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Last Call
Last Call: A True Story of Love, Lust, and Murder in Queer New York | Elon Green
20 posts | 26 read | 38 to read
"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 thats 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.
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REPollock
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Pickpick

Engrossing true-crime story of a serial killer preying on gay men in NYC in the 1990s. Not for the faint of heart, and no one will ever know how many people this monster murdered.

25 likes1 stack add
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Eggbeater
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Elon Green did a great job of illustrating how violent, unsafe, and unjust the world was for the queer community even just a few decades ago. I like to think it's better, but their rights are still threatened everyday.

I'm glad this book was written because of the attention it brings to the trials people faced. The book feels slightly incomplete because the killer is such an enigma.

41 likes3 stack adds
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kimmypete1
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Pickpick

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.

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MysticFaerie
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Pickpick

4⭐/5⭐

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sherrisilvera
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April #Bookspin success!

My 3rd spin was finally a good one.

Caledon Books sent this sometime at the beginning of the pandemic and it got lost in a pile till last month. I usually prefer audio for nonfiction but this was a fast read highlighting the gay men victims' lives rather than the serial killer.

@TheAromaofBooks

mrp27 Yay! 2y
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 2y
6 likes2 comments
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Chelsea.Poole
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Grateful to this author for reporting on the nearly unknown crimes of a serial killer who targeted gay men in NYC and surrounding areas. This true crime book shines the spotlight on the victims instead of the killer which is a great way to honor them. Last Call vividly sets the scene of gay NYC in the late 80s/early 90s as well as discrimination of the community by law enforcement and society as a whole.

Megabooks Stacked!! 2y
71 likes6 stack adds1 comment
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FelinesAndFelonies
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My Final Three books for #nonfictionnovember.

I'm reading all three and alternating. Did anyone love one of these more than the others?

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RamsFan1963
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True crime isn't usually my cup of tea, but I did find this very interesting. During the 1990, a serial killer, known as the Last Call Killer, was stalking gay men in NYC. The men's murdered and dismembered bodies were found in various parts of New York and New Jersey. I liked that the author made sure the reader knew not just the killer, but the lives of each of his known(its believed he may have killed dozens of other men during his vacations)⬇️

RamsFan1963 victims. Too much true crime concentrates on the killer and his methods, forgetting the victims and the families left behind. 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 2y
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MidnightBookGirl
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#LittensDressedInBlood Today's prompt is Black and White and Read All Over

Look, a book I've read that's black and white! I had never heard of the Last Call Killer, a serial murderer who hunted his prey at gay bars in the very early 90s, back when I was a teen. It really dives into the New York gay scene of the time, and Green focuses on the victims, which is a nice change.

#TeamSlaughter #Scarathlon @Clwojick

RamsFan1963 I'm also reading this now. It's very interesting, showing me a part of NYC I'd never heard about. I had no knowledge of the Last Call Killer before I started reading the book. 2y
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Cinfhen
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Thank you @TrishB for gifting me this true crime investigative historical account of a mostly unknown serial killer who targeted homosexual men during the late 80‘s and early 1990‘s. The author shines the spotlight on the victims not the perpetrator in a respectful and honorable way, recalling how difficult it was to be openly gay during the mid 21st century. These killings all occurred at the height of the AIDS epidemic when very little 👇🏽

Cinfhen sympathy was shown to the gay community. A quick but informative read. I think this is right up your alley @Reviewsbylola 3y
Cinfhen You‘ll probably like this too @Megabooks 3y
TrishB I‘m glad it was a good read 👍🏻 and your reading spec looks fabulous! 3y
See All 9 Comments
squirrelbrain I have this one stacked after @MicheleinPhilly ‘s review - sounds so good. 3y
Megabooks Ah! Thanks for the tag! I hope you‘re having fun. 😁😁💕💕 3y
Cinfhen Really interesting piece of history and who doesn‘t like a good serial killer story @squirrelbrain @TrishB @Megabooks 3y
dylanisreading This sounds good. I'll have to add it to my tbr. 3y
Cinfhen Really fascinating and a quick read @Bianca 3y
rwmg I've just finished watching an Australian series called Deep Water, a 4-episode police detective series set in Sydney where the fictional present echoes real life similar events there in the early 1990s 3y
77 likes2 stack adds9 comments
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MicheleinPhilly
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Terrific piece of true crime reportage. In addition to detailing the acts of a madman and the investigation, Green does right by the victims and tells their stories respectfully. Definitely a bit of a time capsule not only due to the prevalence of AIDS at the time, but also because gay and lesbian bars are a dying breed. They are sadly closing their doors all across the country. 😢 Definitely recommend.

BarbaraBB Tempting 😱 3y
Hooked_on_books This was so good! I really appreciated the focus on the lives of the victims instead of only focusing on the killer as so many true crime books do (which I then read anyway). 3y
65 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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KelsiTaylor
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A really interesting case that was crazy to learn about. A serial killer in New York City and there‘s not even a Wikipedia page about it or his victims

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catiewithac
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Pickpick

Excellent true crime about a little known serial killer who stalked gay men in early 90s NYC. Green brings each victim and family to life. Most of the murders occurred at a time of increasing violence against gay men due to AIDS. This story makes a nice companion piece to Indecent Advances. The gripping tale of hatred and lust told in Last Call adds nuance to LBGTQ history. #truecrime

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Read_By_Red
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Last Call is a well researched true-crime novel that I found enjoyable and informative. Green includes a good mix of information about the victims and their lives, the actual crimes and aftermath, and the investigations and insights into them; the variety made this gripping novel more intriguing and interesting. He treats the victims with respect and doesn‘t sensationalize the violence perpetrated against them, but he doesn‘t gloss over it either.

FelinesAndFelonies I think you might be my TBR soulmate. So many of the books on my stack are in your reviews!! Thank you for providing so many timely reviews and keeping me adding to TBR mountain. 💜 3y
Read_By_Red Aww, you are so very welcome! I always love helping out a fellow bookworm! Thank you for your kind words! 3y
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Hooked_on_books
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Last Call tells the story of several gay men who were targeted and murdered by a serial killer. The beauty of this book is that it focuses on who these victims were, their lives as often closeted gay men, and gay nightlife in the 80s and 90s. It‘s so well done, showing the prejudices these men faced in life and in death. A big thanks to @vivastory for putting this one on my radar!

vivastory Can't wait to read this one. Will be reading it next week! I just started Caste & can already tell it's going to knock my socks off. 3y
Hooked_on_books @vivastory Yes it will! It‘s so good. 3y
squirrelbrain I stacked this only yesterday from @MicheleinPhilly ‘s post. Just had a look and there‘s not many options in the UK yet, other than full-price hardcover. I‘ll keep my eye on Scribd etc though as it sounds so good. 3y
BarbaraBB Need to stack! 3y
TrishB Stacked 👍🏻 @squirrelbrain bonkers availability here! 3y
62 likes5 stack adds5 comments
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MicheleinPhilly
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#Bookmail Finally! This sat in Memphis for about 2 weeks. And of course I missed the actual webcast because I was too busy with work. Boo! But so looking forward to this.

squirrelbrain This sounds good - stacking! 3y
Hooked_on_books I just picked this up on audio! I think Memphis has been a mess lately—their FedEx hub there got backed up by a good 3-4 weeks by the storm that shut down so much of Texas. 3y
vivastory I was wondering if you got to see the panel. If they wind up posting it on YouTube def check it out. 3y
MicheleinPhilly @vivastory I keep meaning to check the link they sent me but that would require me to go and sit back in front of the computer which I am avoiding like COVID. 3y
Reviewsbylola I‘ve had my eye on this one. 3y
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vivastory
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One of my favorite bookstores is hosting this spectacular online event. Seriously, look at this lineup!! I was unfamiliar with the tagged book, but I promptly bought a copy through Left Bank site to 1) get a ticket for the event 2) support an indie bookstore 3) read what sounds like a fantastic new true crime! Tagging a few fellow murderinos who might be interested: @Reviewsbylola @britt_brooke @MicheleinPhilly @Mitch @Hooked_on_books @LeahBergen

Cinfhen Sounds excellent #stacked 3y
LeahBergen Ooo, sounds good. Stacked! 👍🏻 3y
Librariana I just read about this one in one of our Publisher's Weekly magazines! Don't know if our library will be acquiring it, but I added it to my TBR. Very intriguing. #Stacked times three! 3y
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Mitch Stacked! 👏🏼🌟👏🏼 3y
britt_brooke Cool - thanks! And #stacked. 3y
Hooked_on_books Thanks for the tag! Both the lineup and the book sound incredible! I‘ll definitely be reading this one. 3y
MicheleinPhilly OOOOOH. I may have to look into this event. Thanks for the tag, Scott! 3y
vivastory @MicheleinPhilly You should def. join in if you can! They usually post their events on youtube afterwards, but this is such a neat event that I had to share. Have you read 3y
vivastory @Librariana It sounds really fascinating. It must be great to have luminaries from the true crime community get together for an event! 3y
MicheleinPhilly I have not but I own it! What else is new? 3y
vivastory @MicheleinPhilly No judgement here! I still have books on my TBR from before I joined Litsy 😬😬📚📚 3y
MicheleinPhilly I own unread books that I bought when we moved back to Philly and had more room for books. We moved back to Philly in 2009. 3y
MicheleinPhilly I bought a ticket! 3y
vivastory @MicheleinPhilly Nice! I'm really looking forward to it. I have been getting a bit burnt out on virtual events, but this one is really special 3y
56 likes3 stack adds14 comments
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thewellreadpug
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At only 219 pages, Last Call - A True Story of Love, Lust and Murder in Queer New York by Elon Green, really packs in a whole lot of information and research. This is the story of a serial killer, dubbed The Last Call Killer, who preyed on New York‘s gay men in the ‘80s and ‘90s.

Through his thorough research, the author reveals the faces and personalities of the unfortunate victims who perished at the hands of this killer.

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MidnightBookGirl
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Last Call is a true crime book about a serial killer who preyed upon gay men in the late 80s and early 90s. What the book does best is to highlight the struggles the queer communities faced during those years, after Stonewall but during the rise of AIDS, and the indifference of law enforcement. The actual serial killer, even once caught, remains a mystery, as well as his motives. Green sets the scene of NYC (cont below)

MidnightBookGirl that the killer used as his playground, although he chose to dispose of his victims in many neighboring states.
#WinterGames2020 #MerryReaders #TBRRead @Clwojick
3y
46 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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MidnightBookGirl
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Finished Last Call and I made good progress on my re-read of The Five for book club on Monday. Super exhausted this weekend, but it's almost Christmas! #WinterGames2020 #MerryReaders @Clowjick 551pts.