End of the Line by Nicky James

Narrated by Nick J. Russo

I’m a massive Nicky James fan and am slowly catching up with her backlist in audio, so I was pleased when she announced Nick J. Russo would be recording her Rail Riders series, which comprises four books about a set of friends – three young men, one young woman – who have become like family over the years they’ve spent together hopping freight trains across Canada and the US. End of the Line is the first book, and the author does a great job of introducing listeners to Killer (Killian), Tyler, Dodger (Troy) and Willow, giving depth to the characterisation, a genuine sense of camaraderie and affection to their interactions and laying the groundwork for future books in the series.

In End of the Line’s attention-grabbing opening, we meet Leo – shocked, terrified and clearly running from something terrible. Knowing it’s only a matter of time before the police are called and his face is splashed over every news outlet in the country, Leo is frantic to get away; he heads to the bus station, but quickly realises the people looking for him have had the same idea, so he runs blindly, not knowing where he’s going and only stopping when he’s sure he’s lost his pursuers. When he can finally take stock, Leo realises he’s ended up outside the train yard and makes a split-second decision to get out of the city aboard one of the many freight trains that pass through. He has no idea what he’s doing, and it’s only thanks to the timely intervention of a stranger that he makes it aboard in one piece.

Killian – aka Killer – and his friends Tyler, Dodger and Willow are a close-knit group of friends who frequently ride the rails together, and who have agreed that it’s time to catch out again after a short stop in Montreal to visit friends and family, and earn a bit of money. As they’re waiting for their chosen ride to arrive, they watch, astonished, as a man scales the fence and starts running across the tracks – and into the path of an oncoming train. Instinctively, Killian grabs him, pulls him off the track and all but drags him into their hiding place in the nearby bushes, hissing at him to keep quiet just as the Bulls (railway security) – who saw Leo climbing the fence – come running to start searching for him. With their train due to arrive any minute, Killian and his friends are keen to get going, and when the guy asks if he can go with them, they’re not keen. But then he brings out the big guns and offers them a thousand dollars to take him as far away as they can and, well, a thousand bucks is a thousand bucks, right?

Over the following days and weeks, Leo’s eyes are opened to a very different kind of life to the one he knows. Living on the fly, hopping trains, camping out under the stars, couch-surfing with friends Killian and the gang have met over the years – it’s all so very strange yet wonderful to Leo, whose life has been mapped out since birth; and for possibly the first time ever, he’s beginning to discover real freedom and form actual friendships. I liked the way Dodger, Tyler and Willow treat Leo with kindness and compassion, even though it takes a while for them to fully accept and trust him. Leo’s romance with Killian is tender and sweet, and their growing connection is nicely done; and although Leo is keeping a pretty big secret, Killian doesn’t push him – it’s the rail riders’ code that they don’t pry or ask questions when they’re clearly not welcome. And Killian has things in his past that he’s not all that keen to bring up, either, so Leo isn’t the only one keeping secrets.

I enjoyed the story, although I have to confess that I liked, rather than loved, it. I liked the found family aspect of it – it’s clear that these guys would do anything for each other and accept one another unconditionally, and I was so pleased Leo got to become a part of that. But the ending is a bit of a cop-out – and when we learn the truth behind the reasons Leo and Killian ran from their families, it’s kind of disappointing.

The first part of the book is pretty exciting, but the pacing starts to flag around the middle and doesn’t really pick up again until near the end. I have to confess, too, that, as someone for whom unpredictability is anathema, I found it difficult to understand why anyone would choose to live as these characters do. I suppose the idea of embracing life on the fringe, of living from day-to-day without obligations or responsibilities and going where the mood takes you can seem like an attractive prospect; on the other, it’s a rough life fraught with physical danger and the prospect of hunger, violence, and destitution. Of course, YMMV, and I’m aware it’s a ‘me’ thing and not a ‘book’ thing.

Nick J. Russo is, once again, on top form, and delivers a thoroughly engaging and entertaining performance. He gives Leo a very slight accent – Leo is German although he’s lived in many places around the world – and the lighter tone and pitch used for his dialogue and in his PoV chapters very effectively paint him as young, uncertain and a little naïve. He grows a lot throughout the course of the story and Mr. Russo injects a real sense of Leo’s growing confidence and determination into his portrayal. He adopts a slightly lower pitch for Killian’s portions of the story, and is again spot on with his characterisation of him as someone to whom life hasn’t been especially kind. His care and affection for Leo are evident from the softening of his tone when he speaks to or about him, and their chemistry and emotional connection are expertly conveyed. Dodger and Tyler are clearly differentiated and easy to identify, and Mr. Russo’s portrayal of Willow is excellent – his female voices are always good – and he does a great job of capturing the strong bonds they share.

In spite of my reservations about some aspects of the story, I enjoyed listening to End of the Line and would certainly recommend it. The romance, the found family and the depiction of living ‘on the fly’ all worked for me, and Nick J. Russo’s excellent performance is a definite inducement to experience the book in audio. Tyler’s book, Lost at the Crossing, is up next and I’m certainly intrigued enough to want to pick it up as soon as it’s released.

Caz