“The case is the perfect example
of a riddle wrapped in an enigma and shrouded in mystery. And the solution is
far more disturbing than any fanciful conspiracy could ever be. “– Colin McLaren
JFK: the Smoking Gun is Colin McLaren’s
attempt to solve the mystery of President Kennedy’s assassination. McLaren describes
himself as an “ex-detective sergeant/task force team leader”. He spent 4.5
years researching JFK’s death. The book “proves,
once and for all” that Oswald was not the only gunman. According to McLaren,
Oswald fired the first shot but it was the shots fired by a novice Secret
Service, George Hickey. Hickey was riding in the car behind the presidential
limousine and was in charge of the AR-15 gun even though he was only trained as
a driver. McLaren argues that the fatal shot was an accident and the Secret
Service worked hard to hide evidence to protect its men.
The reason I first picked up JFK:
The Smoking Gun was because of the cover. I know you should never judge a book by
its cover, but the cover was so pretty and modern that I couldn’t help being
attracted to the book! The only troubling thing was that the publisher and
Christabella Designs decided to use a quote from Andrew Rule to promote the book.
Andrew Rule is a bestselling author, not a historian, not a detective and not
someone who seems to have analysed JFK’s assassination extensively. It seemed
quite strange for me to use Rule’s words; I don’t think he is the best person
to judge a historical book.
Overall, the book was quite easy
to follow and comprehend and I quite enjoyed it. McLaren makes very strong
arguments when discussing the bullets – the timing of the bullets, the difference
in the behaviour of the three bullets and the metal fragments found in Kennedy’s
brain. I also liked the use of photos to help illustrate the facts and to give
a nice break halfway through the book.
