Closing Time

The chilling true story of the Manhattan schoolteacher’s murder that would become one of the most sensationalized crimes of the century. Fact and fiction collide in this true crime retelling of the homicide of Roseann Quinn, an Irish-Catholic schoolteacher murdered in New York City after being picked up at an Upper West Side bar during the sexual revolution. Fictionalized in Judith Rossner’s novel Looking for Mr. Goodbar and adapted into the 1977 film of the same name, starring Diane Keaton, Richard Gere, and Tom Berenger, the murder of Roseann Quinn enthralled the nation while New York’s Finest tracked leads and dead ends in search of the elusive Goodbar Killer. A beloved and dedicated Catholic schoolteacher at St. Joseph’s School for the Deaf in the Bronx, Roseanne Quinn was a well-educated and progressive feminist who taught school by day but often took men home at night. Known to read quietly by herself in bars and to keep a diverse and engaging social circle, Quinn’s life was snuffed out when she met a stranger in a neighborhood bar and invited him back to her apartment. After smoking and talking, the pair decided to have sex, which turned deadly when Quinn’s guest became enraged after a series of sexual dysfunctions. Closing Time dramatizes the events leading up to Quinn’s murder while covering the gritty details that would ultimately lead to the killer’s capture. Closing Time’s genre-bending meld of nonfiction and fiction set the tone for many true crime stories to follow. It was nominated for the Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime and is a must-read for both fans of true crime and anyone interested in the sexual and cultural climate of 1970s New York City.