Three Crooked Kings

Three Crooked Kings #1

by Matthew Condon

Having spent the past two years interviewing Terry Murray Lewis, former Commissioner of Queensland Police, Condon delves into the crime and corruption that finally resulted in the Fitzgerald Inquiry of 1987. Through his extensive research, Matthew Condon has spoken to hundreds of Lewis' contemporaries, criminals, former premiers, politicians and ordinary Queenslanders who were impacted by the events of the inquiry.

Genres: Nonfiction, True Crime, Crime, History, Australia, Book Club, Audiobook

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Matthew Steven Condon is a prize-winning Australian author and journalist.

Reviews

[Margot · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think you need to be from Queensland. Not well written.

[Kristy · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF @ 50%

I was lucky enough to be a seller at a recent local event for Matthew's latest book The Night Dragon, and I was absolutely fascinated by the whole story of the hidden dark history to the city I've lived in my whole life. I was keen to learn more, so I sought out the audiobook for the first part of his series. I'd been listening for less than a week before deciding that maybe I wasn't as interested in the story as I first thought. This is a very tangled web, and unfortunately is not one that I have the patience to sort through each strand.

[Chantal · Rating 2 out of 5]

Based on the true events during the 1950s - 1970s, this book reads a s a string of facts, tacked together to demonstrate the progression of corruption in the Queensland police force, during this time.

It reads a bit like a shopping list of names, places and events, but for those who enjoy this type of historical narrative, it will make interesting reading. Unfortunately, this story, writing style and topic just did not appeal to me.

[Christine Bongers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wore my Tony Fitzgerald Fan Club t-shirt till it was in tatters and was in court the day corrupt Queensland Police Commissioner Terry Lewis snookered himself with evidence drawn from his own notebooks. This is the prequel, the dirty years leading up to those history-making events. Good job, Matt. Looking forward to the next one.

[Anthea · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first of two books by journalist Matthew Condon tracking corrupt Queensland police chief Terry Lewis' rise and fall. It's well-researched - Condon interviewed Lewis extensively and had access to Lewis's diaries - and teases out the many links that bound the state's politicians, leading police officers, major-league pimps, madams, prostitutes, SP bookies, stand-over merchants, and club owners. Condon excels at laying bare Brisbane's Elmore Leonard-esque underworld, evoking the torpor and tropical decay of the state; his work is heavy with hypocrisy of the time. But unlike other books about the rot at Queensland's political heart from the 50s through to the end of the Bjelke-Petersen era (Whitton's The Hillbilly Dictator springs to mind), this book felt vaguely superficial. Not unlike Lewis himself, who comes across as a cipher rather than a man central to state-wide, systematic collusion between organised crime, the police force and government.

[Chris Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Three Crooked Kings Matthew Condon briefly discusses the murder of Barbara McCulkin and her two daughters. According to the book, she had started sounding off in public that she knew the real story of the Whiskey A Go Go nightclub bombing in Brisbane and that it wasn't just the handiwork of John Andrew Stuart and James Finch but included the higher echelons of the Queensland police force. Condon says the word on the street was that Barbara was going to be 'knocked' as she was talking too much. When she and her daughters disappeared, neighbours reported seeing Barbara being forced into a waiting car and possibly one of the children being shoved into the boot. But nobody called the police because "domestics" were regular events at Barbara's place. Yesterday, two men were arrested in Brisbane for the murder of McCulkin and her two daughters 40 years ago. And so the still unresolved events of those controversial times continue to haunt us in Brisbane today. Condon's book shows that McCulkin's murder was a comparatively minor sideshow at a time when the Joke - long standing, well organised and routine corruption among senior members of the Queensland police force - was king.

[Tricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Often when I explain to non-Queenslanders (or even Queenslanders born post 70s) the story behind the Fitzgerald Inquiry they think I am making it up. The criminal underworld being run by the police who are sworn to protect community against it. It goes to show you that truth is sometimes (scarily) stranger than fiction.

The book is well researched and is best read with a whiteboard or notepad as the number of characters, their many alias and how the fit into the tale sometimes gets very confusing. I look forward to reading the second book.

[Karen Beath · Rating 3 out of 5]

 

I didn’t grow up in Queensland and was only three years old when the Fitzgerald Inquiry took place so up until this year I had no idea of the extent of police corruption in the sunshine state from the 1950’s to the 1980’s. As such I was very keen to read Three crooked Kings by Matthew Condon. The book is set in the time before Terry Lewis became Police Commissioner. It is centred more around the role that detectives Murphy and Hallahan and former police commissioner Bischof, played in the corruption. At this stage Lewis appeared to be on the outskirts, hidden away in the Juvenile Aid Bureau (JAB) . However, he was still involved in police corruption and I’m sure we’ll hear more about this in the sequel. At first I found it difficult to remember all the different players, having no substantial background knowledge. This all became clear as the book continued. Condon presents characters that are unbelievable. At times I had to remember that Murphy, Hallahan and NSW officer Krahe were not criminals themselves but police officers, which only made their crimes more sickening. To think these people were in positions of power is a little horrifying. Overall the book was very interesting and I’d like to read the sequel, Jacks and Jokers.

[Katie Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible! Can't wait for the second book.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terry Lewis was interviewed for these books, but don’t hold your breath for any heartfelt confessions. The declarations that “Lewis denies >insert event< took place” are liberally applied throughout. However, it’s clearly thoroughly researched and includes meticulous details and some cracking stories. Four stars because I particularly appreciate the descriptions of 1960s and 70s Brisbane suburbs and landmarks, and I’m enjoying talking to my Dad about what he remembers.

[Kate Cornfoot · Rating 2 out of 5]

I listened to Richard Fidler's interview with Matt Condon on the Conversations podcast and was gripped. Listening to stories of Queensland police corruption in the recent past was confronting and shocking. But this book is not the explosive read it promotes itself as; it's a fairly dry, detail-heavy account. I never felt we got to the bottom of Lewis' role in all of it, and this made it largely unsatisfying.

[D · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've heard Matthew interviewed on this book and it was fascinating.

However, I couldn't finish this book. Perhaps I was in the wrong mood, but I felt it didn't flow terribly well.

[Richard Bean · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title gives you the impression Terry Lewis has confessed to something; the marketing "Terry Lewis breaks his silence" gives you that impression too. But there were many passages along the lines of "Lewis denies the meeting ever took place" (p318) or "Lewis says he can't recall what happened".

Things that stood out for me were p182: Lewis: "I can't say Murphy was a crook. But it mightn't have been only Jack Herbert who told me lies. Murphy might have told them too.". Lewis associated often with the notoriously corrupt cops Bischof, Hallahan, and Murphy and the book records Hoggett, an honest cop, saying they all met "at least a couple of times a week, which was pretty strange to see three detective sergeants going in and out seeing the commissioner when nobody else did." (p219). Lewis has nothing to say about those strange meetings.

Page 217: "[Allegations of corruption] had to have been said to Whitrod by Hodges," said Lewis. "Hodges was an opportunistic grub." And then the last page is "To Be Continued in All Fall Down in Late 2013". But with a quote like that do you really expect Lewis to confess to anything at all in the next book?

There are lots of details of the 1950s and detailed descriptions of how Lewis plotted to be commissioners. The stories about police going round with white shirts and ties to give away was particularly amusing.

The whole book has a vibe of being very Lance Armstrong-ish ... "Everyone is lying except me" (Colin Bennett, Ray Whitrod, Jack Herbert, Max Hodges, Shirley Brifman etc). At the end the author writes "Through my personal interviews and documentary evidence I have made every effort to present a balanced story". So four stars for the book itself and the extensive interviewing, and two stars for the marketing, perhaps. You can read similar stories in John Ryan's "I Survived" or "The Most Dangerous Detective" or books of the time like "The Hillbilly Dictator" (now free online).

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the 1950s elements in the Queensland Police Force started to develop the corruption and criminal behaviour that culminated in the Fitzgerald Enquiry in the 1980's and the gradual exposure of many of the key players.

THREE CROOKED KINGS is the first of two books that looks at the unbelievable situation, the main players, and (in the second book) the enquiry itself.

The author of this book, Matthew Condon, is an award winning newspaper journalist and author, and it's this background and his skill that clearly make this a very readable book. Especially as the subject matter is extremely sobering and uncomfortable. Starting out with the shocking death of prostitute, madam and confidante of many high-ranking officials in Queensland, there was an attempt to make Shirley Brifman's death seem like an accidental, rather than forced drug overdose. From there, Condon takes you through the stories of a number of the key players in QLD police and politics, drawing out the connections, charting their rises, explaining the methods used to corrupt and collude, painting a chilling picture.

Despite thinking that I knew a bit about the background to the Fitzgerald Inquiry, and the well-publicised corruption and the shocking levels of abuse and crime in Queensland's political and policing world, there were aspects of this book that were simply breathtaking. The sequel, All Fall Down, is going to be worth waiting for.

http://www.austcrimefiction.org/revie...

[Kathy Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I heard Matthew Condon speak at Literati on the Gold Coast in May this year and was so impressed by his talk that I bought Three Crooked Kings. For those who don’t know Queensland’s history, this book is about the lives of the key figures in the Queensland Police Force from the 1950s to the 1970s and the corruption that was endemic in the force during that time, eventually culminating in the Fitzgerald Enquiry. Three Crooked Kings stops short of the enquiry, which will be dealt with in a sequel, All Fall Down.
Matthew was fortunate to have access to the diaries of one of the key players, Terry Lewis, who eventually became Police Commissioner and is now in his eighties. It is also a credit to Matthew that no one has sued him, and this appears to be because of the fair and balanced way he has reported these issues.
The book starts with the shocking death of prostitute and ‘madam’, Shirley Brifman, in what appears to be a murder through a forced drug overdose.
Matthew has done extensive research, interviewing vast numbers of people from policemen to bartenders. Where there is an accusation, if possible, Matthew has given the accused a right of redress.
In telling this story, he has employed all the techniques of good storytelling, creating a fascinating tale told in a thoroughly readable style, a testament to Matthew’s many years as an award-winning newspaper journalist and author of many books.
I’m looking forward to reading the sequel, All Fall Down, and I thoroughly recommend Three Crooked Kings.

[Simone · Rating 4 out of 5]

When most people think of police corruption in Queensland, they think of the 1980s and The Fitzgerald Inquiry that lifted the lid on entrenched corruption in the upper ranks of the QLD Police Service. However in his first book in a two part series (Fitzgerald comes in the next installment), Matthew Condon illustrates beyond shadow of a doubt that corruption in the Sunshine State was a long term reality, dating back to the 1950s and the reign of Commissioner Frank Bischoff.

Many will be familiar with the name Terry Lewis as one of main players in The Fitzgerald Inquiry. Condon spend countless hours interviewing the now elderly former Commissioner and it is his claims that are the foundation of this book. It certainly makes for interesting reading.There is a lot of detail in this book and it would probably only appeal to people from Queensland or those who followed the Inquiry and have an interest in such things. As a prequel to Fitzgerald it is eye opening to see just how Terry Lewis made his way up the ranks of the police service.

Meticulously researched and well written, Three Crooked Kings is an eye opening expose that left me stunned at the violence and evil deeds of some of the most powerful men of the 1950s and 1960s in QLD.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fascinating and well-written account of the rise of police corruption in Queensland leading up to the Fitzgerald Inquiry. The story flows seamlessly from the 1940s to the 1980s against the backdrop of a changing society and Matthew Condon never descends into dry reportage. Full of colourful characters from petty thieves to corrupt politicians and crimes ranging from prostitution to murder, it's sometimes hard to believe it's all true. I'm looking forward to the sequel All Fall Down, due out later this year. (even though I already know how it ends!)

[Kylie Purdie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is obviously a meticulously researched book. I am not a native Queenslander and the Fitzgerald Inquiry is at the edge of my political awakening, but I do remember it. This book gives provides the background to why the Fitzgerald Inquiry was needed and why it was so explosive. The level of corruption within the Queensland Police force was astounding.
Having said that, at times the book was a bit dry - almost like a recitation of information with little colour or embellishment. I did finish it and can see me reading the next two in the series.

[Kerry]

Amazing read. Growing up in Tasmania it was accepted that the sun rose in the east and all Queensland cops were dirty. This is a great insight into the origins and development of the crooked culture that became so famous. Fascinating read and a good argument for the legalisation and control of so-called "victimless crimes" like prostitution. Very entertaining!

[Nez · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars
This is a fascinating tail about history and depths corruption in Qld.
I ended up skimming a lot due to the constant back and forth between characters, as it was confusing and some details boring.

[Denita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow - this book is full of so many mind blowing facts. It makes you think - who in authority can you trust? Look forward to reading the next book.

[Kirsty Leishman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book in a series on the history of judicial corruption in the state of Queensland, where I’ve lived most of my life. Drawing on extensive interviews with key figures, Matthew Condon builds a picture of the Queensland Police from the 1950s through to the early 1970s, identifying the social and political contexts that allowed extensive corruption to flourish.

The Queensland Police of the mid-twentieth century was a largely uneducated organisation, who managed law and order by protecting an agreed upon number of criminal enterprises—for a price. Attempts to modernise the service and eradicate corruption by a newly appointed commissioner, Ray Whitrod, were resisted by the Police Union who worked relentlessly—and, ultimately, successfully—to undermine his leadership. At the end of Three Crooked Kings, a new Queensland Premier, the National Party’s Joh Bjelke-Petersen, is in place to enable not only another two decades of corruption, but effectively establish a police state.

Three Crooked Kings is an extraordinary feat of journalism that reminded me, however cynical I get about the concentration of media ownership in Australia, within the Murdoch stronghold of The Courier Mail, individual journalists have upheld the role of the fourth estate, scrutinising the powerful and holding them to account. Reading through Condon’s acknowledgements reinforces the role of journalists in exposing the excesses of the police during the years covered.

I see that Condon has subsequently written a book, Little Fish are Sweet, on the experience of interviewing Terry Lewis, one of the eponymous kings. I’m keen to read that book eventually, mostly because there are points in the book where I admired Lewis. He independently educated himself, and his work at the Juvenile Aid Bureau focussed on prevention rather than criminal arrest statistics , which Whitrod prioritised. Perhaps this is the mark of a psychopath—to be utterly likeable on some level, while perpetrating heinous crimes on others. By Condon’s account, Lewis was very much liked by the police rank and file. I imagine it was a challenge for Condon to maintain objectivity throughout multiple interviews.

Overall, Three Crooked Kings is a valuable read for its insight into the conditions that gave rise to corruption and not just in Queensland. The New South Wales Police are thoroughly implicated in Queensland’s corruption throughout this history. The full story of Bjelke-Petersen is ahead in the subsequent volumes of this trilogy, but already the details of his extensive travel throughout remote and regional Queensland in the early years of his premiership provide an insight into his enduring popularity, even as he presided over endemic corruption.

[Arthur · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always wanted to learn more about Queensland's history of corrupt police and politicians. The Fitzgerald inquiry concluded about seven years before I moved to Queensland and it all seemed a long time ago back then. Now, I think that this is all quite recent and what a shocking level of corruption existed in the police force from the late nineteen forties onwards. The book constitutes the first part of a trilogy and its title refers to Terry Lewis (who later became Queensland's police commissioner), Tony Murphy, and Glen Patrick Hallahan. How they and others got away with their nefarious and outrageous deeds is described in great detail in the book and it makes for fascinating reading. I found the downfall of Frank Bischof, Queensland police commissioner for a number of years in the fifties and sixties, quite interesting: he succumbed to his own demons towards the end of his life. But unfortunately, a lot of damage was done along the way. For those that live in Brisbane it is especially interesting to learn more about its recent past and the story is full of detailed references to locations that may be familiar. I look forward to reading the remaining parts of the trilogy.

[Heather Slutzkin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ready for a non-fiction read I enjoyed this book, largely because I was a uni student in Brisbane during the time span of the book. It had of course the appeal of any book where the geography is familiar, although the events detailed had largely passed me by at the time. Apart from the Whiskey au go go bombing of course, which was impossible to remain unaware of. It was only when I moved to another State that I began to hear of the corruption in the police force of the time. A personal interest in one of the people involved in the scene kept me reading fortunately, since there were a lot of people to keep track of! It was an approachable style of writing, with the narrative delineated into shortish 'chunks'.

[Graeme Spurrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great History

I followed the Fitzgerald inquiry in the late 80's with enormous interest and amazement at the goings on in Queensland police and politics. The media in my state (Victoria) covered it very thoroughly and, like a tv serial, I couldn't wait for the next day of tv and print news coverage.
This book gives some historical context to the inquiry and is an eye opening and shocking account of the early days of corruption and other criminal activities of many who were later identified or ousted by Tony Fitzgerald.
I recommend this book - a really good history. Shocking at times, and easy to read and understand.
(I also bought the 2 sequels and I can't wait to read them.)

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a while to get into this book, but as I started to figure out who the main players were and spent a bit of time online looking at news articles and the 4 Corners programme that blew the decades of corruption in the Queensland police wide open, I really became engaged. You only find out at the end that the author had initially been approached by Sir Terence Lewis to 'tell the story', but as Sir Terence had been found guilty of corruption and gaoled, his repeated denials that any of the events related in this book had happened started to seem false. I hadn't realised the book was only the first and the story continues. I have the second book on order.

[Bruce Wadd · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a comprehensive account of a fascinating time in Queensland and New South Wales policing history! Condon writes chronologically from the 50s into the 70s, with great detail, amazing candor, pulling no punches when it comes to the truth. They say that hindsight brings great wisdom. This time it is more than wisdom, it is truth in context, and I found myself having more than one ‘ah ha’ moment where events now had context and reason. A worthwhile beginning that entices one to read the complete trilogy.

[Kathy Littlemore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Matthew Condon reveals a compelling account of corruption in the Queensland Police Force. What a tangled web it was. I lived in Queensland during part of this and had no clue to the extent of the dishonesty and injustice that prevailed. What an eye opener. At the very end, a police officer who owned a block of land next to my current property is mentioned. Still shaking my head...but a riveting story non the less.

[Marj Osborne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having lived in Brisbane for seven years from 1977 onwards, reading about the political machinations and corruption within the police force leading up to that time makes fascinating reading. The depth and breadth of Condon's research is astounding, including details of conversations and foreshadowing of events to come. Thoroughly enjoyable.

[Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an amazing story. It was hard to believe that this level of corruption and manipulation was present in any police force. And such detail and thorough research. It really was quite well written and suspenseful. Would have preferred the whole story to have been included, but I understand why there has to be another two sequels.