Exit Strategy

by Charlton Pettus

When crooked politicians, deposed dictators and white-collar criminals need to disappear, there’s Exit Strategy. With just one call, Exit Strategy helps these wealthy-but-wanted types fake their own death, get a new name and face, and launder whatever ill-gotten funds they need to start a new life.

When Jordan Parrish, the brilliant founder of a start-up, made the call to Exit Strategy, he thought he had no other way out. But afterward, he began to wonder about the circumstances that led him to make that was someone, in fact, working against him? To find out, Jordan will have to break the cardinal rule of Exit you can never, ever go back.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller, Adult

416 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2018

About the author

Charlton Pettus was born in Washington, D.C. in 1963. He grew up in Brookline, Mass., moving to New York City in 1986 when Buckner missed the ball. Since 2000 he has lived in Los Angeles with his wife and two children. He is a songwriter/producer and touring guitarist for Tears for Fears. Exit Strategy is his first novel.

Reviews

[TL *Humaning the Best She Can* · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this via Goodreads Giveaways in exchange for an honest review. :)
-----

Liked it but not in love with it *shrugs *(short review because book slump:()

[Audrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn’t bad but could have been a lot better. My biggest issue was the weak characters. Jordan and Stephanie Parrish are the two heroes of the story yet neither has a personality. They are incredibly generic and therefore impossible to connect with. I don’t know why they care about each other; I don’t get a sense of motivation from them.

The bad guys don’t have much personality, either. Our main villain engages in sexual and animal torture. I guess this is to show how bad he really is, but there’s no point to this behavior other than to compensate for a lack of personality. His motives are never explained.

The plot relies on the bad guys making some big mistakes and the good guys making just a few little ones. I get annoyed when either side is perfect, but it should be more balanced. I really enjoyed the chase/escape scenes.

There is a lot of jumping around. A scene will be a paragraph and then jump to another POV for another paragraph. (There are 88 chapters plus an epilogue and prologue in 406 pages.) Sometimes these are flashbacks, so at times I didn’t know who or when or where I was. And who the heck is Natalie??

Some plot threads didn’t seem to wrap up. What did the end mean, “folding”? Jordan and Stephanie were supposed to have a strained marriage at the beginning. Then they’re perfectly happy together. No talking it out? No counseling? I still have a few questions about Alex and Sam. Maybe I’m just dense.



The writing is fine but utilitarian — no thoughtful prose or literary qualities; just the straight facts. The writer also doesn’t know what bemused means (hint: not amused). But I think any true thriller fan will enjoy this.

CW:
Consistent strong language that just felt gratuitous
Explicit sexual content, including abuse and torture
Some gory medical details and graphic violence
Deliberate harm to animals

Book Blog

[Diane Hernandez · Rating 3 out of 5]

After calling a clandestine number, Jordan uses the Exit Strategy to begin again. Soon Jordan regrets his “death” but is told if he contacts his wife, they will kill her. After undergoing facial reconstruction, Jordan is reborn. When he accidentally contracts his wife, he must fight to save his family and himself from the covert organization’s grip.

Exit Strategy is very cinematic and would make a great Tom Cruise movie. Unfortunately, like many movie blockbusters, there is nothing very original here. It is definitely form over substance. 3 stars.

Thanks to Hanover Square Press and NetGalley for a copy.

[Robert Grieco · Rating 5 out of 5]

One GREAT book! I just loved the story and the characters. This would make one GREAT movie. Makes you think also about what is actually possible in today's world. At times I wish I could disappear. :) Can't wait for the next book by Mr. Charlton Pettus.

[Darcia Helle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm at a loss. This book's description offered everything I'm drawn to in a story. The story itself, though... The kindest thing I can say is that I didn't like it.

This book consists of extremely short sections, alternating a variety of narrating characters. We jump from one thing to another and then to something else. Adding to the confusion, we also have flashback chapters. The result is a choppy mess. At times I'd read a section and wonder if any of that was actually necessary information, or if it was necessary to add that narrating character into the mix. Other times, sections were so short that I couldn't even grasp the point of it. The scenes I found compelling ended before they went anywhere. Many of the scenes are no more than a few short paragraphs.

Then we have the characters, who are mostly stereotypes behaving in expected ways. This novel is very clearly written from a man's perspective, as far as women's behavior, at least.

I got about halfway through this book. The disjointed storyline was giving me a headache. I was irritated. The short scenes made me want to scream. I stopped reading and tossed this one in my 'give to charity' pile, mainly because I can't bring myself to throw away a book.

*The publisher provided me with a copy of this book, via Amazon Vine, in exchange for my brutally honest review.*

[Joseph Carano · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won a uncorrected proof of this novel on the Goodreads site. This is the story of a desperate man who calls an organization which changes his identity, fakes his death, then relocates him somewhere else. He then realizes he misses his wife and family and attempts to get out of the deal. This book has enough good twists and turns to get a four star rating.

[Gabriel Ducate]

I just finished Exit Strategy, it was intriguing and quite entertaining.

I really enjoyed the way this story describers the way this man changes his identity, fakes his death, then moves him somewhere else.

[Mandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this ARC as part of a Goodreads giveaway in return of an honest review. Thank you very much to Hanover Square Press and author Charleston Pettus for sending me this book.

Jordan Parrish, brilliant scientist, finds himself in a precarious situation and sees no other way but to dial the number that will change his life completely. Literally. Before he knows what’s happening he is kidnapped, held hostage for a few months, and given a new identity in Japan. Meanwhile his family is convinced he lost his life in a car accident and tries their best to move on. But what was Jordan running from and will starting a new life be enough to live in peace? More importantly, does he even want to?

Charly in Pettus’ debut thriller is a very complex book with many short chapters that dive into the lives of a variety of characters. And that’s where the main issue lies in my opinion: the jumps between characters is way too frequent and no character really gets the chance of introducing him or herself fully. As a result, the reader still is not really sure what the main story is actually about and how all the story arcs come together and add to the overall premise. Moreover, the story is unfortunately a little dry and I had a very hard time picking the book up and keep on reading. Even after over 100 pages I was not really immersed in the story and I decided to DNF it. I do think, however, that Pettus’ thriller has a lot of potential, if the chapters are edited better (ie longer chapters with focus on one character at a time) and the story progresses faster. Not really my type of book. 2 stars.

[BB · Rating 2 out of 5]

Innovative plot that veered over the edge but kept me periodically rapt. Jordan’s business is failing and his marriage is floundering. He has a number to call if he ever considers suicide and he calls it. This Exit Strategy company sets you a new life with no going back but Jordan changes his mind.
Reminded me of Fast and the Furious or Die Hard where things go awry over and over and over and then again. So ridiculous but I read and read. In the end though it reached the absolutely ridiculous stage and I could rant for an hour about how ridiculous the ridiculous got.

[Darlene Quinn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very good first novel.This thriller held my attention with it's unique plot. At times I would have rate in a five star at others less than a 3 star. My ratings dropped when the well-drawn, interesting characters did things out of character--particularly Dr. Stephanie Parrish, the female protagonist. The ending was also disappointing.

[Al · Rating 2 out of 5]

2/5 - The book's innovative premise falls apart pretty quickly as the narrative turns into a predictable and slow mess. The characters fall into one of three categories; unlikeable, uninteresting, or cliche's. The book tries to be a modern take on Dumas' classic 'the Count of Monte Cristo,' but it misses the mark.

[Priscilla · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got about 1/3 through this book because the premise is so interesting but I had to stop. This book dirtied my soul. There way way too much swearing and filthy sex scenes. It made me uncomfortable.

[Viktoriya · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of the book sounded really interesting: a brilliant scientist, Jordan, whose life is unraveling fast, has decided it's time to end it all. Suicide is not really an option, but luckily, he has a telephone number. To use only as the last resort. Desperate, he calls that number. Next thing he knows, he is kidnapped, held somewhere as a hostage, undergoes facial reconstruction, gets a new identity and is moved to live in Japan. Meanwhile, his wife and kids believe that he died in a car accident with his mistress. It's hard, but they try to move on. Thank God Jordan's partner, Alex is there to help them. As time goes by, Jordan starts to realize that he made a mistake and he wants to go back to his wife and kids. But how? The people who made him disappear made it perfectly clear that if he tries to go back, his family will be killed.

The writing was disjointed and choppy. The chapters are very short and there is a constant switch between perspectives, story lines, flashbacks. Most of the time it was very confusing as you didn't know where you were or who the character you are reading about. There is only one big plot twist in the novel: who is the person behind Jordan's disappearance. And to be honest, it wasn't flashed out well. If Alex really wanted Jordan gone, why not orchestrate a simple accident (since he had the means and connections), why go through this insane scenario to fake his death, create new identity for him. Why???

[Jessica Russell · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this book at the library, and I appreciate the author branching out into writing from a completely different type of creative occupation, because I did that myself! But this just clearly emphasizes that even if you have an idea for a book, you may need help to tell your story if you don't have the background or education to understand all the do's and don'ts of creative writing. The premise was very interesting. Just the type of thriller I like. But the writing was lackluster. Things that you learn in creative writing courses include how to flesh out characters and make them multidimensional as opposed to flat. These characters were very one-dimensional and subsequently difficult to get involved with. That makes a book boring. You also learn about plot holes, and the need to explain why the characters in the book did what they did. Otherwise, you have a lot of frustrated readers saying "XYZ question was never answered." Readers hate that. Changing the point of view from one paragraph to another is also the kiss of death because it confuses the reader and puts choppiness into a story that should flow. I think with a better foundation of knowledge regarding how to write a great book, this could have been, well, a great book. I wonder why the editors didn't do more to help because it's unrealistic to think that they didn't see these problems. Why would they ignore them if they one of the book to be a success? I would be totally willing to read another edition if there was one in which these issues were cleaned up. However, if all the unnecessary graphic violence, filthy language, and over the top sex were still in the book, I probably wouldn't read it again. That stuff just didn't need to be there. It was almost like absurdities for the sake of absurdity. I think writers make a mistake when they rely on violence and graphic sex to propel a novel along, because 100 such scenes do not save a book that has the issues mentioned above. I hope the author doesn't give up on a writing career, though, because learning the craft is very important and anyone who puts their mind to it can do just that!

[Jessica Bronder · Rating 4 out of 5]

When things get tough and most of us feel like we can’t go on suicide seems to be the only way out. But for the elite among us, there is the Exit Strategy. For a nice chunk of change, you can fake your death, move across the world, and live on your ill-gotten gains that have been transferred to new bank accounts. The only rule, you can never go back.

Jordan Parrish seems to have it all. Brilliant scientist with a beautiful Harvard professor wife and a booming biotech startup. But things have gone downhill for him. After the death of their child, Jordan finds his marriage failing. Then his company starts failing too. The only thing he can think of is to kill himself but if he does that his family doesn’t get the insurance money. So Jordan decided to use the Exit Strategy.

Jordan fakes his death and is swept across the world to Asia to start his new life. But while there he realizes that he misses his old life. One click on an Instagram picture and he has broken the one rule of the Exit Strategy. Now his family and his life are on the line as he tries to figure out if the failure in this life was real or planned.

This was a pretty good story that kept me involved and had me hoping that Jordan would get out alive. I didn’t expect the direction it took and had a hard time putting the book down to go to sleep. There action, thrills, and a man that doesn’t realize what he lost until he is gone. This is a great story and one to check out.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

[Gloria Feit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Life certainly offers a myriad of choices, but Jordon Parrish narrowed what was available to him when everything seemed to be going belly-up. A brilliant scientist and co-head of his public company (albeit for some strange reason listed on the Hong Kong exchange rather than on NASDAQ here in the States), the experiment he was working on, which the company hoped would be a bonanza, showing no progress, the company’s finances in a shambles and his marriage going on the rocks, he looked to possible solutions, narrowing them down to suicide (which would kill any insurance), or selecting a secret organization that would give him a new identity, allowing him to disappear, care free.

Of course, he chooses the strategy that allow him to exit from all his woes, and he is relocated to Tokyo, where eventually he begins to miss is wife and two children. Provided with another chance, he is moved to France, but the same nostalgia for his family arises. Apparently the “Exit Strategy” is not to his taste, and not what he wished for. The remainder of the novel describes his efforts to extricate himself from his hidden life and return to his former one.

This is a first novel, and it is well done, at least up until the denouement which, to this reader at least, is overdone. The author has written a thriller, but has ended it with a heavy hand, rather than a subtle conclusion. Perhaps he’s seen too many movies. On the whole, however, the book certainly is well-written and satisfying, and can be – and is - recommended.

[Trudy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, I can't really say I enjoyed this book.....because I didn't. The author is a successful musician who probably figured he could also write fiction. Well, honestly this was in fact written well, but not in the sense of like quality or talent. What I mean is I feel like there's a template new writers learn to follow when writing a thriller. This book followed that template 100% and unfortunately everything was predictable and typical. In the writing class the teacher would probably award him an A+. I however feel like I've already read this book or seen the movie at some point in my life because the story line seemed to follow a very familiar path, with different names and cities. I wasn't glued to the pages and I didn't stay up late reading to find out what would happen next. The twists and turns offered in the book were not shocking and I never felt anything but impatience to just be done with it already! Whatever it is that makes a book a MUST READ, this one is missing that element. Whatever it is that a gifted author has...this author does not have it. His gifts are in the musical industry and I respect his talents. But, just like Michael Jordan learned when he tried out baseball, just because you're the best at something, it doesn't make you the best at everything.

[Entrada Book Review · Rating 2 out of 5]

***This review contains spoilers***

The Good:

It was a page turner that's for sure. Lots of exciting drama, what's going to happen next suspense.

The Bad:

Explicit rape. Explicit torture. Explicit animal torture. Explicit violence.

And the ending was very unrewarding. Loose ends never came together. What was the point of the DNA and the double blind study?

Unrealistic - You can't open a bank account with only a fake driver's license. You need a social security card, especially with all the Patriot Act stuff, you have to verify your identity. If the main character was only running away from her "boyfriend" who doesn't specifically have intelligence connections, why does she need fake info at all?

Your five year old has his own smartphone? Are you even a parent?

The acknowledgements said it was originally an idea for a movie. It sounds like Cinemax turned it down because it was so violent and unlikely....that being said, it could have been great...but it just wasn't.

[Marilee Steffen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jordan Parrish has had enough. His medical tech start up business is failing, his marriage is shaky and he sees no way out. His therapist has told him that there is a way out--but it is irreversible. With one phone call he will disappear. His death will be faked and he will be given a new name and identity. Jordan chose the EXIT so his family will be able to collect the life insurance and have financial security. After he made the choice, he has second thoughts. Had he been set up? He sets out to return to his old life but is in danger from the EXIT people who will be exposed if he succeeds.

I actually give this novel 2.5 stars. I did enjoy it--mostly. It is a well written thriller with twists that have not been used before. The "techno"part of the story was confusing to me at times and I found the ending unsatisfactory. Still, I was brought along for the white knuckle ride and mostly enjoyed it.

[Claire · Rating 2 out of 5]

My original rating was going to be a solid meh, but as I kept reading, the words on the pages made less and less sense. If I had to describe this "thriller" in three words or less, they would be: boring and confusing. I thought I understood the plot when I got to the halfway mark, but hell, it made me go:



New characters are constantly being introduced with these short side plots and they are never brought up again. They were not too important to the plot and made everything messier than without. Every "twist" was predictable if you assume the protagonists would always win and are seemingly invincible (honestly, the main character should have died from his injuries). The constant change in setting didn't help either.

[Elisha Condie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book felt just exactly like watching a movie. Rich guy whose life is falling apart makes a call to a mysterious organization who extracts him and starts him over in a new life. But then he starts to have misgivings, and he didn't QUITE understand what that phone call would really mean. So he starts to unravel the super secret organization one thread at a time in order to get home. And it's got all the things- sexy, smart, bereaved widow who just can't believe he's gone, best friend who was always there for him, the smarts to outwit the baddies, locations across the globe. I mean, whats not to like? It felt a little generic, if a super action packed secret organization book CAN feel generic. But I really did kind of enjoy it. *shrugs*

[Craig Wakefield · Rating 4 out of 5]

So you decide to escape or hide from the world for whatever reason. Perhaps you are the innocent type that the government is after, or perhaps you are the not so innocent type, that wants to hide from pursuers . A good premise to begin this book from Author Pettus. But the premise becomes even better when the person that desires help to start of new life changes their mind for what ever reason.

Now we know that U.S. Marshal's do this sort of thing all the time, i.e., help people escape the past. What does not work out normally is when that hidee changes their mind and goes back to their old life.

What happens here?

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too much science talk that not everyone can understand. I get it's about a genetic scientist or whatever but ot got boring to keep reading about things that I couldn't understand. Add to that, the coming and going from character to character in every paragraph...

Second, how can they be so okay with the wife sleeping with the best friend and then go back to be with the husband like nothing happened. Again, I understand that she thought he was dead, BUT STILL.

And what's with the BDSM? At the end, I don't even get an explanation of who was behind the "Exit Strategy", what happened to the detective and how do they managed to cover it all up?

[Rosanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Checked this out of the library on a whim, and raced right through it. If you stop to think about it some of the plot points are a bit unbelievable to the point of being almost ridiculous. But the writing is so good and the plotting so clever that you don't stop to think about it.

And then there's the fun factor of saying, "Wait, this that guy from Tears for Fears." (Loved when they joined the harpsichordist in Indiana last year.)

I hope to see more books from Pettus. Perhaps they could be a bit more firmly edited however.

[Maggies Daisy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pure anonymity was a subject I never thought about until this book. We have all heard of the witness protection program, so we are all familiar with people who start over with a clean set of credentials. But what about the people who change their identities but then change their minds and want their old life back? In this tale, you'll find genuinely ingenious ways that two people can communicate. Once I got over the awkward start, I was thoroughly engrossed in how these two people were ever going to get back together again against so many obstacles. Will love concur all? Can the villains keep them apart? Is there anyone they can trust? Trust no one

[Don Gorman · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3). This is a very good effort for a debut. It is almost a poster for a certain genre of modern day thriller. Lots of technology, a fair amount of fear, intimidation and violence, tending towards gross amounts of unbelievability, moderately superhuman abilities to perform physical feats and endure pain, flashes of brilliance, all delivered in a thoroughly exciting and high speed manner. yes, it is the quintessential two way street. Lots of excitement and lots of not quite right. All in all, a fast and fun read.

[Nicola · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF (120 pages)

Well, I didn't get up to the filthy sex scenes, violence, or animal torture. I actually stopped because I was bored and didn't think the book was very well written. I could see that they had an idea but I thought it's presentation needed better editing and the characters needed more work. It was a random selection off the library shelves hours before they closed permanently for Covid-19 Lockdown; even with only a limited selection of books to last me, I couldn't make myself keep going.

[Lisa Carlson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Touring guitarist for Tears for Fears Charlton Pettus has stepped outside his lane with a debut novel called Exit Strategy. The concept is entertaining but the execution is disastrous. Apparently, the editor didn't have much of a plan either as this feels amateurish all the way around. If you're going to make a lane change into the book world do your homework when it comes to the art of great writing. This is no Ludlum.

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

What happens when you want to save your family and you feel the only solution is faking your death? Jordan makes a phone call. which sets in motion his being declared dead. He is given a fake ID and hidden away. He can't let go of his wife and children though. But that is against the rules! They mustn't know he's alive. He's dealing with some very sinister people with ulterior motives. Read the book and find out what happens.

[Deepa Krishnan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book certainly had the potential to be like Ludlum’s but feel way short.
Cheated by business partner the protagonist is driven to leave his wife and family behind. After a certain point the struggles he goes through become repetitive and yawn worthy. One can kind of guess the ending. Still not clear as to when the rather really fell for his friend’s girl friend or wife. Some loose ends should’ve been tied together well but that didn’t happen. So I am being generous with 3 Stars.