booking freakboy: BUTCHER, BAKER NIGHTMARE MAKER by Joseph Burgo and Richard Natale

I first saw the film BUTCHER, BAKER NIGHTMARE MAKER back in 2019 and was surprised that the homophobic jerk cop wasn’t the hero of the story.  The story also dealt with homosexuality in a more understanding way than a lot of 1980’s films, horror or otherwise.  All of this did not prepare me for how wildly open and compassionate the novel would be when dealing with queer characters. 

The plot is essentially the same as the film.  Billy’s parents died in a spectacular car crash when he was 3 and then he was raised by his Aunt Cheryl.  He’s now 17 and is sort of seeing Julie, a peer from school who enjoys flirting with the class jerk.  Aunt Cheryl doesn’t approve of Julie or the possibility Billy may go to college on a basketball scholarship.  Just when Billy has enough drama in his life, he comes home one evening to witness Aunt Cheryl stabbing Phil, a television repairman, to death.  She claims the man was trying to rape her.

Detective Carlson, the jerk cop, doesn’t believe Cheryl and through his investigation, discovers that Phil had a male lover.  This is when the novel takes a slightly different turn than the film.  In the movie, the lover is Billy’s basketball coach.  In the book, it’s Billy’s English teacher Tom.  The novel explores this character’s love and grief for Phil more deeply than anything shown in the film.  The following excerpt from Chapter XV took my breath away, especially for a book published in 1981.  

Even by the end, despite Detective Carlson’s attempt to pin Phil’s death on Billy as some sort of jealous gay love triangle, the book never falters in portraying Tom in a sympathetic light.  The last chapter is from Tom’s perspective as Billy faces a jury trial for the bloodbath at Aunt Cheryl’s house.  Then, in a refreshingly poignant conclusion, Tom reflects on his love for Phil and prepares to start a new life in a new city.  Phil’s tragic death has ultimately given him the strength, courage and conviction to live openly as a gay man. 

I couldn’t figure out if the book came first or if it is a novelization of the film, but I assume the latter.  I also assume the thoughtful and compassionate moments came from Richard Natale.  A quick Amazon search showed he is the author of several queer-themed books, which I will definitely add to my ever-expanding reading list. 📚 

In conclusion…
I was lucky enough to find a copy of this book for $15 on eBay and it was worth every cent.  The story digs deeper into the motivations of all the characters, giving the plot an emotionally complex layer.  Yes, even Detective Carlson is more complex, but he’s still ultimately a jerk who gets what’s coming to him in the end.  So, if you are craving edge-of-your-seat suspense/horror or if you desire a lesser known piece of queer literature, then BUTCHER, BAKER NIGHTMARE MAKER is the book for you!  However, just say no to Aunt Cheryl’s milk! 🥛 

Thank you for reading or listening to my half-blind words. 

Freak Out, 
JLH 

P.S. click the pic ⤵️ for a great review of my latest book… 📗