Bank robbing made some criminals famous. Jesse James. Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch. Bonnie and Clyde. But have you heard of the gang led by Santa?

It was December 1927 in Cisco, Texas. Four men, one dressed as Santa, robbed the First National Bank. It might have been just another robbery, except the Texas Bankers Association recently promised a $5,000 reward for a dead bank robber and nothing for a live one.

In The Last Man: A Novel of the 1927 Santa Claus Bank Robbery, Author Thomas Goodman fleshes out the bloody chaos that ensued through a combination of fiction and fact. Told from multiple points of view, the reader learns the history and personality of the various players in this macabre drama, from the robbery's planning to the fate of the last surviving robber.

The characters emerge off the page through distinct dialog and authentic descriptions of people and places in the story. The interactions between the characters suited Texas in the late 1920s. Church-going men were as tempted to kill for a reward as the robbers were tempted to rob the bank. The trials and the public’s demand for justice led to vigilante justice in one case.

Follow along as the robbers discover they become targets in downtown Cicso. The fate of each robber unfolds over the hours, days, months, and years that follow. Discover why each robber chose to commit the crime and how that terrible day affected them and their families.

Goodman details his thorough research at the end of the book. There, he sorts out the facts from fiction and his speculation. Despite the criminal conduct and carnage depicted in the robbery and its aftermath, the story of The Last Man, the last surviving robber, is inspirational and uplifting.

I highly recommend this book for readers who like inspirational, crime, and historical stories. Thanks to Author Thomas Goodman and Mainsail Books for the advance reader copy. ( )

I found The Last Man: A Novel of the 1927 Santa Claus Bank Robbery to be a fabulous piece of historical. I was fascinated that this was based on a true story. I could not help but to keep on reading on to find out what could possibly happen next. I did find myself looking up about this story and the author did a great job on his research.

I am giving The Last Man: A Novel of the 1927 Santa Claus Bank Robbery five plus stars. I highly recommend it for readers who enjoy reading historical mysteries based on true crime. I would love to read more by Thomas Goodman.

I received a digital copy of The Last Man: A Novel of the 1927 Santa Claus Bank Robbery from the publisher, but was not required to write a review, nor a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion. ( )

An intriguing read. Readers are ushered immediately into the action. However, because of a lack of character definition at the outset, the characters are easily confused. We know Marshall wears a Santa suit and we feel sympathy for Louis as he has no familiarity for the gun he’s handed. Henry and Bobby are less defined.

The prose is spare. Action which moves the story forward quickly dominates. It’s an interesting tale of real-life events, told in such a way it reads like fiction.

Note: I received an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest and fair review. ( )

I was totally unaware of this history of a well know robbery before I read this. I was engaged from the very first page. The author very capably gives the reader the insight into each of these men and their lives. I especially liked the descriptions of the jail conditions. Even though the crimes these men committed were horrible, I felt like I wanted to help each of these men "get on the right path" and felt a special bond with the women in their lives, whether they were mothers or surrogate mothers.

I would recommend reading this historical fiction, including all the author's notes on what was real and what was fiction. I think I will remember these characters for a long while, and isn't that what a good book is supposed to do?

Note: I was given this Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest and fair review. ( )