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'Three Crooked Kings follows Lewis' journey through the ranks, as he becomes part of the so-called Rat Pack with detectives Glenn Hallahan and Tony Murphy under the guiding influence of Commissioner Frank Bischof. The alleged suicide of prostitute and brothel madam Shirley Brifman in the early 1970s provides the turning point for a culture that reigned unchecked for several decades. It was part of a grand narrative teeming with murder, pay-offs, political machinations, drug heists, assisted suicides, police in-fighting and a complicated system of corruption that ultimately collapsed under its own weight.
'Based on unprecedented interviews with Terry Lewis and access to his personal papers, Three Crooked Kings is the missing piece in the puzzle of the story of Queensland's endemic generational corruption. It is a searing story of greed, crime and corruption. Awarded journalist and novelist Matthew Condon has crafted the definitive account of an era that changed Queensland society; an impact that reverberates across the country to this day.' (Publication summary)
Notes
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Based on interviews with Terry Lewis and access to his personal papers.
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Dedication:
For Katie Kate
and our children,
Finnigan and Bridie Rose
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Works about this Work
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y
Little Fish Are Sweet
St Lucia
:
University of Queensland Press
,
2016
10526256
2016
single work
autobiography
'I recall meeting Lewis on a number of occasions in company with Tony Murphy. I recall conversation getting around to payments of money with Murphy and Lewis. Lewis thanked me on several occasions and said ‘Little fish are sweet’. – Jack ‘The Bagman’ Herbert in evidence to the Fitzgerald Inquiry 1988.
'Little Fish Are Sweet is Matthew Condon’s extraordinary personal account of writing the Three Crooked Kings trilogy. When Condon first interviewed disgraced former police commissioner Terry Lewis, he had no idea that it would be the start of a turbulent six-year journey. As hundreds of people came forward to share their powerful and sometimes shocking stories, decades of crime and corruption were revealed in a new light.
'Risking threats and intimidation, Condon tirelessly pursued his investigations into a web of cold murder cases and past conspiracies. What he discovered is much more sinister than anyone could have imagined.' (Publication summary)
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Plus ça Change : Laying Bare with the Truth of a State
2013
single work
review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , May no. 351 2013;
— Review of Three Crooked Kings 2013 single work biography -
Sunshine State's Corrupt Legacy
2013
single work
review
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 27-28 April 2013; (p. 31) The Canberra Times , 25 April 2013; (p. 26) The Age , 27 April 2013; (p. 29)
— Review of Three Crooked Kings 2013 single work biography -
Insider's Tale of a Force for Corruption
2013
single work
review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 30 March 2013; (p. 21)
— Review of Three Crooked Kings 2013 single work biography -
Matthew Condon : The Toe Tag Quintet and Three Crooked Kings
2013
single work
review
— Appears in: The Newtown Review of Books , March 2013;
— Review of Three Crooked Kings 2013 single work biography ; The Toe Tag Quintet 2012 selected work novella
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Matthew Condon : The Toe Tag Quintet and Three Crooked Kings
2013
single work
review
— Appears in: The Newtown Review of Books , March 2013;
— Review of Three Crooked Kings 2013 single work biography ; The Toe Tag Quintet 2012 selected work novella -
Insider's Tale of a Force for Corruption
2013
single work
review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 30 March 2013; (p. 21)
— Review of Three Crooked Kings 2013 single work biography -
Sunshine State's Corrupt Legacy
2013
single work
review
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 27-28 April 2013; (p. 31) The Canberra Times , 25 April 2013; (p. 26) The Age , 27 April 2013; (p. 29)
— Review of Three Crooked Kings 2013 single work biography -
Plus ça Change : Laying Bare with the Truth of a State
2013
single work
review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , May no. 351 2013;
— Review of Three Crooked Kings 2013 single work biography -
Lewis Shines Light on Our Darkest Days
2013
single work
column
— Appears in: The Courier-Mail , 27 February 2013; (p. 4) -
Deal Delivered Cops Free Hand
2013
single work
column
— Appears in: The Courier-Mail , 28 February 2013; (p. 10) -
'Stuff-Up' Spills Trove of Secrets
2013
single work
column
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 9-10 March 2013; (p. 15) -
Voices from the Past Unveil a Dark Chapter
2013
single work
column
— Appears in: The Courier-Mail , 12 March 2013; (p. 9) -
Winning Words
2013
single work
column
— Appears in: The Courier-Mail , 27-28 July 2013; (p. 4-5)