Reviews with content warning for Grief - Last Call: A True Story of Love, Lust, and Murder in Queer New York

This is a sorrowful book about a time and a place where gay men were in the closet and being felled by AIDS. They weren’t important enough for police to take them seriously or for non-gay newspapers to mention anything about assaults or murders. It just wasn’t done.

The focus on New York City gives a feel for what it was like, living in an ostensibly liberal city while never able to be safe. The author’s compassionate focus on the victims and the friends who loved them shows how wrong it was that police departments did nothing about gay bashing for decades. Only when it was politically expedient did the politicians encourage the police to be at least somewhat sympathetic. When enough people started protesting the inaction, the city authorities finally created a liaison position between gays and cops.

Even then, cases were dropped and then forgotten when new homicides came along. It was almost fifteen years between the first known homicide and the court case. Other homicides weren’t investigated because some police departments didn’t think they were connected. The Rockland County Medical Examiner and the FBI mishandled evidence so badly that it couldn’t be used. The initial lack of interest and the difficulty of working in multiple jurisdictions overshadow the success of finding and jailing the killer.

Overall, a fascinating social history and a look back at how poorly gays were - and still are - treated.

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erinkellyreads's review against another edition

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I just couldn't push myself to listen to more cruel and bloody things happening to queer and trans people. It didn't feel like an expose or homage - it felt salacious and invasive. Just couldn't do it right now.

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jmross10's review against another edition

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dark informative sad tense medium-paced

I will not be rating this book owing to the subject matter but that is not a reflection of my feelings.

I think it was very well written and does not suffer from timeline confusion many historical nonfiction books do. It follows the narrative in a mostly linear fashion which makes it easier for readers to follow.

Green did a good job of explaining the circumstances around the murders but also, in my opinion, trying to make these men more than just victims. He took the time to tell their life story separate from their tragic deaths which is so important. It forces readers to remember they are people and not just another name on the page.

There is an air of mystery around the outcome which Green handles well. Not for the sake of monopolizing on the unknown but because that’s where it makes the most sense in the narrative. Once they start looking for legitimate suspects, the information about those individuals (including the guilty parties) is revealed.

As a whole, I think it did a good job recounting the events. It had some information about forensics practices but didn’t overwhelm the reader with it. The historical context was helpful for those who didn’t have that information without being dry or feeling alienating. There was discussion of politics and society as well that made the history more fleshed out than just dates. Lastly, the commentary from his interviewees was well used and distributed throughout the book. It felt like a cohesive narrative and not just a hodge podge of other people’s work.

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rachbake's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

3.75

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alylentz's review against another edition

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dark funny informative medium-paced

4.0

Absolutely loved this. Accomplished the very difficult mission of true crime that examines the killer while really giving us a sense of who the victims were and the sense of loss they left behind. I enjoyed it as an audiobook and I think that would be a great choice for those who already listen to true crime podcasts.

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imstephtacular's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative mysterious sad medium-paced

3.75

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caseythereader's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

4.75

✨REVIEW✨ [ @celadonbooks #partner ]

The Last Call Killer preyed upon gay men in New York in the ‘80s and ‘90s and had all the hallmarks of the most notorious serial killers. Yet because of the sexuality of his victims, the skyhigh murder rates, and the AIDS epidemic, his murders have been almost entirely forgotten. (via Goodreads) 📚

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LAST CALL is not your typical portrait of a killer. Yes, there is some examination of his life, but this book is primarily a look at the Last Call Killer's known victims. We read about their daily lives, their personalities, and how they simply tried to cope with being gay in an era when people often even refused to touch gay people for fear of catching AIDS. 📚

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Green has managed to distill a huge amount of information - this book is clearly so deeply reported - into an easy to follow narrative. No small feat for a story that includes police and investigators from multiple states and precincts, victims with double lives, and more than a few dead ends. 📚

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LAST CALL is also a loving look at New York and its many subcultures. I could practically see the bar districts discussed here, feel the sticky floors and mourn the loss of gay bars with their patrons. 📚

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On top of all that, the final sections of the book, when the clues are coming together and the court case is proceeding had me on the edge of my seat. If you have any interest in true crime and/or queer history, put LAST CALL on your list. 📚

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Content warnings: Addiction, alcoholism, deat), gore (it's REALLY gory, y'all), hate crime, homophobia, physical abuse, torture, violence, police brutality, kidnapping. 📚

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