REVIEWED by Jen B.
TITLE: Inside
SERIES: Death Row Chronicles
AUTHOR: Nicky James
PUBLISHER: Nicky James
LENGTH: 285 Pages
RELEASE DATE: January 16, 2020
BLURB:
All it took was a single moment for Anson Miller’s life to fall apart. His only hope of finding solid ground again is to uproot everything he knows and start over. New house, new job, new life. But will working on death row as a corrections officer in the country’s hardest and most acclaimed supermax prison be the right move? Or is he exchanging one hardship for something way worse?
Twenty years ago, Bishop Ndiaye was a victim of wrong place, wrong time. The consequences landed him on death row. As hard as he fought to expose the truth behind his alleged crime, no one would hear him. No one would listen. He’s succumbed to his fate, hardened himself to prison life, and no longer hopes for a better tomorrow. For Bishop, there is no tomorrow. Death waits around the corner, and someday soon, he will be no more. Anson’s appearance in Bishop’s life changes everything. Anson lends Bishop more than an ear; he offers him friendship, compassion, and understanding. No one has ever gifted Bishop with more. The more they talk, the more they share. The more they share, the more their bond grows. But when their hearts open up to one another, the barrier in their way is far more than a steel door of a cell. It is life and death.
REVIEW: This is exactly the type of book I scroll through my feed looking for – something that will stand out from the rest – one of those not everyday finds. I had some worries going in, but they all washed away pretty quickly as this story pulled me in. It has a Green Mile feel (with a different ending, thankfully) with the added twist of the gay relationship.
Anson is the storyteller here. He is the corrections officer who has transferred from an I-Max facility in Michigan to Death Row in Texas (by choice). Right off the bat, we see what kind of person Anson is – he is fair, respectful and understanding. He doesn’t judge or condemn any inmates – nor his he overly sympathetic – they are on DR for a reason, after all. We meet various inmates who are quite colorful in their varying degrees of crazy, but one stands out – the inmate known as the Silent Giant – Bishop Ndiaye. Anson is in a bit of a pickle with Bishop. Its the first time in his career that he has felt a connection of the type he feels with Bishop. Upon learning about Bishop’s crime, and his feelings as their “friendship” grows, Anson is determined to help Bishop not only get off of DR, but to be free and clear and able to live his life.
This is an extremely slow burn story, and given the circumstances (highest security, little to no contact with others, including the guards), Anson and Bishop’s bond is strengthened by hushed conversations through a steel door and by eye contact. Bishop has never been intimate with a man (only limited contact with a woman – part of his story) but longs to be able to explore that part of himself. Anson, on the other hand, is gay in a work environment where his being out severely jeopardizes his safety – something that he already experienced the I-Max. Anson made a quick friend in fellow employee, Javier, who tries to be Anson’s voice of reason and support. While the real heart of this story is Bishop getting a reprieve, it is the budding relationship that is truly beautiful to watch. This is not love, or even lust, at first sight, but there is a definite connection and pull, and throughout the story, they both realize this and merely hope to be able to explore it further. When they are finally able to freely touch, to hug, to share a first kiss (first kiss for Biship, period), it is heartwarming and meaningful.
This story is so well written that you get a vivid picture of what it must be like inside those prison walls. You can almost hear the clanks and echoes, the boredom, stale air and despair. Time is not wasted with too many typical prison incidents or an abundance of violence, and procedural details are just enough to give a clear understanding of how strict things must be to keep everyone safe. Likewise, we do not have to wait very long to get other details, such as the reasons behind Anson’s transferring or the crimes that put Bishop on DR. While things seem to move slowly for a while, there are still quite a few things happening to keep the pages turning. Understandably, as Bishop’s date draws near, the excitement and suspense pick up as well, as the sense of urgency crescendos.
Needless to say, I was not ready for this to end and was thrilled to see the next book is already up for preorder. I won’t give you the title, as that will perhaps give away the ending here, but I have no doubt you will be clicking that link at the end of this book, just as I did. Being fully engrossed and able to read a full-length book in two days that end in a major book hangover, coupled with all of the good things I noted above, easily puts this in the 5-star category for me. I am, yet again, impressed by Ms. James and can’t wait to see the rest of this story unfold. Highly recommend if you are looking for something special to sink your teeth into.
RATING:
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