Last Call: A True Story of Love, Lust, and Murder in Queer New York
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- Create Date：2022-06-24 08:51:39
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Elon Green
- ISBN：1250833027
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Summary
**WINNER OF THE EDGAR® AWARD FOR BEST FACT CRIME**
A "terrific， harrowing， true-crime account of an elusive serial killer who preyed upon gay men in the 1990s。"
-The New York Times （Editor's Pick）
"In this astonishing and powerful work of nonfiction， Green meticulously reports on a series of baffling and brutal crimes targeting gay men。 It is an investigation filled with twists and turns， but this is much more than a compelling true crime story。 Green has shed light on those whose lives for too long have been forgotten， and rescued an important part of American history。"
-David Grann， #1 New York Times bestselling author of Killers of the Flower Moon
The gripping true story， told here for the first time， of the Last Call Killer and the gay community of New York City that he preyed upon。
The Townhouse Bar， midtown， July 1992: The piano player seems to know every song ever written， the crowd belts out the lyrics to their favorites， and a man standing nearby is drinking a Scotch and water。 The man strikes the piano player as forgettable。
He looks bland and inconspicuous。 Not at all what you think a serial killer looks like。 But that’s what he is， and tonight， he has his sights set on a gray haired man。 He will not be his first victim。
Nor will he be his last。
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。
This gripping true-crime narrative tells the story of the Last Call Killer and the decades-long chase to find him。 And at the same time， it paints a portrait of his victims and a vibrant community navigating threat and resilience。
A "terrific， harrowing， true-crime account of an elusive serial killer who preyed upon gay men in the 1990s。"
-The New York Times （Editor's Pick）
"In this astonishing and powerful work of nonfiction， Green meticulously reports on a series of baffling and brutal crimes targeting gay men。 It is an investigation filled with twists and turns， but this is much more than a compelling true crime story。 Green has shed light on those whose lives for too long have been forgotten， and rescued an important part of American history。"
-David Grann， #1 New York Times bestselling author of Killers of the Flower Moon
The gripping true story， told here for the first time， of the Last Call Killer and the gay community of New York City that he preyed upon。
The Townhouse Bar， midtown， July 1992: The piano player seems to know every song ever written， the crowd belts out the lyrics to their favorites， and a man standing nearby is drinking a Scotch and water。 The man strikes the piano player as forgettable。
He looks bland and inconspicuous。 Not at all what you think a serial killer looks like。 But that’s what he is， and tonight， he has his sights set on a gray haired man。 He will not be his first victim。
Nor will he be his last。
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。
This gripping true-crime narrative tells the story of the Last Call Killer and the decades-long chase to find him。 And at the same time， it paints a portrait of his victims and a vibrant community navigating threat and resilience。
Reviews
MM Suarez
，
I like to read true crime occasionally but like a lot of people I had never heard of the Last Call Killer and his killing spree of gay men in the 80's and 90's in New York City so I picked it up and I am glad I did。 I found the book well written and informative and I really appreciate that the author did a great job of telling us who these victims were， their lives and accomplishments all in a very compassionate way。 I like to read true crime occasionally but like a lot of people I had never heard of the Last Call Killer and his killing spree of gay men in the 80's and 90's in New York City so I picked it up and I am glad I did。 I found the book well written and informative and I really appreciate that the author did a great job of telling us who these victims were， their lives and accomplishments all in a very compassionate way。 。。。more
Joi
，
Review TBD
Brent Michaels
，
My first true-crime read。 The genre itself is easy to read albeit lacking some emotion that is replaced by objectivity and fact。 I really enjoyed the author’s attention to detailing each victim’s life。 Every story brought a new dimension into the fold and helped create a very strong portrayal of gay life in the 1980s and 1990s。 Weaving in the context of the AIDS epidemic and LGBTQ+ contention with law enforcement helped elevate the true crime story to a new level that touched on human emotion an My first true-crime read。 The genre itself is easy to read albeit lacking some emotion that is replaced by objectivity and fact。 I really enjoyed the author’s attention to detailing each victim’s life。 Every story brought a new dimension into the fold and helped create a very strong portrayal of gay life in the 1980s and 1990s。 Weaving in the context of the AIDS epidemic and LGBTQ+ contention with law enforcement helped elevate the true crime story to a new level that touched on human emotion and society as a whole。 Quick and great read - although frightening and sad。 。。。more
Monte
，
Great book I love it
Chris
，
Superbly researched and thoughtfully pulled together to create a suspenseful narrative。 I was completely unaware of this history beforehand。
Taylor
，
Really enjoyed the historical significance of this book， highlighting a serial killer who thrived during a period of societal indifference to violence against gay men。 The format was hard to follow at times but ultimately a good true crime read！
Virgowriter （Brad Windhauser）
，
Fascinating。 Crisp， well-paced prose。
Elizabeth
，
8
Sophia Lombardi
，
I really loved the way this book was written， showing the readers the true people in this story; fast read; one of the most fascinating nonfiction books i’ve read and am confused how this isn’t a more well known story
Alice Brennan
，
Listened to this one for pride month。 While I appreciate the light being shone on these crimes， the victims and the murderer。。。 this was a bit slow and details were mundane to the point where it was a bit of a drag。
Bwillis
，
Mr。 Green did a lot of research for this book。 It demonstrated that from its prologue。 This book really made me think about the issues of the legal system and getting justice for crimes against the LGBT + community。 Oh， and the book was officially over before the last 150 pgs or so。 The author discuusef the time he spent researching the cases presented。
Ashley
，
I really appreciate how the focus is mainly on the victims in this book。 You learn a lot about them and also a lot about the ridiculous laws that lasted way too long in the 20th century。 FYI， there is a lot of graphic gore content due to the nature of their murders。
Elizabeth Byerly
，
Interesting when it spends time talking about queer subcultures in different cities and in different eras。 Totally serviceable drama as it describes the victims and the killer。 I almost wish it had been reformulated with "history of anti-queer violence and its prosecution" as the topic and the murders as a guiding through-line， rather than the other way around？ Interesting when it spends time talking about queer subcultures in different cities and in different eras。 Totally serviceable drama as it describes the victims and the killer。 I almost wish it had been reformulated with "history of anti-queer violence and its prosecution" as the topic and the murders as a guiding through-line， rather than the other way around？ 。。。more
David
，
I grew up right when the killings were going on and the trial happened， and yet I remember none of it。 The brilliance of this book is how it is focused on the victims and the state of society around that time， including the AIDS epidemic and rampant homophobia。 It does discuss the killer， but almost exclusively to other crimes he committed or in relation to the investigation。 We don't see the killer being painted with biographical information and motive。 We only see the effects and the investiga I grew up right when the killings were going on and the trial happened， and yet I remember none of it。 The brilliance of this book is how it is focused on the victims and the state of society around that time， including the AIDS epidemic and rampant homophobia。 It does discuss the killer， but almost exclusively to other crimes he committed or in relation to the investigation。 We don't see the killer being painted with biographical information and motive。 We only see the effects and the investigation。 And I loved that。 Also， the book doesn't read as a sensationalized account of anything。 It's focused on the lives of gay or bisexual men cut short。 Really a great book。 。。。more
Ronald Chevalier
，
This true crime novel is an interesting portrayal of a serial killer in and around New York City who targeted gay men。 While centered in the late 80s and early 90s， the violence of Richard Rogers spans back to 1973。 The author does a solid job of portraying the world the victims lived in with sympathy and dignity while also revealing what made these men vulnerable to victimization not only by a killer but as victims of law enforcement’s bias at the time。 On the other side， the author avoid makin This true crime novel is an interesting portrayal of a serial killer in and around New York City who targeted gay men。 While centered in the late 80s and early 90s， the violence of Richard Rogers spans back to 1973。 The author does a solid job of portraying the world the victims lived in with sympathy and dignity while also revealing what made these men vulnerable to victimization not only by a killer but as victims of law enforcement’s bias at the time。 On the other side， the author avoid making this a “niche novel” by exploring the event and gay subculture in a way that would not alienate more mainstream audiences。 Through this he highlights and honors the human souls impacted by the events in a way that readers can feel the humanity of the victims。It is hard to believe that Richard Rogers didn’t have more victims， especially over such a long spell between the last linked murder and his capture。 。。。more
Logan
，
This was a nice change of pace in the true crime genre。 The author focuses mostly on the victims and the culture of repression that gay men faced， particularly before and during the AIDS outbreak。 His goal was to shed light on these crimes and a serial killer who flew under the radar and to this day remains largely unreported。 I found the story captivating and outrageous， but also respectful and educational。 The audiobook is fantastic and includes an interview at the end with the author and narr This was a nice change of pace in the true crime genre。 The author focuses mostly on the victims and the culture of repression that gay men faced， particularly before and during the AIDS outbreak。 His goal was to shed light on these crimes and a serial killer who flew under the radar and to this day remains largely unreported。 I found the story captivating and outrageous， but also respectful and educational。 The audiobook is fantastic and includes an interview at the end with the author and narrator that wraps up the book nicely。 。。。more
Julian Rebelo
，
Loved the insight it gave on the queer experience of the 1990s， and of a true crime that occurred right in my area
Michele
，
It’s Pride Month so I thought I should read some LGBTQ books and there’s a lot to chose from！ This was a short book and an easy one to fly through。 I both read and listened to the audiobook， both are great。 This true crime book was the story of 4 murders in NY City that were under the radar and poorly prosecuted。 Why？ Homophobia and “gay panic” definitely impacted the investigation and prosecution。I wished some of the characters， the individuals murdered in particular， had been better developed， It’s Pride Month so I thought I should read some LGBTQ books and there’s a lot to chose from！ This was a short book and an easy one to fly through。 I both read and listened to the audiobook， both are great。 This true crime book was the story of 4 murders in NY City that were under the radar and poorly prosecuted。 Why？ Homophobia and “gay panic” definitely impacted the investigation and prosecution。I wished some of the characters， the individuals murdered in particular， had been better developed， but this book was written decades later and they are obviously dead。 Perhaps it would have been better if the author used some creative license？ 。。。more
Allen
，
There are several major problems with this book。 First and foremost， there is way too much irrelevant information included。 Entire pages and paragraphs can be nixed due to not having anything to do with the case。 It seems the author included some people and places so he could simply inject the words "white supremacist" and "heterosexual white male"， "Donald Trump" and other political rhetoric。 This is very confusing to the story being told， as these topics had absolutely nothing to do with the c There are several major problems with this book。 First and foremost， there is way too much irrelevant information included。 Entire pages and paragraphs can be nixed due to not having anything to do with the case。 It seems the author included some people and places so he could simply inject the words "white supremacist" and "heterosexual white male"， "Donald Trump" and other political rhetoric。 This is very confusing to the story being told， as these topics had absolutely nothing to do with the case or the people involved。 The topics inclusion said more about the authors political biases than it did about case facts。 I found myself loosing interest in many sections of the book due this and other non-sensical tangents。 This book could be chopped in half and still contain too much back-story of people， places and things that are not applicable。 Turns out， there is an episode of Forensic Files dedicated to this case。 I just watched it and is spot-on in delivering the facts。 You can save yourself a lot of time by just watching this episode。 。。。more
Ronald Steinhoff
，
A gripping account of a serial killer and his rampage towards the queer community in NYC。 The book reflects the sad reality that sometimes the death of queer folk isn’t taken as seriously as they should be。 Additionally， the reflection of being gay in that time period is quite eye opening。
PastaPatrick
，
Terrifying but so so good-enough true crime to make you wonder if a sugar daddy could ever be worth it。
Kimberly
，
While the murders are upsetting， what is worse is the fact almost no one cared about these murders because they were gay men in the 90’s。 If they had been white women this case would have been solved long before。
Shel B
，
3。5/5， it's not just a 3The more I read non-fiction the more I realize how many true， untold stories there are。 It definitely gives off noir vibes when focusing on the police side of things。 But honestly， what I liked most about this is how Green focuses on the victims of the Last Call killer rather than the killer himself。 This is more a portrait of those people and how the LGBTQ+ community comes together in the face of immense danger， （mostly） impotent police， and slow-to-act politicians。 I ca 3。5/5， it's not just a 3The more I read non-fiction the more I realize how many true， untold stories there are。 It definitely gives off noir vibes when focusing on the police side of things。 But honestly， what I liked most about this is how Green focuses on the victims of the Last Call killer rather than the killer himself。 This is more a portrait of those people and how the LGBTQ+ community comes together in the face of immense danger， （mostly） impotent police， and slow-to-act politicians。 I can't rate how "good" the story is， but rather how well the information is laid out。 I give it 3。5 stars because at times it's a little confusing， as far as the location and timeline of events。 I wish that that had been more clearly spelled out， as the narrative tends to jump around。 。。。more
Lindsay Powell
，
I liked this but think I would have liked it more if the timeline was more clear as I was reading。
Kate
，
I saw this book on the list of this year's Edgar Award winners and since I'm on a true crime kick I picked it up。 The story follows the discovery of bodies found in bags at rest stops in the Pennsylvania / New York / New Jersey areas and delves into the lives of each of the victims。 They were all gay or questioning men， most of whom were not able to be fully "out" due to society at the time （the 1990s， during the AIDS crisis）。 Unlike most other true crime books， the victims are placed in the for I saw this book on the list of this year's Edgar Award winners and since I'm on a true crime kick I picked it up。 The story follows the discovery of bodies found in bags at rest stops in the Pennsylvania / New York / New Jersey areas and delves into the lives of each of the victims。 They were all gay or questioning men， most of whom were not able to be fully "out" due to society at the time （the 1990s， during the AIDS crisis）。 Unlike most other true crime books， the victims are placed in the forefront， as well as Rick， a piano player at the gay bars， who I was fully expecting to be a victim but was not。 I'll admit some of the sections about the history gay life in New York City got a little dry and I was looking for more about the investigation， and I would have liked this case to have been looked into further especially since it sounded like the killer liked to go on long road trips where he probably killed along the way。 Given how it was hard enough for three somewhat geographically close precincts to work together， I imagine it would have been near impossible to tell。 Of course finding out more about the killer's motives was hindered because he refused to allow the author to interview him and also because of the way the police handled his arrest。 。。。more
Robbie Priore
，
Interesting read。 I found it unique how focused the author was on the victims instead of the killer， which is often the focus of true crime。
Jeimy
，
I was expecting a book about a serial killer， but the author also expounds on the rampant homophobia of the era and it was too much for this reader。
Hannah
，
Really carefully and considerately written。 Green doesn’t sensationalize these murders like a lot of true crime tends to do， but rather writes a really vibrant account of the era the victims lived through and who they were。
Liz T
，
Well researched， this tackles the story of The Last Call Killer and the men he targeted。 I felt like this was done with care and respect for the victims while also managing to make this super interesting for the reader。
Meghan
，