Last Call ⭑⭑⭑⭑
Genre: True Crime
US Publication: March 9, 2021
Print: 272 pages
Audio: 8 hours 11 minutes
Confetti Rating: 4 stars
REVIEW:
While reading a back issue of “The Advocate” a few years ago, journalist Elon Green came across an article about a serial killer that terrorized New York in the late ‘80s/early ‘90s. How could it be that he’d never heard of these "Last Call Killer" murders? He turned to the internet to learn more, only to discover there wasn’t even a Wikipedia page about the LCK.
Green set out to tell the full story of the crime spree, which was specifically targeted at gay males who frequented The Townhouse Bar in Manhattan. The backdrop of the times, naturally and tragically, was the height of the AIDS epidemic and raging homophobia.
Last Call paints a vibrant portrait of not only the brutal crimes but also the zeitgeist of the era. Much more time is devoted to the victims’ stories than the killer himself. Some readers may find this approach unsatisfying, but I very much appreciated it. In fact, I even had to google the name of the killer again while writing this review. His arrest and trial are almost afterthoughts in the book, and since it clocks in at a mere 272 pages, a little more detail there could have been warranted.
Last Call is a very worthy entry into the canon of 20th century true crime exposés, and a must read for anyone looking to learn more about these crimes. As of today, there’s still not even a Wikipedia page about them.
PUBLISHER SYNOPSIS:
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.