EXIT
BELINDA BAUER
*****
IT WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO BE MURDER . . .
Pensioner Felix Pink is about to find out that it’s never too late . . . for life to go horribly wrong.
When Felix lets himself in to Number 3 Black Lane, he’s 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 – 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.
Exit is the heart-pounding, heart-breaking, and often hilarious new novel from Sunday Times bestselling author Belinda Bauer.
THE REVIEW
The unique premise of Exit is centred around the Exiteers; an underground and secretive group who observe and support assisted suicide. Pensioner Felix Pink is 75 and when he finds out he may have killed the wrong man it triggers a whole host of events he could never have foreseen.
Exit is a delightful book full of dark British humour which is touching in places but also laugh out loud funny throughout. It’s almost exactly how I was hoping Richard Osman’s (slightly disappointing) The Thursday Murder Club would be and I heavily recommend Exit to anyone who enjoyed that. Bauer perfectly balances the tough subject matter with farcical humour and her writing style is so engaging that I finished it in two sittings.
Felix is a sweet and well-rounded character who only wants to do what he believes to be the right thing, even when his idea of what is right might be somewhat questionable! He also has a little dog named Mable who has a very large personality, a friendship with his next door neighbour and a touching backstory with his deceased wife and child. We are also introduced to PC Calvin Bridge, a lazy cop with a secret gambling addiction who is tasked with solving the crime. The narration begins from just Felix’s perspective, then alternates between him and Calvin and then by the end we get to hear perspectives from lots of different characters involved. Although sometimes this technique can get a little confusing, it was actually nice to get introduced to the inner workings of other characters in this way. Even the minor characters are very well written and have such interesting personalities that they seem to jump off the page.
The crime itself has a lot of twists and turns and becomes quite complex by the end, although it works its way through it in a clear and concise way so you never felt too overwhelmed. The ending was perfectly poignant and I shall certainly keep an eye out for more books written by Belinda Bauer in future.
Overall, Exit is a delightfully British murder-mystery full of dark humour which is engaging and well written. Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK & Transworld Publishers – Bantam Press for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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