Tui Snider

The Santa Claus Bank Robbery is a quick and easy read - a delightful take on what is really a true crime work of non-fiction. In the book, author Tui Snider takes an in-depth look at a bank robbery in Cisco, Texas in 1927. Her research is clearly detailed - the book abounds with images of newspaper reports and photographs that set the stage for the period as well as the event.

But what really makes this intriguing is Snider's voice. This is not a somber, dry look at the events of this show more robbery. Her enthusiasm, excitement, and curiosity are quite evident in her writing, which is very conversational. (It's quite clear that Tui is someone who abounds with energy.) What adds to this feeling is the fact that some of the research she carried out was in-person legwork, through conversations with locals (some welcomed, some not, interestingly enough.)

Some of the book is spent debunking another account of the Santa Claus Bank Robbery. The 1972 writing changed names of some of the players (of which, I confess, there were so many it became difficult to keep track) and which, as Snider curiously points out, also leaves out relationships between a few the parties involved. She also searches for more clues related to a mysterious blond woman that some accounts referred to but whose existence was neither previously proven or related in the first book.

As someone new(ish) to Texas, I would have guessed that bank robberies were more prevalent in a "wild west" era - an error Snider is quick to correct. The book provides an interesting glimpse into Texas history at the time, with a few details that were surprising. Did you know that banks offered a $5,000 reward for a DEAD bank robber? If you can imagine the ways this could end badly, you'd likely be right.

The Santa Claus Bank Robbery left me entertained and educated on a bit of history that I had not learned in school.

My thanks to the author for providing me with a review copy of her book. All opinions are my own. show less

6 Feet Under Texas is organized alphabetically by city, and each chapter focuses on a different gravesite. But more than just a book about the gravesites themselves, this book shares the stories of the people buried at each site. Many of these people have a story (previously) lost to history. Some stories are touching, some are amusing, and some are simply tragic – but with this book, all of them are remembered. (Even the not-so-nice guys.)

Additionally, each chapter includes a show more black-and-white photo of the respective tombstone/headstone/memorial and directions to the cemetery.

Some of my favorites (ok, given the topic, this is even weird to me to write) from the book include learning about the actual “Lost Cemetery of Infants” (Chapter 4), as I first learned of this cemetery in a recently read fiction book Home for Erring and Outcast Girls. If you’ve read my reviews here of Hays and McCall’s Bonnie and Clyde alternative history novels, you’d understand my fascination with “Why Aren’t Bonnie and Clyde Buried Together? (Chapter 15). I also learned that it’s not uncommon in older Texas cemeteries to find tombs for amputated limbs (Chapter 31). Weird, but understandable.

My ghoulish teen, on the other hand, was fascinated by the tombs of Texas’ own space alien (Chapter 6) and the tomb that is NOT a witch’s (Chapter 47). She also went right for the chapters on serial killers (Chapter 5 ), and we learned that Texas is the home of the only memorial for murder victims (Chapter 34), which is both sad (because we so often remember the names of the killers but not their victims) and inspiring in its thoughtfulness. We also were agog at the quirky Anthony Bascilli’s overly thorough planning of his casket and gravesite (Chapter 42).

6 Feet Under Texas is delightful (and I mean that in a non-creepy way). Tui Snider’s fascination with the topic shines in her wonderful storytelling of the people behind (or, technically, under) each gravestone. There are some really fascinating tales and insights into the past in these short chapter treatments.

We’re giving 6 Feet Under Texas 5 stars for all its quirky weirdness and history and research pulled together in one delightful (again, weird to write, but accurate) paperback book. show less

The synopsis/blurb asked this question:

Think you know all about the Santa Claus Bank Robbery in Cisco, Texas?

Well, I live in Texas, and not too far from Cisco, but I’d never heard anything about this bank robbery, nor was I aware of the museums, songs and shows influenced by this insane story.

In the 1920’s, bank robberies were becoming so commonplace, lawmakers offered a five -thousand- dollar reward to anyone who took out a bandit in the process of robbing a bank. That was a huge amount show more of money back then, and unbelievably that law stayed on the books until 1964!!

But, when a group of four men, now known as the Santa Claus Gang- Marshall Ratliff, Henry Helms, Lewis Davis, and Robert Hill- decided to knock off the First National Bank in Cisco, they weren’t too worried about being shot, apparently. They had a getaway car, plus one of the bandits had a perfect disguise- a Santa Claus suit.

However, that suit, as it turns out, was more of a hindrance than a help. To say the robbery didn’t go as planned is an understatement of epic proportions. It was just unreal! Kids wanting to see Santa, teenagers with guns, and an all -out melee that resulted in several deaths, with several others wounded.

This is not the first book written about this crime, and the author appears puzzled by the various name changes and omissions from previous publications. Snider doesn’t hold back any information or tiptoe around the possible connections with those on the periphery, or those who may have aided and abetted the robbers. Why other writers may have avoided pointing out those connections is a curious mystery all on its own.

The story follows the case from its conception, all the way through to the aftermath, and reveals the effects on the survivors later in life. The aftermath is most interesting, proving truth is often stranger than fiction. The most interesting relationship to develop over time, was between robber Robert Hill and potential victim Woody Harris.

Wow! Unbelievable. Woody is my favorite person in this story, I think.

The book isn’t all that long and once I got started reading it, I couldn’t put it down. I even got my husband interested in it. The history, of course, is quite fascinating, made even more interesting since I am familiar with most of the areas mentioned in the book. Surprisingly, a few famous names pop up here and there- such as Conrad Hilton. You’ll have to read the book to see how he was connected to Cisco, Texas.

Unfortunately, there are moments of shame in the story too, and not where one might think it should be placed. Citizens behaved just as badly at times and that is a part of the story surely no one is very proud of.

While I’ve read many true crime sagas, this year, this one was one of the wildest stories I have encountered- and it might just be my favorite!

Anyone who likes history will have to read this book, and of course, true crime readers won’t want to miss it, either.

5 stars!! show less

I don't normally read a lot of non-fiction, but there was something about Tui Snider's true crime novel Santa Claus Bank Robbery that really drew me in. Maybe it was the fact that I love to imagine how things were back in the day or maybe it was the mystery of the blonde woman that I wanted to know. Whatever it was, I am thrilled that I had the chance to read Santa Claus Bank Robbery.

Tui Snider opens her novel with a chapter that talks about how she first heard of this crazy bank heist. She show more gives information behind the history of bank robberies in Texas. Snider then goes into details about the key players that were apart of the bank robbery in the next chapter. It isn't long before you're thrown into the action of what happened that fateful day in Cisco, Texas when at least four men - Marshall Ratliff, Henry Helms, Robert Hill, and Lewis Davis - decided to rob the First National Bank on December 23, 1927 with Ratliff dressed in a Santa Claus suit. It's a wonder more people didn't die considering back then anyone off the street could get a gun and shoot at criminals! Snider doesn't just end her book when the bank robbery ended. She also writes about what happened to the bank robbers after they were apprehended as well as what happened to some of the other people who were involved whether they were hostages, bystanders, or vigilantes.

It's very obvious that Tui Snider had done extensive research before writing Santa Claus Bank Robbery. Snider even includes a diagram that shows where everyone was standing when the bank robbery occurred! She includes names of many of the key players (witnesses, accessories, bystanders, etc) which can sometimes be a bit daunting to remember. I had to go back to previous chapters to find out who was who sometimes. The names of people get easier to remember further into the book though. I loved that photos from Newspapers around that time were also included in Santa Claus Bank Robbery.

It was nice to read Tui Snider's commentary on the events whilst reading through the chapters of Santa Claus Bank Robbery. I felt as if Snider was right beside me giving me her opinion on the events of the book. I do agree with her on who she thinks the mysterious blonde woman was. After reading Tui Snider's book, I'm definitely with Snider. I'm also left wondering, along with the author, why A.C. Greene left out major details and gave pseudonyms to some people in his book The Santa Claus Bank Robbery published in 1972 (not to be confused with Tui Snider's book Santa Claus Bank Robbery) but not to others. That's also a great mystery that I hope one day Snider can find out because it seemed like it was driving her crazy wondering Greene did that (ha!).

One more touch that I really appreciated from Tui Snider in her book Santa Claus Bank Robbery was the fact that at the end, she includes appendices for places of interest, staying in touch with her, and further reading. I really enjoyed the places of interest section which lists the address and websites of places mentioned in the book. After reading Santa Claus Bank Robbery, I'm hankering to check these places out!

Trigger warnings for Santa Claus Bank Robbery include murder, death, and violence. It is a true crime book after all!

Overall, Santa Claus Bank Robbery is a highly fascinating novel full of action and mystery that holds your attention from the very first page. So much research went into the writing of this book, and it really shows. After reading this novel, I have become fascinated with this case. I would definitely recommend Santa Claus Bank Robbery by Tui Snider to those aged 16+ who love true crime, mystery, or just a well written book in general. This is one of those books that you won't be able to put down even when you have to!
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(A special thank you to Tui Snider for providing me with a paperback copy of Santa Claus Bank Robbery in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.) show less