Three Crooked Kings

Matthew Condon

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English

Queensland Univ. Press
01 December 2023

Biography; True crime; Australasian & Pacific history; Organised crime

One of the landmark Australian true-crime books, with a new introduction following the death of disgraced Police Commissioner Terry Lewis.

'It was the genius of the system ...

from day to day you didn't know who was on the take or not. You didn't

know who you could trust.'

Three Crooked Kings is the shocking true story of Queensland and how a society was shaped by almost half a century of corruption. At its core is Terry Lewis, deposed and jailed former police commissioner. From his entry into the force in 1949, Lewis rose through the ranks, becoming part of the so-called Rat Pack with detectives Glen Hallahan and Tony Murphy under the guiding inﬂuence of Commissioner Frank Bischof.

The next four decades make for a searing tale of cops and killings, bagmen and blackmail, and sin and sleaze that exposes a police underworld that operated from Queensland to New South Wales. This gripping book examines the ﬁnal pieces of the puzzle, unearths new evidence on cold cases, and explores the pivotal role that whistleblower Shirley Brifman, prostitute and brothel owner, played until her sudden death.

Based on extensive and unprecedented access to Terry Lewis and his personal papers, as well as hundreds of interviews with key players and conspirators, Three Crooked Kings is the ﬁrst of three explosive books. Awarded journalist and novelist Matthew Condon has crafted the deﬁnitive account of an era that changed a state and is still reverberating to this day.

By: Matthew Condon
Imprint: Queensland Univ. Press
Country of Publication: Australia
Dimensions: Height: 226mm, Width: 153mm, Spine: 27mm
Weight: 440g
ISBN: 9780702268458
ISBN 10: 0702268453
Pages: 368
Publication Date: 01 December 2023
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Matthew Condon is a prize-winning Australian novelist and journalist. He began his journalism career with the Gold Coast Bulletin in 1984 and subsequently worked for leading newspapers and journals including The Sydney Morning Herald, The Sun-Herald, Melbourne's Sunday Age, The Courier-Mail and, now, The Australian colour magazine. He has written ten books of fiction, including The Trout Opera and is the author of the bestselling true-crime series about Queensland crime and corruption_x202F_-_x202F_Three Crooked Kings, Jacks and Jokers, All Fall Down and Little Fish Are Sweet. His most recent book is The Night Dragon.

Reviews for Three Crooked Kings

'Three Crooked Kings, has broken new ground in telling disgraced former police commissioner Terence Lewis's story.'-The Australian 'A powerful treatment of an inelegant past that still smoulders.'-The Weekend Australian 'A kick arse piece of literary non-fiction!'-John Birmingham