'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 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 story 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 100s of interviews with key players and
conspirators, 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.
