This review was written by jv poore for Buried Under Books, with huge “Thank You!” to Celadon Books for the Advance Review Copy, which I will donate to my favorite high-school classroom library. Green simply sets everything up, almost allowing each man to tell his own story. In the same way that stellar wait-staff are inconspicuous when their service is spot-on, Mr. The suspect was a nurse at a NYC hospital, but no one knew more than that. Patrons, pianists, and bartenders all mentioned one man, in particular. Prejudices towards the victims’ “life-styles” and the lack of a crime scene, coupled with “dump sites” in different jurisdictions, meant that these crimes were not priorities.įamily members, friends, Lesbian and Gay Advocate Groups would not allow these deaths to be ignored, though. Faint lines leading to New York City piano bars- where gay men felt somewhat safe-seemed more than a stretch. Law enforcement was not convinced that the scarily-similar manner of disposal connected the crimes. And later, another grisly, heart-wrenching find. Life turned from unpleasant to terrifying with the discovery of a dismembered male body.

Repercussions could be very real for any openly-gay man. Not only was homosexuality grossly misunderstood but AIDS was becoming a familiar fear for everyone. Discrimination, bias and inexplicable hate made for an uncomfortable existence, at best. The world was not warm or welcoming for gay men in the 1980s. And at the same time, it paints a portrait of his victims and a vibrant community navigating threat and resilience. This gripping true-crime narrative tells the story of the Last Call Killer and the decades-long chase to find him. Yet because of the sexuality of his victims, the skyhigh murder rates, and the AIDS epidemic, his murders have been almost entirely forgotten. 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. But that’s what he is, and tonight, he has his sights set on a gray haired man. Not at all what you think a serial killer looks like. The man strikes the piano player as forgettable. 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 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.

Last Call by Elon Green