What's the book about?
Was Glen Patrick Hallahan, who became famous as the ace detective who ‘solved’ the Sundown Murders and won the George Medal for bravery, a callous murderer who killed at least twice and sent an innocent man to the gallows?
The Most Dangerous Detective provides the evidence to help answer these questions but this is also a multi-layered story covering nearly 25 years of corruption in Australia’s Sunshine State of Queensland, together with murders most foul on the Northern Territory-South Australia border, courtroom drama in Adelaide, police protection of a sex empire in Sydney and a battle at the heart of the federal government to save the Narcotics Bureau.
Two state premiers, three judges, a leading lawyer and a crime reporter who rose to be an editor are shown to have made decisions or reached conclusions which aided and abetted the corruption.
The book calls for a posthumous pardon in one murder case and demonstrates why another murder case should be re-opened.
Holding the stage through this story of murders, organised crime, perjury, planted evidence, invented confessions, protection from on high, a major heroin importation, a bank robbery, political corruption, protection rackets and other appalling behaviour is the man who struck fear into even a federal political leader – Glen Patrick Hallahan, the most dangerous detective.
The devious and cunning political plotting could stand alone as a tale of intrigue as two crooked police officers are selected as commissioners, supposedly independent inquiries produce the results desired by government and the leading anti-corruption campaigner has his parliamentary career killed off.
With a foreword by former Queensland Premier Mike Ahern, this true and meticulously-researched story contains the key elements of a whodunnit and a thriller, with complex plots to disentangle, clues to analyse and false leads to keep readers guessing and the tension building.
The result of a quarter of a century’s research and interviews with political leaders, senior police and barristers, The Most Dangerous Detective also charts the awakening of Australians from the naïve innocence of the late 50s through to the cynicism of the 80s.
Did Hallahan execute Jack ‘Bingo’ Cooper who kept his eyes down when talking but kept his ears open and may have learned too much?
Did he murder his mistress, the brothel queen who had once lied at a Royal Commission in order to protect him and his colleagues?
Now, the second edition also takes you into the corridors of power in Canberra as one of the most senior public servants warns he is disturbed at the apparent connection between a Royal Commission of Inquiry into Drugs and corrupt Queensland Police. Prime Minister Fraser and his deputy are briefed that two of the most senior police in Queensland, together with Hallahan, are alleged to be organised crime bosses. Decisions taken at this time condemned Queensland to another seven years of corruption.
The second edition retains information from official statements and interviews from the Fitzgerald Inquiry into corruption which have since been locked away in the archives for between 65 and 100 years.
Meet memorable characters, such as:
· Shirley Brifman, who wore the cast-offs from 12 brothers and sisters growing up in country Queensland before becoming Sydney’s richest madame;
· Col Bennett, a 43-year-old bespectacled barrister who’s prepared to fight with his fists as well as with eloquence;
· John Milligan, a slightly effeminate former judge’s associate with the IQ of a genius who gets his kicks by becoming a criminal;
· Gunther Bahnemann, double Iron Cross winner and crocodile wrestler, who becomes a successful author from a prison cell; and
· John Shobbrook, a keen young Narcotics Bureau officer who builds his own surveillance van complete with roof-mounted video camera utilising sophisticated equipment such as bits of old vacuum cleaner.
The Most Dangerous Detective provides the evidence to help answer these questions but this is also a multi-layered story covering nearly 25 years of corruption in Australia’s Sunshine State of Queensland, together with murders most foul on the Northern Territory-South Australia border, courtroom drama in Adelaide, police protection of a sex empire in Sydney and a battle at the heart of the federal government to save the Narcotics Bureau.
Two state premiers, three judges, a leading lawyer and a crime reporter who rose to be an editor are shown to have made decisions or reached conclusions which aided and abetted the corruption.
The book calls for a posthumous pardon in one murder case and demonstrates why another murder case should be re-opened.
Holding the stage through this story of murders, organised crime, perjury, planted evidence, invented confessions, protection from on high, a major heroin importation, a bank robbery, political corruption, protection rackets and other appalling behaviour is the man who struck fear into even a federal political leader – Glen Patrick Hallahan, the most dangerous detective.
The devious and cunning political plotting could stand alone as a tale of intrigue as two crooked police officers are selected as commissioners, supposedly independent inquiries produce the results desired by government and the leading anti-corruption campaigner has his parliamentary career killed off.
With a foreword by former Queensland Premier Mike Ahern, this true and meticulously-researched story contains the key elements of a whodunnit and a thriller, with complex plots to disentangle, clues to analyse and false leads to keep readers guessing and the tension building.
The result of a quarter of a century’s research and interviews with political leaders, senior police and barristers, The Most Dangerous Detective also charts the awakening of Australians from the naïve innocence of the late 50s through to the cynicism of the 80s.
Did Hallahan execute Jack ‘Bingo’ Cooper who kept his eyes down when talking but kept his ears open and may have learned too much?
Did he murder his mistress, the brothel queen who had once lied at a Royal Commission in order to protect him and his colleagues?
Now, the second edition also takes you into the corridors of power in Canberra as one of the most senior public servants warns he is disturbed at the apparent connection between a Royal Commission of Inquiry into Drugs and corrupt Queensland Police. Prime Minister Fraser and his deputy are briefed that two of the most senior police in Queensland, together with Hallahan, are alleged to be organised crime bosses. Decisions taken at this time condemned Queensland to another seven years of corruption.
The second edition retains information from official statements and interviews from the Fitzgerald Inquiry into corruption which have since been locked away in the archives for between 65 and 100 years.
Meet memorable characters, such as:
· Shirley Brifman, who wore the cast-offs from 12 brothers and sisters growing up in country Queensland before becoming Sydney’s richest madame;
· Col Bennett, a 43-year-old bespectacled barrister who’s prepared to fight with his fists as well as with eloquence;
· John Milligan, a slightly effeminate former judge’s associate with the IQ of a genius who gets his kicks by becoming a criminal;
· Gunther Bahnemann, double Iron Cross winner and crocodile wrestler, who becomes a successful author from a prison cell; and
· John Shobbrook, a keen young Narcotics Bureau officer who builds his own surveillance van complete with roof-mounted video camera utilising sophisticated equipment such as bits of old vacuum cleaner.
