characters. Crooks, cops, and gamblers. Here鈥檚 one.
鈥淪hifty Sands had been cursed with just enough intelligence to know he was not quite smart enough. Hence, he was a bitter young man.
. . .
He鈥檇 started smoking at twelve, taking a chance that it would kill him by thirty and he might start the next life over with better gifts, more money, and in a warmer place. But he was thirty-six now, and was just starting to worry that 鈥� unless he did something uncharacteristically daring 鈥� he would soon be a bitter old man.鈥�
Don鈥檛 be fooled by Felix鈥檚 mundane existence - he does actually notice the irony around him.
鈥淗e folded the wrapping into a square and placed it under a stone so it wouldn鈥檛 blow away. He鈥檇 take it home with him. Recycle it. Two different boxes, of course. Both inconveniently big, both made of plastic. And then a lorry belching diesel fumes would come along and do its bit to save the planet . . .鈥�
It鈥檚 an inventive story with some delightful surprises. and one of my favourite endings. Thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the preview copy from which I鈥檝e quoted, (so quotes may have changed, of course).
August 6, 2020
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 had 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 while bringing a smile to my face. Loved it!
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 while bringing a smile to my face. Loved it!
February 5, 2021
Felix is 75 yrs old, lives alone, with just his dog, as he lost both his son and wife to illnesses in which they both suffered greatly.
So, he became an Exiteer, a person who is hired to just sit and keep company and watch a person exit life after they have, on their own, placed a mask from a tank of nitrous oxide to commit suicide. He regards this as an act of kindness, helping a person avoid suffering from illness.
Exiteer鈥檚 arrive in groups of two, to watch over each client.
Something goes terribly wrong on his latest job, and the wrong person dies! An investigation starts that includes the dead mans father, son, Felix, the other Exiteer, and some other people.
This ends up being a very funny! I laughed so much! It鈥檚 also very heartwarming!
Loved it! I鈥檒l be checking out this author鈥檚 other books!
Thank you to Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for the ARC!
So, he became an Exiteer, a person who is hired to just sit and keep company and watch a person exit life after they have, on their own, placed a mask from a tank of nitrous oxide to commit suicide. He regards this as an act of kindness, helping a person avoid suffering from illness.
Exiteer鈥檚 arrive in groups of two, to watch over each client.
Something goes terribly wrong on his latest job, and the wrong person dies! An investigation starts that includes the dead mans father, son, Felix, the other Exiteer, and some other people.
This ends up being a very funny! I laughed so much! It鈥檚 also very heartwarming!
Loved it! I鈥檒l be checking out this author鈥檚 other books!
Thank you to Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for the ARC!
February 2, 2021
4.5 humorous stars (rounded up)
I read 鈥淪nap鈥� back in 2018 and I remember really liking the author鈥檚 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鈥檝e 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鈥檛 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鈥檚 75 and wonders how much longer he鈥檒l be around this world. He sorely misses his wife and son and he鈥檚 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鈥檚 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鈥檚 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鈥檚 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.
Thank you to Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for the complimentary copy of this one to read and review.
I read 鈥淪nap鈥� back in 2018 and I remember really liking the author鈥檚 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鈥檝e 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鈥檛 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鈥檚 75 and wonders how much longer he鈥檒l be around this world. He sorely misses his wife and son and he鈥檚 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鈥檚 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鈥檚 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鈥檚 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.
Thank you to Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for the complimentary copy of this one to read and review.
November 6, 2020
Belinda Bauer has been on my list of to-read authors for quite some time and I鈥檓 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 馃槀.
It鈥檚 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鈥檛 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鈥檛 against the law, but they walk a thin line. They don鈥檛 provide the 鈥渕eans鈥� 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!
My Rating: 5 猸愶笍鈥檚
Published: February 2nd 2021 by Atlantic Monthly Press
Pages: 336
Recommend: Absolutely!
@BelindaBauer @NetGalley
#Exit #AtlanticMonthlyPress #NoRulesJustThrills #InExchangeForReview #BookReview #JustFinished
#CozyMystery #MustRead #NetGalley
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 馃槀.
It鈥檚 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鈥檛 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鈥檛 against the law, but they walk a thin line. They don鈥檛 provide the 鈥渕eans鈥� 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!
My Rating: 5 猸愶笍鈥檚
Published: February 2nd 2021 by Atlantic Monthly Press
Pages: 336
Recommend: Absolutely!
@BelindaBauer @NetGalley
#Exit #AtlanticMonthlyPress #NoRulesJustThrills #InExchangeForReview #BookReview #JustFinished
#CozyMystery #MustRead #NetGalley
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