Bone of Contention

By: Roberta Gellis

Narrated by: Nadia May

Magdalene la Batarde knows there is trouble brewing in Oxford, with King Stephen bringing together his great council, and her patron, William of Ypres, immediately summoning her. But she never expected it would involve murder.

As the accusations fly and the debate rages in Oxford, Magdalene teams up with her old friend, Sir Itchen of Bellamy, to clear up the mess that threatens to lead to a political scandal. Fortunately for Magdalene, she still has friends in Oxford, her former coworkers, the whores and barmaids of Oxford, who may be able to bring her news that will help her untangle a murder.

©2002 Roberta Gellis (P)2004 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"Once again, Gellis proves herself a master of the medieval historical in her third outing to feature whorehouse mistress Magdalene la Batarde....Meticulous attention to detail...and believable human characters...help put Gellis at the forefront of this popular mystery subgenre." (Publishers Weekly)
"With a commanding knowledge of medieval history and customs, Gellis infuses this ancient world with contemporary relevance." (Booklist)

Very Entertaining! Roberta Gellis is Brilliant!

I'm just sad because this is the 3rd, and last book of this series currently offered by Audible. The 4th book, "Chains of Folly" is out there, but we need it in here! And narrated by the amazing Nadia May, who brought together the various voices of so many characters, male and female, so brilliantly that I can still hear them in my head! Loved every minute. Contact Audible after you finish this one and ask for the next two! (The 5th is "Bishop to King, Check!")

mediocre story

I've enjoyed Roberta Gellis in the past but Bone of Contention is not her best. I was flat out bored for most of the reading, though Nadia May deserves credit for her attempted lively narration of a flat story.

A yearly reread!

Roberta Gellis has written four wonderful mysteries set in medieval London. They all revolve around a very unique whore house and the woman who runs it.

Magdalene La Batard, the owner of the whore house, is an educated lady. Once married to a jealous and abusive husband, she flees when he is murdered, fearing to be blamed. Alone in a world where women are nothing more than chattel, Magdalene is determined not to be hung for the murder, or at best, to be forced to marry another man. Instead she uses her body, beauty and brains to make her own fortune and to be her own mistress.

But this is not a novel about a whore house. It's about an intelligent and courageous woman who is respected by the men and women in her life. She is involved in the life of a medieval town, and she is also engaged with men of power during that period.

With the help of a wealthy and powerful protector, she establishes her business in a former convent adjacent to a priory, where her women cater to the wealthy men of the city. Her customers pay a high price for the unique and special services her house provides.


I love all 3 of the books as read by Nadia May. Unfortunately, the 4th book, Chains of Folly, is narrated by Susan Duerdan and she really ruins it. It isn't available on Kindle or in paperback yet, but you can find it at the public library.

Loved It!

Magdalene la Batarde, the lead character is quite a woman. The historical details and rich characterizations made this a pleasure to listen to.
Nadia May, as usual, does a great job giving individuality to the voices of various people. I'm a lover of historical mysteries and this series is one of the best.

Strongly recommended

An excellent book with a strong sense of time and place. The history and plot were so well intertwined that changing the time period would have invalidated the plot of the mystery. I always think that's a mark of good historical mysteries.
The characters are strong, interesting people whose attitudes seem consistent with what is known of their time period. The mystery plot is intricate and not too easily solved.
I thought the reader did an excellent job with good voice techniques and easy to listen to and understand speaking speed.
I hope Audible will offer more of this author's work.