Chasing King's Killer: The Hunt for Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Assassin

Reviewed by: Kristin Taylor - Biddeford High School, Biddeford, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 31, 2018

Review

As with Swanson's other books, he has established a well documented source of Martin Luther King, Jr and James Earl Ray and the fate that brought these two men together. Divided into four sections, the first section includes an overview of the Jim Crow years, an introduction to Martin Luther King, Jr., his involvement in the Civil Rights Movement and King's opposition to the Vietnam War; section two introduces the reader to James Earl Ray, Ray's escape from jail, brief family history and the days leading up to the assassination; section three is the planning of the assassination by Ray and section four deals with the aftermath of King's assassination, Ray's escape to Memphis, how the authorities, through various tips, where able to identify Ray and how/where he was finally captured.

Included is a discussion on James Earl Ray's motives, conspiracy theories, how Ray always claimed his innocence, and a final tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr.. Sources notes are well documented; full TOC; well defined chronology of events leading up to and after the assassination, and an index. The photos, copies of articles and layouts compliment the text and give support to the times discussed.

Recommended for grades 7 and up. Great text to support history sections in school libraries.

Overall Book Score: excellent