Hellhound on His Trail

Hellhound on His Trail (2010) by Hampton Sides. Subtitle: The Stalking of Martin Luther King Jr. and the International Hunt for His Assassin. This is an electrifying, albeit methodical, job of reportage about James Earl Ray and his pursuit of Martin Luther King, and also about King and his entourage, up to the time of King's assassination on April 4, 1968. The book then follows Ray as he tries to escape, and the FBI and various law-enforcement agencies as they pursue him. It's an inherently exciting story, and Sides does it justice with his scrupulous reporting. Grade: A