Inside by Nicky James

Narrated by Nick J. Russo

Inside is the first book in Nicky James’ Death Row Chronicles duology, and the first thing potential listeners will probably want to know is that while it does chart the development of a strong, soul-deep connection between the two lead characters, it isn’t really a romance in the accepted sense. There’s a very last minute HFN – which makes perfect sense for this story – but the final HEA isn’t reached until book two, Outside, which I believe will be released in audio soon.

Anson Miller has been a Corrections Officer for a decade and has faced some pretty tricky situations in that time, but the worst was when he was beaten up and stabbed by a few inmates (after they found out he was gay) – and almost died. Advised he should probably not return to work at that prison, he’s decided to relocate from his home in Michigan to Texas, where he’s taking up a position as a guard on death row at one of the toughest prisons in the US.

Being the new guy there’s a lot to learn, but the other officers are – mostly – friendly, and help Anson quickly get up to speed. The author has clearly done her homework here, presenting a vivid picture of it what must be like to be inside the prison walls from both sides. The monotony, the boredom and the despair experienced by the condemned men is tangible, while at the same time, we’re enlightened as to the regular routines and procedures of prison life and why they’re so vitally important in keeping everyone – inmates and guards alike – safe.

We’re introduced to a few of the inmates Anson interacts with regularly (a colourful bunch to say the least), and it’s clear straight away that he’s one of the good guys; he’s fair, respectful and understanding, he doesn’t condemn or judge – the courts have done that – and while no pushover, wants to make sure that the men are afforded as much dignity as possible given their situations. On death row, however, that isn’t much – they’re regularly strip-searched, their cells are tossed frequently and unfortunately, some of the other guards enjoy exercising their power too much.

One of the prisoners stands out, though, a quietly imposing Black man called Bishop Ndiyae who the others have nicknamed the ‘Silent Giant’. Anson has never let an inmate get to him, but against his better judgement, he’s intrugued, especially after seeing Bishop with his only visitor, an elderly woman he calls “Maw Maw” who brings photographs to show him each week. Anson’s fascination only grows when he sees Bishop has drawn what he’s seen in the photos, in charcoal, on the walls of his cell – he’s an extremely talented artist. Anson knows he’s playing with fire, knows developing a soft spot for an inmate is an incredibly bad idea, and decides to do something he’s never done before as a way of shutting down this… whatever it is. He’ll look Bishop up on the internet and find out why he’s on death row.

But learning that Bishop was convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend and her five-year-old son doesn’t put a lid on Anson’s infatuation, because he finds it impossible to reconcile the softly-spoken, mild-mannered man he knows with the brutal crime he read about. He yearns to know more about Bishop, to see him and talk to him if he can, to see if he can find the criminal behind the gentle façade.

Grabbing shifts on B-block whenever he is able, Anson starts to spend what time he can talking with Bishop and trying to draw the man out. Bishop doesn’t want to share much to start with, but over the weeks that follow, stolen moments of hushed conversation through the glass partitions and metal doors that separate the guards from the inmates reveals his love of reading and art, that he and his younger brother (from whom he’s estranged) were brought up by their grandparents, and how deeply he loves his grandmother – his Maw Maw. It’s incredibly risky for Anson to be doing what he’s doing, but he can’t stay away. Something about Bishop calls to him, and from the way Bishop looks at him, the heartfelt tone in his voice, the way he opens up to Anson so sincerely, it’s clear that Bishop feels the same way. When Anson reads Bishop’s case notes and sees how many things were overlooked or completely missed and how poorly his attorney advocated for him, it just adds to Anson’s growing conviction that Bishop is innocent – and he’s determined to do something to help him before it’s too late.

Inside is a gripping, intense story that is, of necessity, a very, very slow-burn. I admit that I found it a bit difficult, at the start, to buy into Anson’s infatuation with a man he had never met before and who, at that point, he believed to be a murderer, simply because he’s quiet, reticent and not like the other guys on the row.

But as things progress and Anson and Bishop begin to really talk about themselves, their lives and their interests, their connection becomes stronger and more believable. The whole story is told in Anson’s PoV (book two is Bishop’s), and because of the literal barriers between the couple – thick glass, metal doors – there’s little physical contact, so all the emotions are conveyed through looks and facial expressions, tone of voice and cautious, quiet words, because they can’t risk being overheard.

The main issue I had with the story is with Anson’s… I can only call it recklessness, when it comes to finding ways to spend time with Bishop. He’s well aware of the risks he’s taking and what will happen to him if he’s caught, but one of the things the author does incredibly well in this book is to show how important it is that the staff are a united front and follow procedure at all times – so when Anson starts to behave more erratically because he’s preoccupied with Bishop and his situation, I couldn’t help but find his single-minded focus more than a bit selfish. His not being on the ball could have had a serious negative effect on his colleagues or led to a dangerous situation, and that didn’t sit right with me.

Inside is a different kind of story to the others I’ve read/listened to by Nicky James, although it does contain exactly the kind of deep-dive character work, well-researched background and powerful writing that will be familiar to fans of her books. Nick J. Russo is on excellent form, too, delivering an intelligent, understated performance that delivers an emotional punch when needed. He does an great job of conveying Anson’s inner conflict over his growing feelings for Bishop, and his portrayal of Bishop is nicely judged, the delivery quiet, measured and imbued with an air of longing, curiosity and suppressed emotion. The sense of genuine intimacy and affection Mr. Russo injects into their scenes together as they get to know each other and grow closer makes their romance that much more easy to buy in to. The handful of secondary characters are well-realised, too – he gets to go to town with his portrayal of one particular inmate, and I really liked the way he conveys the camaraderie between Anson and Javier, one of the other guards with whom he strikes up a friendship.

Inside isn’t an easy listen and might not be a story for everyone – especially if you need your romance protagonists to be as physically close as they are emotionally close – but if you’re searching for something a bit different, it should definitely be on your radar.

Caz