BANK ROBBERY
A True-Crime Saga in Texas
by
TUI SNIDER
Genre: Nonfiction / Texana / Texas History
Publisher: Castle Azle Press
Date of Publication: December 8, 2019
Number of Pages: 146 pages + black & white photos
Scroll down for Giveaway!
When Marshall Ratliff dressed like Santa Claus to pull a Christmas-time heist, he thought it would be easy. Unfortunately for him, when the citizens of Cisco heard Santa was robbing a bank, they came running - with loaded guns in hand!
But can you blame them? In 1927, the only way to earn the $5000 Dead Bank Robber Reward was to kill a bandit while the crime was in progress.
This bungled bank robbery led to a wild shootout and a getaway with two little girls as hostages. And that is only the beginning!
Tui Snider’s true-crime tale reads like a comedy of errors as the consequences of the Santa Claus Bank Robber’s actions escalate to include a botched car-jacking, one of the biggest manhunts in Texas history, and a jailbreak leading to a deadly conclusion.
Meanwhile, it’s up to readers to decide whether or not a mysterious blonde helped these gangsters escape. And if so, did she get away with murder?
Tui Snider’s true-crime tale reads like a comedy of errors as the consequences of the Santa Claus Bank Robber’s actions escalate to include a botched car-jacking, one of the biggest manhunts in Texas history, and a jailbreak leading to a deadly conclusion.
Meanwhile, it’s up to readers to decide whether or not a mysterious blonde helped these gangsters escape. And if so, did she get away with murder?
✪✪✪✪✪
HALL WAYS REVIEW: Upon finishing Santa Claus
Bank Robbery, which is the third or fourth of Tui Snider’s books I have
read, I think she could write about the history of cement mixing, and I would
have a blast reading the details. Tui
has a gift for making her stories feel like she’s written them just for you. For
those of a certain age, reading Santa Claus Bank Robbery is reminiscent
of getting letters from a newsy friend or relative who is inspired and
passionate about a new project. Tui is all over every page – and that’s a good
thing.
Santa Claus Bank Robbery is
a very quick and engaging escape into West Texas history. I read it on a short
plane ride (and missed the drink service! Drat!). Though the focus is on the bank
heist, all the surrounding details give readers a vivid snapshot into the
people and attitudes of 1920s Texas. Aiding the descriptions of time
and place are black and white photos, many taken by the author, of newspaper headlines,
people, buildings, and even sketches that complement the text and provide a second
level of interest and authenticity. Again, these snippets remind me of what
was inevitably included in the envelope when my nana would send me a letter. (Nana
always made sure to underline the parts she wanted to emphasize from the
newspaper clippings she sent. You know, in case I didn’t get the point.)
“By the mid-1920s, the state
of Texas experienced
three to four bank robberies every single day!”
What’s fun about SCBR is
that much of the meticulously researched information given to readers is the
result of legwork, not bookwork – though there is plenty of both. Tui’s personal observations and conversations
with people in Cisco, Texas, and beyond are what separate the book from purely scholarly
or journalistic accounts of historical events. In fact, what seems to be a side
mission of SCBR is debunking A.C. Greene’s book, published in the early 1970s,
written about the robbery and events surrounding it. It appears that for
reasons forever unknown, Greene fictionalized – even sensationalized – some elements
in his story of the heist and intentionally hid pertinent facts from the
readers. Tui doesn’t hide her frustration with the author and content of that
book, which she feels misleads readers. (I will admit that my curiosity is
piqued, and Greene’s book may experience a sales boost, thanks to Tui.)
Speaking of curiosity
piqued, how about that book cover? The noose is a spoiler, and upsetting, sure. Because of the cover image, I knew what was
coming but I was shocked all the same by to whom, when, and how it happened. Equally
shocking is the aftermath and what was considered the norm less than one
hundred years ago.
The author’s casual, between-friends
writing style is the perfect choice for a book like this that is as much about
the people of the times as it is about the main event. The personal touches – like Tui’s mentions
of a friendly local dining experience one day and a downright chilly response
from some locals another – are what make reading Santa Claus Bank Robbery
feel intimate. There are some scattered typos, but nothing detracts or
distracts from the story or the author’s enthusiasm to tell it. I can’t
wait to see what’s coming next from Tui Snider.
Thanks to the author and
Lone Star Book Blog Tours for providing me a print copy in exchange for my
honest opinion – the only kind I give.
Tui lectures frequently at universities, libraries, conferences, and bookstores.This fall, she will speak about the Great Airship Mystery of 1897 at this year’s UFO Congress and teach a course on Understanding Cemetery Symbols at Texas Christian University. She also shares weekly info-videos based on her research at her YouTube channel.
Snider’s writing and photography have been featured in a variety of media outlets, including WFAA TV, Coast to Coast AM, LifeHack, Langdon Review, the City of Plano, Wild Woman Waking, Shades of Angels and many more. She has several more books in progress.
◆ AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE ◆ GOODREADS ◆
---------------------------------------
GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!
GRAND PRIZE (US only):
Signed Paperback +$10 Amazon Gift Card
+ Thank You Post Card
Signed Paperback +$10 Amazon Gift Card
+ Thank You Post Card
2ND PRIZE (US only): Signed Copy + Thank You Post Card
3RD PRIZE (International): Kindle eBook
December 12-22, 2019
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Haha! As a woman of a certain age, I miss getting those newsy letters! Well, I still get them sometimes from my dad. And it made me laugh when you mentioned your Nana's letters. My grandkids call me "Nana Tui." Thank you so much for spending time with my book and writing such a thorough review! :)
ReplyDeleteIt is truly a pleasure! Thanks for sharing your books with us.
DeleteLoved your review! I felt the same way about her ability to make her writing seem like a conversation. I loved her interactive research as well. As a daughter to a hobbyist genealogist, I can truly appreciate the legwork Tui did to make this book happen :)
ReplyDeleteWow, I'll bet! She does serious research and I don't think a lot of people realize it's more than using the Google. Ha!
DeleteRight? I used to tag along with my mom and grandparents to so many different libraries and courthouses. And my family motto any time anyone ever had a question was "look it up." Which then meant the encyclopedia lol. You can always tell when an author has really done their research legwork though!
DeleteExactly!
Delete