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Jacks and Jokers

The second instalment of the Three Crooked Kings series
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( 323 ratings, 41 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The gripping crime narrative Jacks and Jokers by Matthew Condon delves into the dark and intricate web of corruption intertwined with crime and law enforcement in Queensland, Australia, during the late 20th century. The book follows the adventures of Detective Sergeant Terry Lewis and his rise within the ranks, revealing a tale replete with deception, power struggles, and moral dilemmas. Condon meticulously unravels a real-life world where jacks and jokers play central roles in a larger than life crime saga.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

If you're fascinated by true crime and political intrigue, this gripping tale unveils the shadowy underbelly of 1970s and 1980s Queensland. You'll be captivated by the intricate web of corruption within the police force, making it a compelling read for anyone interested in real-life crime stories and the darker side of politics.

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The much-anticipated sequel to the bestselling Three Crooked Kings. Here we read about the shocking true story of Queensland and how a society was shaped by almost half a century of corruption. The story continues as Terry Lewis becomes police commissioner and the era of corruption at the highest levels of the police and government continues.

Jacks and Jokers is the gripping second instalment of the rise - and spectacular fall - of one man, an entire state and generations of corruption.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The message was powerfully clear. If you threatened the harmony of the Joke, you didn't last long.

Continuing on from the bestselling Three Crooked Kings, Jacks and Jokers opens in 1976. Terry Lewis, exiled in western Queensland, is soon to be controversially appointed Police Commissioner. As for the other two original Crooked Kings, Tony Murphy is set to ruthlessly take control of the workings of 'The Joke', while Glen Hallahan, retired from the force, begins to show a keen interest in the emerging illicit drug trade. Meanwhile, ex-cop and 'Bagman' Jack Herbert collects the payments and efficiently takes police graft to a whole new level.

The Joke heralds an era of hard drugs, illegal gambling and prostitution, and leaves in its wake a string of unsolved murders and a trail of dirty money. With the highest levels of police and government turning a blind eye, the careers of honest police officers and the lives of innocent civilians are threatened and often lost as corruption escalates out of control.

Revealing more incredible facts and previously untold stories, award-winning journalist and novelist Matthew Condon once again exposes the shocking behaviour outside the law by the law. Jacks and Jokers is the gripping second instalment of the rise—and spectacular fall—of one man, an entire state and generations of corruption.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780702249969

Publisher: University of Queensland Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 26 March 2014

Country: Australia

Imprint: University of Queensland Press

Edition: 2nd edition

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 32.0mm

Width: 151.0mm

Height: 227.0mm

Weight: 566g

Pages: 472

About the Author

Matthew Condon is the author of ten books of fiction, most recently The Trout Opera, and the non-fiction books Brisbane and Three Crooked Kings.

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  • Three Crooked Kings
    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...
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  • Little Fish Are Sweet
    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...
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  • All Fall Down
    The gripping finale to Three Crooked Kings and Jacks and Jokers brings to a close Matthew Condon's best-selling true-crime trilogy. In 1983, the soon-to-be-knighted Police Commissioner Terry Lewis continues to turn a blind eye to the operation of The Joke, a highly organised system of graft payments from illegal gambling, prostitution, and illicit drugs. As the tentacles of this fraudulent...
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    I keep coming back to the light of Brisbane. If you are born into it, this palette of gentle pinks and oranges at dawn and dusk, the blast white of midday in summer, the lemon luminescence of mid-morning and mid-afternoon, you keep it with you and measure all other light by it. If you live away from it, then step...
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  • The Night Dragon
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