Under an Outlaw Moon: A Novel

by Dietrich Kalteis

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Fiction. Literature. Mystery. Historical Fiction. HTML: Meet Depression-era newlyweds Bennie and Stella. He�??s reckless, she�??s naive. Longing for freedom from tough times, they rob a bank, setting off a series of events that quickly spin out of their control Under an Outlaw Moon is based on the true story of Depression-era bank robbers Bennie and Stella Mae Dickson. She�??s a teenage outsider longing to fit in. He�??s a few years older and he�??s trouble. They meet at a local skating rink and the sparks fly. They marry and Stella dreams of a nice house with a swing out back, while Bennie figures out how to get enough money to make it happen. Setting his sights on the good life, he decides to rob a bank. Talking Stella into it, he lays out his plan and teaches her to shoot. The newlyweds celebrate her 16th birthday by robbing a local bank. They pull it off, but the score is small, and Bennie realizes the money won�??t last long, so he plans a bigger robbery. What lays ahead is more than either of them bargained for. After J. Edgar Hoover finds out they crossed state lines, he declares them public enemies number one and two �?? wanted dead or alive. So much for the good life. The manhunt is on, and there�??s little ro… (more)

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Bonnie and Clyde tend to take the limelight for Depression-era crime, but Kalteis brings Bennie and Stella to life for us, in all of their human facets. Quick, entertaining read. (

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rosenmemily | Jan 7, 2024 |

Stella and Bennie meet outside the roller rink and fall in love. It's the depression and money is tight, so on their honeymoon Bennie cases the local bank and decides to rob it. The safe is protected by a "time lock," so Bennie just decides to stick around for half an hour until the safe finally pops open. He doesn't kill anyone and allows the local citizens to keep their money, so he develops a reputation of a Robin Hood kind of thief. We also hear from the local FBI man and his difficulty in catching this pair. It ends as you'd expect, although Stella lives to tell the tale. (

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mojomomma | Apr 13, 2023 |

This is a very good book, really putting you in the setting. The story takes place in the mid-west during the depression. Stella is a young teenager when she meets Bennie. Bennie has just been released from serving time, and wants to get his life back on track, but he's his own worse enemy, and likes to spin a good story. Stella, immediately attracted to Bennie, lies about her age, saying she's 16. Both embellishing who they are, sets them off down the wrong path. Bennie's robbed a bank before, and soon convinces Stella, it's not a big deal, they'll do it once and that will give them a base to be able to start their life: a house, a yard, children and a dog. Herbert Hoover is at the helm of the FBI, and soon these two are in his crosshairs. He despises that common outlaws are being glorified as Robin Hood figures. Won't say more about the story, but it's very good. (

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cjyap1 | Nov 25, 2021 |

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Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence (Shortlist – Crime Novel – 2022)

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Fiction. Literature. Mystery. Historical Fiction. HTML:

Meet Depression-era newlyweds Bennie and Stella. He�??s reckless, she�??s naive. Longing for freedom from tough times, they rob a bank, setting off a series of events that quickly spin out of their control

Under an Outlaw Moon is based on the true story of Depression-era bank robbers Bennie and Stella Mae Dickson. She�??s a teenage outsider longing to fit in. He�??s a few years older and he�??s trouble. They meet at a local skating rink and the sparks fly.

They marry and Stella dreams of a nice house with a swing out back, while Bennie figures out how to get enough money to make it happen. Setting his sights on the good life, he decides to rob a bank. Talking Stella into it, he lays out his plan and teaches her to shoot. The newlyweds celebrate her 16th birthday by robbing a local bank.

They pull it off, but the score is small, and Bennie realizes the money won�??t last long, so he plans a bigger robbery. What lays ahead is more than either of them bargained for. After J. Edgar Hoover finds out they crossed state lines, he declares them public enemies number one and two �?? wanted dead or alive. So much for the good life. The manhunt is on, and there�??s little ro

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