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JFK: The Smoking Gun

Colin McLaren

3.98 · Rating details · 169 ratings · 39 reviews

"It's the gunshot that echoed around the world - but who pulled the trigger? McLaren unravels the cold case of the 20th century." - Andrew Rule, bestselling author of Underbelly

Assassination? Conspiracy? Evidence of the shocking truth is finally revealed.

On 22nd November 1963, the 35th president of the United States, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, and his wife Jackie were taking ...more

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Published December 15th 2013 by Bolinda Audio (first published January 1st 2013)

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Oct 31, 2013 Linda Lawrance rated it it was amazing

Shelves: kennedy

I never believed the Warren Commission was anything but a sham and I have read so many conspiracy theories over the years and I now truly believe that Colin McLaren has uncovered the devastating truth. I won't say anymore for fear of spoiling the book for other readers, except to say, this is the only book you ever need to read about the assassination of JFK.

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Nov 21, 2013 Elaine rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I thought this was a brilliant read and in my opinion what Colin McLaren is alleging is quite plausible and makes a lot of sense. Fifty years after the assassination of JFK there still seems to be a huge interest and many,many more conspiracy theories but I believe this book dispels many of these. I was shocked and saddened by some of the revelations in this book but unlike many other books on this subject it actually left me satisfied that this matter has finally been put to rest. I know that ...more

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Jan 16, 2016 Carol rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ipad, ibook

WOW.. always been fascinated with everything to do with JFK and particularly his assassination. And always wondered.. there were so many inconsistencies with the investigations and the eye witness reports and total cock-ups by the different authorities and the Warren Commission (the author of this book describes it as the Commission of Omissions).

The books starts off with a deep background check of Less Harvey Oswald, his wife Marina and Jack Ruby. So I am thinking, right he is going for the WOW.. always been fascinated with everything to do with JFK and particularly his assassination. And always wondered.. there were so many inconsistencies with the investigations and the eye witness reports and total cock-ups by the different authorities and the Warren Commission (the author of this book describes it as the Commission of Omissions).

The books starts off with a deep background check of Less Harvey Oswald, his wife Marina and Jack Ruby. So I am thinking, right he is going for the lone gunman solution.. Lee Harvey Oswald WAS a crazy idiot!

But then he gets into the deeper investigation of the eyewitness reports, including the police officers that were in and around the motorcade that day. He went right through ALL the many volumes of the Warren Commission and wonders why so many of those crucial eyewitnesses weren't even interviewed by the Commission and, when damning evidence was offered, the Commission ignored it and/or dismissed that witness.

He (the author is a career detective) then looked at what the Secret Service guys were doing , both on the day and the day before. Apparently they all went out partying the night before until the wee hours and got very drunk at a night club. SO the day they were supposed to be protecting the President they were all very hungover! O.o. Even though many bystanders saw a man on the 6th floor of the Texas Book Depository WITH A RIFLE.. none of the Secret Service saw or acted. In fact, the only action, after the first shot, was one inexperienced guy in the followup car standing up wth HIS rifle and shooting it! Eyewitnesses testified that he had shot the rifle, thinking he was shooting back at the assassin. .. The bottom line.. did ALL the shots that hit the President come from Lee Harvey Oswald's gun OR did one of those bullets come from the accidental shooting of the Secret Service rifle. The author presents a lot of evidence that the last and fatal bullet was actually from the Secret Service gun. AND he points to a lot of cover up by everyone involved to ensure that this information did not become a front page worldwide news story.

SOOOOOOOOOOO when Lee Harvey Oswald kept insisting he was a "Patsy".. it seems he might have been right!!! ...more

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Jun 20, 2014 Brendan rated it really liked it

Retired and highly decorated Australian homicide detective Colin McLaren brings his years of investigative experience to bear on the case that has fascinated generations and spawned any number of elaborate conspiracy theories: the "assassination" of US President John F Kennedy. Four years of exhaustive research applying a thorough tooth comb to all 27 volumes of the Warren Commission Report, the transcripts of the House Select Committee on Assassinations, and the records of the Assassination ...more

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Oct 17, 2014 Nada rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: the-kennedys, 2014-challenge, watched-as-a-documentary-film

Yeaaaaah,... NO.

This story that the author claimed would make a great Hollywood movie but not the ASSASSINATION of John F. Kennedy.
Mr. McLaren presented a lot of great points and evident that are certainly convincing to people who don't know more details and don't know how to analyze nor dig deep into real dirt because absolutely what Mr. McLaren said is NOT what actually happened that day.
No way in hell that a secret service agent would shoot a fatal shot -directly and ACCIDENTALLY- to the ...more

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May 15, 2015 Beth Bowles rated it it was amazing

This is the first theory I have ever seen regarding the assassination of JFK that has made sense. As far as I'm concerned, the verdict is in, and the killer was....well, you'll have to read the book. Meticulously researching over a number of years, the author has discovered the truth that the Warren Commission buried in thousands of pages. An excellent read. Highly recommended.

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Dec 21, 2013 Simone rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: great-aus-reads-2013

Initially I was reluctant to read another book about JFK. It's not that I'm not interested in the topic, just that there have been so many conspiracy theories, explanations etc and I thought this was just another one. However the fact that it was written by an Australian detective piqued my interest and then after watching the documentary of the same name, I was very keen to read the book.

Colin McLaren is a retired detective who has worked on some of the most gruesome crime scenes in Australia. ...more

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Jan 26, 2014 Rich rated it really liked it

A very detailed and convincing account of the killing of JFK. In my opinion answers pretty conclusively two of the key questions surrounding the assassination:

1) The magic bullet issue

2) The exploding bullet, the final shot to hit, and ultimately kill President Kennedy.

If you are interested in history....I strongly suggest reading this book.

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Jun 08, 2018 Rohan Loos rated it it was amazing

Mind blowing, thought provoking, thoroughly well researched and written. The irony here really is that such a well investigated and highly researched book makes me question even further what it states though. I understand the author to be s former detective and trust he has provided a balanced and accurate view of all of the evidence; but... how can I know that without reading the 3 metre high pile of papers?
The funny thing also is that the theory to pay to rest all conspiracy theories that this Mind blowing, thought provoking, thoroughly well researched and written. The irony here really is that such a well investigated and highly researched book makes me question even further what it states though. I understand the author to be s former detective and trust he has provided a balanced and accurate view of all of the evidence; but... how can I know that without reading the 3 metre high pile of papers?
The funny thing also is that the theory to pay to rest all conspiracy theories that this book provides has provoked my mind into creating a further theory within the confines of the book’s core hypothesis. I won’t share it here as it’s quite long and references many other novels; but it makes you think.
I’d never really given the JFK shooting a great deal of thought, despite having seen and read much information surrounding it. Following the reading of this book... I’m sure there’s more to it. I don’t think there’s quite as much as the author seems to suggest and I can’t fathom where the authority came from in my limited knowledge of the American chain of command. It’s intimidating to think “Who’s more powerful than the most powerful man on earth?”
This one’s a thought provoked as much as an answer. It’ll stay in your mind long after you read it I’m sure, and if you’re looking for a book club book, then this is great as the discussions you’ll have after reading are boundless.
This book put me in the mind of a sleuth such as Sherlock Holmes, going over all of the evidence (I assume and hope) and showing what can be revealed and questioning what can be assumed from certain actions taken by those involved. As I’ve said, I think some assumptions stretch the imagination a little, but I guess it’s that possibility that makes a seasoned detective write it down for just that chance.
I’m struggling for a better conclusion than to simply say “I liked this book and if you’ve made it so far as to read this review then I strongly think you should give it a go,” but I guess that will have to do. ...more

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Jan 23, 2016 Natalie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: crime, non-fiction, true-crime, own

What a fascinating book! Like anyone else, I had always heard much about JFK and what happened on that fateful date in November of 1963, but I had never really thought much about what might have actually took place. There are many conspiracy theories out there but this book does a marvellous job in looking purely at the evidence and many witness statements to come up with an answer - the result, I found, was astounding! Something I had actually never really heard of or considered before. The ...more

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Sep 16, 2017 David Brown rated it liked it · review of another edition

This is an excellent book but it is clearly written by a detective. He gets a bit repetitive and way too carried away with detail. I was satisfied when he said, in connection with the three shots, that forty people described the last two as being close together. I did not need a list of all forty variations in description. He does this sort of thing regularly and it distracts from his narrative. In the same way he describes the Warren Commission report as being awash with detail which obscures ...more

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Jan 20, 2018 Gwen Williams rated it it was amazing

What an amazing read. Anyone who is interested in the assassination of JFK needs to read this book. It finally reveals the ineptitude and cover up of this investigation and what really happened. There is no conspiracy. Extraordinarily well researched and written - although a little repetitive at times. Highly recommended.

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Mar 08, 2019 Deb rated it really liked it

Shelves: non-fiction

Well worth reading. I enjoyed how the book was set out, allowing you to learn (or remember) all the players, and more.

As for being an answer of what happened that November 22, it is totally possible.

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Feb 02, 2017 Jason Inglis rated it liked it

Presents an interesting argument, but there are no references so it's hard to know how credible this book is

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Mar 07, 2018 Amy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A must read. Very detailed and informed book about his death

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Dec 27, 2019 Chele Morel rated it it was amazing

Well written and brilliantly researched. A fresh take on the jfk assassination

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Feb 23, 2019 Kevin Koppelmann rated it really liked it

Interesting forensics although he also showed an agenda he was shooting for.

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Jul 17, 2019 Graham Catt rated it it was ok

I should have spotted it - the garish cover and large print, the lack of any notes or bibliography. This professes to be a report of serious investigation, but is simply 'pulp non-fiction'. It's rare that a book makes me so angry that I throw it across the room. This was one of those books.

Colin McLaren, a retired detective from Australia, goes to great lengths to establish his credibility as an investigator, then proceeds to exaggerate, embellish, misquote and misinterpret his way through the I should have spotted it - the garish cover and large print, the lack of any notes or bibliography. This professes to be a report of serious investigation, but is simply 'pulp non-fiction'. It's rare that a book makes me so angry that I throw it across the room. This was one of those books.

Colin McLaren, a retired detective from Australia, goes to great lengths to establish his credibility as an investigator, then proceeds to exaggerate, embellish, misquote and misinterpret his way through the book. He criticizes 'conspiracy theorists' for using selective information to support their arguments, then does exactly the same thing.

Initially, the author holds up the Warren Commission as the 'Holy Grail' of JFK Assassination info, yet by the end, when it doesn't support his theory, McLaren writes it off as 'twaddle'. (As is well known, the Commission only called witnesses who backed up the 'one assassin/three bullet' notion, or ignored any testimony that didn't serve their purpose.)

In fact, the absence of a bibliography is probably due to the fact that McLaren's only sources were the Warren Commission and the ARRB hearings. There are no interviews, no references to other investigators or books. Apart from a brief trip to Dallas, all research was done on the internet. Hardly the hallmark of a thorough investigation.

McLaren states his aim to avoid the language of prose, then laces the narrative with colorful (manipulative) descriptions of character, even delving into the mind of 'patriot' Jack Ruby to describe his thoughts and emotions. Of course, Oswald is described as a sub-human maniac, while Marina Oswald is the 'pretty Russian'.

He concludes that ballistics tests are unreliable, yet uses them to support his theory. McLaren agrees that Oswald was no marksman, and that the shots he attempted were impossible, but says that is what happened anyway.

Some random notes. JFK is described as 'a CIA man'. Anyone with any knowledge of JFK knows he despised the CIA, particularly after the Bay of Pigs disaster. Bobby is described as 'an interfering, presidentially aspiring brother' without any justification whatsoever. So-called 'conspiracy theorists' are called 'loonies', 'crazies' and worse. Ironically, McLaren's book also proposes its own 'conspiracy theory'. He is also scathing of Jim Garrison's 1968 trial, telling us that it was 'thrown out of court', which is simply not true.

To accept McLaren's theory, you need to discount the eyewitness accounts of dozens, if not 100's of people, as well as the investigations of writers like Gaeton Fonzi, Douglas Horne, Lamar Waldron and Dick Russell, among others.

Other well-known, verified facts are ignored: George de Mohrenschildt and Ruth Paine's CIA connections, the CIA's invention of fake tapes/film of Oswald in Mexico, Oswald's CIA and FBI links, the death bed confessions of David Atlee Phillips and Howard E. Hunt, the encounters of dozens of people (including a policeman) with fake Secret Service agents in the picket fence area etc.

Avoid this unsatisfying book. There are far better written, more thorough and more enlightening books on the subject, even others that explore McLaren's theory with far greater skill. ...more

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Feb 05, 2016 Evelina rated it liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. There’s a story attached to my reading this book. I recently watched Oliver Stone’s JFK – twice, in fact – and was instantly convinced that there must have been something fishy in the 35th president’s death. And so, I sought out The Smoking Gun in order to gain an alternate perspective. Jim Garrison, the focus of Stone’s monumental film, was evidently certain that Cuba, Communism, conspiracy and the Vietnam War were behind Kennedy’s death. McLaren offers a different story – one that is arguably There’s a story attached to my reading this book. I recently watched Oliver Stone’s JFK – twice, in fact – and was instantly convinced that there must have been something fishy in the 35th president’s death. And so, I sought out The Smoking Gun in order to gain an alternate perspective. Jim Garrison, the focus of Stone’s monumental film, was evidently certain that Cuba, Communism, conspiracy and the Vietnam War were behind Kennedy’s death. McLaren offers a different story – one that is arguably more believable and, from the evidence presented, more likely. For the majority of the book, I was enthralled, shocked and intrigued – it did everything that a great investigation should do. But…I do have some issues, mainly with McLaren’s role as narrator. So here’s my letter to the author:

Dear Colin,

You’re a detective, we get it! You don’t have to constantly cite your own knowledge as a detective or draw from your past experience working rape or murder scenes. Stop seeing yourself as some omniscient holder of the truth because all you are is a giver of information, not some divine semi-mortal come to purify our understanding of the Kennedy assassination! Also, don’t condemn someone – aka Jim Garrison and Oliver Stone – when many of your own deductions mirror those outlined by Garrison’s investigation…multiple shooters, inconsistent bullets, shoddy autopsies, ring any bells? It’s kind of irritating that you admonish Stone’s film when it was, in fact, a catalyst for the reopened inquiry into the assassination – an inquiry from which you draw a hefty amount of conclusions.

Furthermore, you don’t have to repeat yourself fifty times. The reader is not an idiot. If you say that twenty-two witnesses saw smoke from within the motorcade, that’s all we need. You don’t have to quote every single witness in Christendom who saw smoke or who described the second and third shots as being practically instantaneous.

But, on the other hand, you do make some excellent points, although your rebuttal of the magic bullet theory really didn’t quench my curiosity. On the whole, however, you have produced a compelling argument after years of research and for that I applaud you.

Sincerely yours,

Semi-Frustrated Reader

But, I do have one question. McLaren claims that he condemns conspiracy theories and the like, but surely The Smoking Gun is simply providing another conspiracy/cover-up. Why should the reader invest more credence in McLaren’s conclusions than, for instance, in Jim Garrison’s?
...more

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Nov 04, 2013 Kathryn rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, reading-list-2014

I watched a documentary of this book last year, with the 50th anniversary of the assassination of JFK. Colin McLaren’s theory of who shot JFK is startling, but actually does make sense. Throughout the book, he does rather belabour some of his points, making for repetitive reading. In my opinion, a better editor would have made greater use of his or her red pen, making for tighter writing that would have been an easier read.

At the time of watching the documentary, I wondered whether the book went ...more

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Nov 14, 2013 Finding Fifth rated it really liked it

The research undertaken by ex-detective Colin McLaren is admirable. If only someone as astute as he were allowed to secure the crime scene and body of President Kennedy, then fifty years of speculation and conspiracy theory may have been avoided. Although I am not convinced by his explosive revelation of who exactly fired the deadly 'head shot', I was convinced that Oswald did not! The book is easy to read and becomes a page turner in parts. I got a tad tired of the exclamation marks though. ...more

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Apr 25, 2014 Doug rated it liked it

Shelves: biography-autobiography

This book is really convincing. McLaren details so much evidence of secret service incompetence that it all seems to fit so neatly. The first half if the book is great, outlining the stories of various individuals involved. But by the second half he has basically made his point but he keeps on going for another hundred pages. It just feels disorganised and it ends up finishing with a whimper.

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Aug 18, 2016 Deborah Grover rated it it was amazing

I am completely convinced this is the story of what actually happened that day in Dallas. It explains why the entire story was shrouded in mystery all those years, and further, why most people believe a conspiracy was behind it. After reading it, and comprehending the ballistics portions of the analysis, you will know in your heart this is what happened.

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Nov 07, 2014 Phil Dutton rated it it was amazing

loved it. one of those books you can't put down -and as McLaren noted in the book, even the best script writers could not have done such a masterful job. and this one was directed by no-one. the best "who done it" you could ask for. and it's tied to one of the most notable events in recent history. read it!

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Oct 18, 2013 Lee Baker rated it really liked it

I took my time reading this book mainly because I saw the TV program that was made about the book so nothing was new. The detail Mclaren goes into in this book, his years of research and his reasoning all lead me to believe his conclusion is correct. Read the book and reach your own conclusion - I'm sold!

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Dec 22, 2013 James rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: history, 2013

-SPOILIERS ALERT-
Well, I'm convinced anyway. The author puts forward a highly likely scenario where the final and fatal headshot sustained by Kennedy was as a result of the tragic accident of an inexperienced Secret Service agent.

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Jul 15, 2014 Liara Rozsa-brown rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Not my thing really. But gave it a go as a book swap with a friend. The answers were clear half way through the book and I felt the repeating of the same facts boring and long winded. ( I accept some repeating is necessary in this genre but if felt like overkill.)

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Jan 10, 2016 wen b rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I thoroughly believe it because there were so much cover-up and this book is so plausible I believe it

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Nov 22, 2014 Raphael Martinez rated it it was amazing

this book clearly points the true reason of the death of JFK 51 years ago. may this book correct history, that Lee Harvey Oswald is the lone suspect.

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Jul 03, 2014 Shannon Malnory-silbernagel rated it it was amazing

An excellent book that debunks almost every known theory on the assassination of JFK. Makes you question what really happened and why so much was covered up in the following months.

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About Colin McLaren

Colin McLaren

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Colin McLaren was one of Australia's best detectives; he travelled the world on high-end investigations during the 1980s and 1990s. He faced down the underbelly of Australian crime and his work has been the subject of many police genre documentaries and television series. A film of his own life, based on his hugely successful first book Infiltration, the true story of his efforts as an undercover ...more