Just as he’s 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. He’s not just sweet, he’s ethical and determined to do what’s right, even if that actually deters the police from figuring out the actual criminal. Despite being a crime novel, it is a charming book that encompasses themes of compassion, friendship, love and standing up for what you believe is right. 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. He’d 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.

After his beloved wife died a slow death, he joined the Exiteers, a secret group that witnesses suicides in the terminally ill. Michaelides seems also to be dipping into the world of Edgar Allan Poe, offering an unreliable narrator who feels more like a literary exercise. Thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the preview copy from which I’ve quoted, (so quotes may have changed, of course). No stranger to tragedy, he is lonely, a widower with only his little dog Mabel for company, his forays with the Exiteers were really his only social interactions. I thought it would be a fast paced thriller, and looking a some other reviews, it seems like I wasn't the only one!The narrative has a few interesting situations and unexpected discoveries, but it was quite slow-paced and monotonous. 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. 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. I actually enjoyed this book which has fatal and dark concept but with the talents of the author, your reading experience goes smooth. I was expecting a gritty thriller, but this author has more talent than just repeating an earlier formula.

The Exiteer doesn't assist the dying to commit suicide but tidies up afterwards so the death looks natural to their loved ones. The main plot doesn’t take off until 11%, and the wrinkles that really give it spark aren’t until 35%.Nobody ever spoke of the relentless parking that was demanded by a relative in hospital with a prolonged illness. 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. S. Geological Survey, leading to “immediate suspension of the National Volcano Early Warning System,” and there’s always someone around looking to monetize the natural disaster and the sasquatch-y onslaught that follows. In fact, I think by the end, the reader will get a taste of everyone’s viewpoint, including the villain’s.

Most of it is thoughts of a pensioner who is trying to fix his mistakes by making even more trouble for himself. 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. Meanwhile, Detective Calvin Bridges, who had been the first responder at the scene, is proving himself to be a proficient investigator. Now his world is turned upside down as he must find out if he's really to blame, or if something much more sinister is at play.

Bauer has created a tightly plotted and dark story that shows investigates the complexities of aided suicide. This is the fourth book that I’ve read by this talented author and each one has been completely unique in its own way. 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. 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.