“The Exiteers existed to support people with terminal illnesses and for whom pain meant their lives were no longer bearable” That is the premise in this wonderful, gentle quintessential English crime novel. Felix Pink is in his mid 70’s, tragically his wife and son have both passed. In order to inject some purpose into his daily routine (apart from walking Mabel his canine companion) he volunteers some time to “Exit”  and by do doing hopes that his presence, together with a co Exeteer brings some peace and tranquillity to their client as he/she travels from this world to the next. As our story opens Felix and Amanda are attending the bed of Albert Cann, in his final moments. Their role is passive, they are not there to aid or help but rather silent observers awaiting Albert’s final intake of breath. Unfortunately a mistake occurs and the proceeding drama not only affects are volunteers but a number of residents in this sleepy Devon hamlet.

Belinda Bauer is wonderful at leading an unexpected reader down a certain path confronting and revealing the perpetrator of this dreadful crime….or so you thought :) …because just at that moment you are totally within her playful grasp, and the person you are about to confront is nothing but an innocent bystander! This is writing of the highest order, as soothing as English breakfast tea and Devon scones with jam! The pace is slow, unhurried, characters gently introduced and their role fully explored and explained. Belinda Bauer is such a vital and important addition to British crime writing. Her penmanship is fresh, her storytelling exquisite interspaced with gentle humour. Exit is a joy to read. Highly recommended. Many thanks to the good people at netgalley for a gratis copy in exchange for an honest review and that is what I have written

by Belinda Bauer

This was an entertaining story. It starts with three children left in their mother's car broken down on the roadside while she goes to make a phone call, promising to be only ten minutes. However, she doesn't return at all. The author does a brilliant job of taking us through the thoughts and emotions of the eldest, Jack, who has been left in charge though he's only eleven. With a snappy sister and a baby that probably needs changing, he suddenly has far too much responsibility.

The chapters alternate between the story of the children and another character, Catherine, who is a pregnant woman from a few years later and who also faces a difficult and frightening situation. The connection isn't immediately obvious.

When the connection gets made, things get a lot more fast paced. Even before then, the idiosyncrasies of the various characters keep the story interesting. I liked Jack. The mystery of their mother's disappearance dominates much of the story and there are some flashbacks, especially in Jack's dreams. It's all done very smoothly so that I never felt confused about time periods or when Jack was dreaming again.

In some ways, some of the characters weren't quite believable and bordered on a few clichés. The police procedures definitely wandered into the highly unlikely. However, I didn't care. It was a good story and I enjoyed the read, even anticipating some of the unlikely directions it was heading towards near the end.

The only thing I didn't like about the end is that Catherine's story was left partially unresolved. I'd like to have known what happened next. Jack on the other hand I felt satisfied about.

There were some interesting psychological aspects of the story throughout. Jack's motivations were clear and his cleverness in tight situations is what made me feel sympathetic towards him.

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

*Sigh*….Here’s my review.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

veryone is virgin at something

This is the story of a man who's never done it, and a woman with the experience to teach him how. 

Reid McGrath is drunk and intends to stay that way. It's what a man does when the world he built gets ripped out from under him. He's staked a claim on the back booth at Lucky's where he can fixate on a dancer who makes him wish things were different.

Zarley Halveston dances under shimmering lights in a barely there costume, but it's not the gold medal life she trained for. She expected to stand on an Olympic podium, instead she glitters under disco lights, gyrating on a chrome pole.

Zarley can't see the brooding man in the back booth, but she knows he's there. He's toxic, but it's not her job to care, until the night he collapses at her feet and she has to choose to step over him or help him up. 

Reid thought he'd hit bottom when he was fired as CEO of his own company, but knowing he'd needed the kindness of a stranger, and realizing she was the dancer he'd lusted after was a new low.

Question: What do a fallen golden girl turned exotic dancer and a sacked, socially awkward tech tycoon have in common? 

Answer: A deep understanding of the whiplash sting of failure, a need to re-build their dreams and the sexual education of a frustrated geek.

Es ist tiefer Winter im englischen Shipcott, als eine alte, wehrlose Frau ermordet wird. Während Beamte aus London die Ermittlungen aufnehmen, erreichen Dorfpolizist Jonas bedrohliche Botschaften. Ihm wird vorgeworfen, seiner Pflicht nicht nachzukommen. Können diese Nachrichten vom Mörder sein?

Bei „Der Beschützer“ handelt es sich um einen leisen Spannungsroman, der meiner Meinung hart an der Grenze zum Psychothriller schabt. 

Shipcott ist ein kleiner Ort beziehungsweise schon eher ein richtiges Kaff. Jeder kennt jeden, die Menschen gehen ihren täglichen Gewohnheiten nach, und beschützt wird dieser rustikale Landstrich vom eigenen Dorfpolizisten: Jonas Holly.

Jonas Holly mag seinen Job und geht mit Enthusiasmus seinen Aufgaben nach. Er zeigt Präsenz, macht das Beste aus der Situation, und weiß als Einheimischer, wie die Bewohner zu nehmen sind. Privat kümmert er sich um seine schwerkranke Frau. Die Sorge um sie bringt ihn an den Rand der Verzweiflung, weil er nicht weiß, wie ihr zu helfen ist.

Zu allem Überfluss geht ein Mörder in Shipcott um. Zuerst tötet er eine alte, wehrlose Frau. Und der Killer hat weitere Opfer ausgewählt. 

Beschrieben wird dieser Thriller anhand mehrerer Perspektiven. An erster Stelle ist Jonas zu nennen. Durch ihn lernt man Shipcott, die Bewohner und natürlich seine private Situation kennen. Die Abschnitte mit ihm geben ein Gefühl für den Ort, lassen seine Sorgen lebendig werden und rücken die Ermittler aus London ins rechte Licht.

Die Beamten aus der Stadt sind von der Winteridylle des Örtchens gar nicht angetan. Sie tappen im Dunkeln, werden langsam eingeschneit, und trotz aller Bemühungen haben sie nicht den Hauch einer Ahnung, wer der Mörder ist. Angeführt von einem böswilligen und rechthaberischen Polizeibeamten namens Marvel, ergeben die städtischen Ermittler ein grobschlächtiges Bild, das bei der hiesigen Bevölkerung wenig Sympathie findet.

Wenn man kurz über die Handlung fliegt, dann ist sie nicht neu. Allerdings wird sie von Belinda Bauer fesselnd und originell erzählt.

Bezeichnend für die Ereignisse sind der Winter, das Kaff mit Jonas Holly und die Opfer. Sämtliche Opfer sind schutzbedürftig und allein nicht lebensfähig. Diese Tatsache stachelt das Entsetzen der Bevölkerung richtig an. Dazu kommt die Vermutung, dass es jemand von ihnen sein muss, weil ein Außenstehender die Umstände der Ermordeten nicht gut genug kennt.

So geht Jonas Holly die Ermittlungen an, obwohl er von den Kollegen aus der Stadt zur Türwache degradiert ist. Er sieht nicht tatenlos zu, wie ein Mörder Unheil über seinen Ort bringt!

An und für sich ist die Handlung ruhig erzählt. Nachdem man Hollys Lebensumstände und den aggressiven Führungsstil Marvels kennenlernt, plätschert das Geschehen vor sich hin. Abwechselnd rücken unterschiedliche Verdächtige in den Fokus, alte Fehden wärmen sich auf, aktuelle Brandherde kühlen ab, und mittendrin stapft man mit Holly munter durch den kräfteraubenden Schnee, weil man denkt, dass man dem Killer auf der Fährte ist.

Stimmungsvoll und im dörflichen Ambiente, geht Belinda Bauer den üblichen Krimi-Weg, nur um den Leser mit einer gnadenlosen Wendung zu konfrontieren. Während ich dieses Buch bis zur Hälfte als durchschnittlichen Krimi betrachtet habe, nimmt er ab dann überragend spannende Züge an, und überrascht mit einem unerwarteten Ende, das mich durchwegs für sich eingenommen hat.

„Der Beschützer“ ist ein leiser Thriller, der bis zur Mitte jedem Regional-Krimi die Ehre macht, ab dann auf Psychothriller-Niveau agiert, und durch den ausgefallenen Abschluss zum beachtlichen Lesevergnügen wird.