Last Call

If you are a fan of true crime I would highly suggest this book! I am an avid listener of true crime podcasts. I watch Murder, Mystery, and Makeup with Bailey Sarian every Monday, religiously. I watch true crime documentaries regularly. Yet I don't read enough true crime books. With all of this being said, I had also not heard of this story. I understand that things can get lost over the years, especially in New York City, but this man murdered numerous men (at least 4 that's known) and was convicted in 2001. I am surprised I haven't heard about him before learning about his book.

Last Call follows these gruesome murders from beginning to end. It started in 1991 and the last body was discovered in 1993. Elon Green goes into great detail about each victim, their life and the circumstances leading up to their deaths. He also adds in information about the murderer, Richard Rogers, including his history growing up. You also get to follow the investigation through the years. This was so informative and had a nice flow.

It was easy to read (although there is a lot of information) and did a good job of creating a suspense of who done it (I was proud of myself that I did not google this case before I started reading the book). I will say, as a member and supporter of LGBTQIA+ community, it was difficult reading the realities that gay people faced during that time. It was infuriating to see how they were treated by both their fellow man but also by those that were supposed to keep the community and citizens safe. It is still a reality today, however it is a controversial matter. During this time it was completely fine and even expected for this community to be treated as less than human and their lives to be constantly in danger. It was interesting to see how the AIDS pandemic at it's inception and the height of it was reacted to. Especially after experiencing this current pandemic.

I really enjoyed this and think that the author did a wonderful job of focusing on the victims of the murders. You don't even know the identity of the murderer until halfway through and he doesn't spend a lot of time trying to figure out why he did it or making him into some sort of criminal mastermind or someone other than a bad guy who did horrific things.

I'll also say that for readers in the LGBTQ+ community, I imagine this would be a tough read as there is a lot of discussion about anti-queer violence and how especially in the 1980s and 1990s (and still?!) it was brushed aside and even considered warranted. It was hard to hear awful and hateful things said about the queer community by the people who were supposed to protect them. It's not like I was surprised to hear police saying those things, but it's still hard.