Cruising - Gerald Walker

Cruising is a dark, provocative novel by New York Times reporter Gerald Walker, first published in 1970. Set in the gritty, shifting landscape of New York’s gay scene at the dawn of the decade, it follows an undercover cop on the hunt for a serial killer who preys on gay men—some closeted, others daringly open for the time. Immersed in this hidden world, the officer begins to blur the lines between his assignment and his emotions, developing unexpected feelings for his gay neighbor.

What made Cruising remarkable was its unflinching exploration of queer life and desire at a time when few mainstream novels dared to. Alongside writers like Joseph Hansen—whose Dave Brandstetter mysteries also broke ground—and George Baxt, who introduced the gay detective Pharaoh Love, Walker helped carve out early space for gay representation in crime fiction. Later authors such as Hansen, Michael Nava, Mark Zubro, and the duo writing as Nathan Aldyne would follow, continuing to bring queerness into a genre long dominated by traditional masculinity.

As author Neil Plakcy noted, these writers “opened doors into gay culture at a time when homosexuality was considered a psychiatric disorder and a sure way to break a mother’s heart.” Walker’s novel dives deeply into the psychological conflict of identity and repression, capturing the tension between duty and self-discovery. Upon its release, The Guardian called attention to Walker’s perseverance—five years of writing, six agents, and eighteen publishers rejected the manuscript before it finally saw print. The result was a daring, unsettling portrait of a man and a city caught between fear and awakening.

Shows sign of wear.