Three crooked kings

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 Terence Murray 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 Glendon Patrick 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 which operated from Queensland and into New South Wales. This gripping book exposes 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 two 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.

"The explosive true story"--Cover.

Includes index.

Prologue -- 1940s-1950s -- The Probationary -- Constable Lewis on the Beat -- Hallahan Comes Home -- Sub-inspector Bischof Investigates a Gross Fraud -- The Clever Mr Whitrod -- Debutante -- The Ascent of Detective Lewis -- Miss Shanks -- Ladies Lounging in Cane Grass Chairs -- The South Brisbane Scrapper -- Her Majesty Comes to Visit -- Family Men -- Watching Amelia Street -- Ada and Gunner -- The Time of the Mason -- The Curious Corruption Incubator of Mount Isa -- Shirley's New Life -- Rats, Bodgies, and Drinks at the National -- A Night to Die -- Miss Hamilton Has Had Enough -- Another Good Day at the Races -- The Little Boy Lost from Paradise Street -- 1960s -- Dear Sir, I Have Been Directed to Inform You -- The Dog with Two Tails -- The Passion Pit -- Attack Dog -- One Saturday Night in Hendra -- Terry Moves House -- The End of the Affair -- Conferenceville -- Courtesy of the Author -- A Secret Meeting with the Premier -- Silent, Liar -- The Bum Smackers -- A Crowded Hour -- Digging for Dirt -- First Steps to the Big Chair -- The Inquiry -- Empire Building -- Peacekeeper -- Life up on the Drive -- To the Satisfaction of Both Parties -- Silent Gets Rowdy in the Emerald City -…