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Dear Reader: a letter from Belinda Bauer

Dear Reader,

When I was a child I was so curious to find out what was going to happen after I died that it bordered on impatience. I’ve been intrigued by death ever since.

A few years ago I heard about a group in the United States called the Guardian Angels, who volunteer to sit with people who are terminally ill while they end their own lives. While I have great admiration for the volunteers, the moment I heard about this group, I thought – what could go wrong? And so Exit started to take shape in my mind…

The right to die is a rich seam to mine. There are so many legal and moral hazards that need to be negotiated both in reality and in fiction. I wanted to explore both sides of the issue – the kindness inherent in supporting somebody who wants to die the way they choose, versus the dangers of abuse and exploitation of the elderly and the infirm. And, of course, anything veiled in secrecy is open to corruption.

The part of the writing process I find most interesting is not so much the story itself, but whose story it is to tell. Many of my books focus on children, but in Exit I felt the need to create a much older protagonist – somebody whose best years are a long way behind him, and whose future is short.

Once I decided that I wanted an older person to explore the theme of what constitutes a good death and a good life, Felix wrote himself.

Felix Pink has great empathy and selflessness, but he is not a saint. Even as he witnesses the deaths of the Exiteers’ clients, he is using his experience to prepare for his own death. As soon as his dog, Mabel, is gone, he plans to follow his wife and son into the unknown.

But before that happens, Felix’s smooth path to eternity becomes crazy paving, and – at the age of 75 – he becomes a fugitive from justice.

Much of the fun of the book comes from the staid Felix adjusting to life as a criminal, even as he tries to uncover the truth about what went wrong – and how to put it right. It was a real joy to explore the feelings of somebody who is having pivotal experiences so late in life – especially as he’d rather not be having them!

But Exit is about much more than Felix evading the police and investigating a crime. It’s about relationships, generations and regrets. About how the decisions we make affect the people around us – sometimes even beyond the grave. And about how one lonely man stops waiting to die, and learns how to live.

Belinda Bauer

Belinda Bauer, author of Exit
Belinda Bauer, author of Exit
Belinda Bauer

Belinda Bauer grew up in England and South Africa and now lives in Wales. She worked as a journalist and a screenwriter before finally writing a book to appease her nagging mother. For her debut, Blacklands, Belinda was awarded the CWA Gold Dagger for Crime Novel of the Year. She went on to win the CWA Dagger in the Library for her body of work. Her fourth novel, Rubbernecker, was voted Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year. Her eighth novel, Snap, was a Sunday Times bestseller. It was longlisted for the Man Booker prize and voted Crime & Thriller Book of the Year at the Specsavers National Book Awards.

4 Comments

    I’m reading Exit 2 months after my son took his own life.
    I’ve read all her books (including the one under alias) and have enjoyed every one.
    The first name on page one, Chris, was my son’s name, so when I opened it to the first page 3 weeks ago, I shut it and put it back on the bookshelf.
    I felt that I could never read a book again.
    However, I’m reading Exit and pacing myself because it makes me smile, empathize with the protagonist and chuckle at his predicament.
    I love the way the characters from previous novels are interweaved into the later ones, like Calvin.
    Bauer has such wisdom and insight that it amazes me.
    Can’t wait for the next one.

    I finished reading Exit 2 days after it was released. Excellent ! – as usual. I have read all Bauerś books twice, except for Exit. Bauer is the best author on the planet today and I can not wait for her next book.

    I just finished reading Exit. I loved the story. I’m in my 70s and grew up with Edgar Wallace, Agatha Christie, and John Dickson Carr. Exit brought those glorious days back to me. Enjoyed thoroughly. Thank you Ms Belinda Bauer

    Lovely interview, and the insight Belinda offers into the creative process makes me want to read this book all over again.
    Mind you that remains true for all her novels. Find this author and be ready for the new one “Exit”.

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