Publishers Weekly
11/23/2020
Lonely widower Felix Pink, the protagonist of this droll whodunit from British author Bauer (Snap), belongs to a right-to-die group, the Exiteers, whose members assist the terminally ill who are in pain and discomfort, and quietly sit with them when they die. The families of those ailing give permission to the Exiteers to witness the self-administering of nitrous oxide through a mask, ensuring a peaceful death. Arriving at the home of a client, Albert Cann, Felix finds the key under the doormat as promised, and the oxygen mask and cylinder on the nightstand. But an unintentional mistake sends Felix into hiding from the Bideford, England, police as a murder suspect, and the Cann family looks for answers—and Albert’s will. In the subsequent investigation, Constable Calvin Bridge interviews the Cann house cleaner and the Exiteers’ founder, among others. Felix’s caring neighbor, Miss Knott, gently insinuates herself into his life, supporting his innocence and suggesting the possibility of new romance. Each distinctive character has a sense of humor sure to prompt belly laughs from the reader. Bauer knows how to entertain. Agent: Jane Gregory, David Higham Assoc. (U.K.). (Feb.)
From the Publisher
PRAISE FOR EXIT
“Belinda Bauer’s thrillers are ingeniously plotted, propulsively paced and suffused with a keen intelligence and wit . . . I gasped and thrilled at the twist . . . Exit is a welcome addition to this distinctive body of work.” —Sara Weinman, New York Times Book Review
“[A] darkly comic thriller . . . A touching crime novel that explores the nature of life and death with heart and soul.” —Kirkus Reviews
“[Exit] not only unearths deception and greed, but also shows readers that kindness and yearning for good sometimes undergird everyday life . . . Readers who enjoy explorations of the underside of human nature are the perfect audience for this one.” —Booklist
“Belinda Bauer’s enjoyment of the complexity and unpredictability of human lives is contagious. Exit is pure guilty pleasure.” —Thomas Perry, author of Eddie’s Boy
“Bauer’s unique trademark strengths make Exit quirky, charming, intensely human, important . . . and very suspenseful. I loved it.” —Lee Child
PRAISE FOR BELINDA BAUER
“Belinda Bauer is a marvel. Her novels are almost indecently gripping and enjoyable.” —Sophie Hannah, New York Times bestselling author of The Monogram Murders and Woman with a Secret on The Shut Eye
“The best crime novel I’ve read in a very long time.” —Val McDermid, author of How the Dead Speak on Snap
“Vividly real . . . Gripping to the end.” —Kirkus Reviews on Snap
“The most original amateur sleuth I’ve come across all year is Patrick Fort, the young hero of Belinda Bauer’s macabre mystery.” —Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review on Rubbernecker
APRIL 2021 - AudioFile
This darkly humorous mystery is expertly narrated by Rupert Degas. What seems to be an ominous story of suicide and murder turns into a lovely romp through England with Felix, an older man with a somber and thoughtful personality. In the panic of a monumental mistake, Felix—remembering his dog’s behavior at having done something wrong—flees the scene of the crime. Thus begins this comedy of errors. Degas portrays the cast of characters with zeal. Everyone’s traits are distinctively portrayed—whether it is a dying man gasping for breath, a nervous young woman, or a man resigned to his lot. Listeners will appreciate Degas’s crisp enunciation and deft ability to animate these states of being into the lives that fill this story. S.K.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2020-10-27
In Bauer's darkly comic thriller, an elderly widower discovers no good deed goes unpunished when his act of charity goes horribly wrong.
As a member of the Exiteers, an anonymous, secret group in Devon that supports the right to die, 75-year-old widower Felix Pink witnesses the suicides of terminally ill patients. Afterward he disposes of the evidence to ensure that the deaths appear natural. But on an outing with new partner Amanda, a normally smooth operation quickly turns disastrous when the duo accidentally helps the wrong patient to die. Was it an accident or a setup for murder? After urging Amanda to leave so he can take the blame, Felix awaits the police before remembering his dog at home. "But he couldn't be arrested. Not yet. Not until he had made sure Mabel would be alright." The septuagenarian flees over a garden fence just as PC Calvin Bridge and his partner arrive to investigate. The unambitious Calvin is happy to be back in uniform after a brief stint as a plainclothes detective, despite DCI Kirsty King’s belief in his investigative talent. But this odd case forces him to leave his comfort zone. Bauer’s lively and amusing comedy-of-errors narrative alternates between Felix's and Calvin’s perspectives as both men seek answers. In the process, the endearing, gentlemanly Felix, who has stocked his own nitrous oxide cylinders for the day he joins his wife and son in the cemetery, gains a new interest in life, and Calvin, long ashamed of his family’s criminal history, develops confidence in his abilities. A supporting cast of well-drawn, oddball characters adds interest.
A touching crime novel that explores the nature of life and death with heart and soul.
