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Magdalene La Batarde #3
Bone of Contention
Magdalene la Batarde obeys William of Ypres, her great patron, as a vassal obeys his overlord-even though William would laugh if he knew how she felt. However, when King Stephen summons his barons to a great council in Oxford, William can smell the stink of treason-and he has enemies who might spread that stink over him. He needs a safe place to talk to friends and cajole enemies, so he summons Magdalene.
When Magdalene is called, she knows there must be trouble brewing in Oxford. Indeed, one of William's own men, Niall Arvagh of Murcot, has been accused of murder. Ordinarily, nobody would believe Niall capable of violence, even upon so gross a creature as Aimery St. Cyr. But St. Cyr claimed to be betrothed to the pretty heiress whom Niall sought for himself. Another rumor claims that Niall committed the act on the order of his master, William of Ypres, for political reasons.
While the debate rages in Oxford, Magdalene teams up with her old friend, Sir Itchen of Bellamy, to clear up the mess that threatens to create a political scandal. Though Bell is willing to investigate the case, can Magdalene trust him completely this time? Has Bell become so jealous of William that his sense of justice could be overwhelmed?
Fortunately for Magdalene, she still has friends in town. Her former coworkers, the whores and barmaids of Oxford, may be able to bring her the necessary information-and help her pick the strands of romance apart from the rope of treason, reweaving them into a net to entangle a murderer.
When Magdalene is called, she knows there must be trouble brewing in Oxford. Indeed, one of William's own men, Niall Arvagh of Murcot, has been accused of murder. Ordinarily, nobody would believe Niall capable of violence, even upon so gross a creature as Aimery St. Cyr. But St. Cyr claimed to be betrothed to the pretty heiress whom Niall sought for himself. Another rumor claims that Niall committed the act on the order of his master, William of Ypres, for political reasons.
While the debate rages in Oxford, Magdalene teams up with her old friend, Sir Itchen of Bellamy, to clear up the mess that threatens to create a political scandal. Though Bell is willing to investigate the case, can Magdalene trust him completely this time? Has Bell become so jealous of William that his sense of justice could be overwhelmed?
Fortunately for Magdalene, she still has friends in town. Her former coworkers, the whores and barmaids of Oxford, may be able to bring her the necessary information-and help her pick the strands of romance apart from the rope of treason, reweaving them into a net to entangle a murderer.
Audio CD
First published January 1, 2002
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About the author
Roberta Gellis
57 books183 followersRoberta Gellis has been one of the most successful writers of historical fiction of the last few decades, having published about 25 meticulously researched historical novels since 1964. She was married to her husband Charles for over 50 years and they lived together in Lafayette, Indiana with a lively Lakeland terrier called Taffy. She has one child called Mark.
Her page at the Internet Speculative Fiction DataBase
Her page at the Internet Speculative Fiction DataBase
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
January 21, 2011
As with the two previous books in this mystery series, I'm fascinated by the lead characters (an educated "whoremistress", the women who work for her, and the men in her life), I love the writing, and I love being immersed in 12th-century England for a while. But much of the time, I can't follow the political machinations involving church and crown that are usually involved in the murder at hand. As a result, I never do quite grasp how Magdalene figures out the solution to the mystery. Perhaps if I had any background knowledge of the history of that time I wouldn't feel so much at sea. Yet I keep listening to the series and enjoying the ride, even though I'm a little lost sometimes. The narrator of the audiobooks is wonderful, but I may read the next one instead of listening to it, to see if I have an easier time following the plot on paper.
August 6, 2019
Ancient history trumps current events
When my tolerance for today's ugly version of American politics fails me, I like to retreat into the terror of 12th century England or Scotland. Roberts Gellis' series featuring Magdalene la Batarde provides a glimpse into the life of an independent woman of the times. Magdalene has a benefactor, William of Ypres, who backs her, but she runs her own business.with no interference from male relatives. (She is a whoremistress.) Gellis uses actual historical events as a subplot to the solving of a murder. In this case a disagreeable soldier has been stabbed in the back. Several more high born people might be involved, and Magdalene tries to solve this murder, initially to help two young lovers, but politics make the situation more dangerous. I finished the book, raised my head and discovered 2019 is still awful, so I am diving right back into number 4 in the series.
When my tolerance for today's ugly version of American politics fails me, I like to retreat into the terror of 12th century England or Scotland. Roberts Gellis' series featuring Magdalene la Batarde provides a glimpse into the life of an independent woman of the times. Magdalene has a benefactor, William of Ypres, who backs her, but she runs her own business.with no interference from male relatives. (She is a whoremistress.) Gellis uses actual historical events as a subplot to the solving of a murder. In this case a disagreeable soldier has been stabbed in the back. Several more high born people might be involved, and Magdalene tries to solve this murder, initially to help two young lovers, but politics make the situation more dangerous. I finished the book, raised my head and discovered 2019 is still awful, so I am diving right back into number 4 in the series.
January 2, 2014
Magdalene's protector Lord William of Ypres summons her to Oxford to set up a secret meeting place during a King's Conference. Working out of a less classy whorehouse than her own, Magdalene and Sir Bellamy maneuver to get Lord William's man Sir Niall safely married to an heiress; then track down the killer of the man who tried to take Sir Niall's heiress by fraud. Meanwhile King Stephen is pulling off a fraud of his own. Lord William and Magdalene try desperately to nip a civil war in the bud. Magdalene is trying to keep William and Bellamy from battling over her.
In addition to the mystery, BONE OF CONTENTION is a very interesting ground-level view of important political events.
My favorite Historical Mystery read of 2013
In addition to the mystery, BONE OF CONTENTION is a very interesting ground-level view of important political events.
My favorite Historical Mystery read of 2013
Read
November 10, 2010Just picked this up because it's a mystery and I like history also. Very good story and interesting heroine who owns a whorehouse. Quite an education. Things were a bit different in the 12th century - the heroine rents her house from the church and it's located just behind the church. I guess "business is business" in that day and age. The historical details are fascinating.
August 12, 2010
more, more, more...
August 19, 2020
I thought this was a more coherent mystery than either of the first two and a better book than the second. The best feature: Magdalene goes to Oxford. There she meets interesting new people; lives in the much maligned "common stew" (though with her own fancy, private accommodations) and we, as readers need only hear about Ella every 30 or 50 pages. I definitely find Ella the most problematic character of the series, and the most annoying. Altogether I must say, I think I found this book the best of the set so far. Even more promising is that Magdalene is still firmly ensconced in Oxford at the end of the book.
December 25, 2018
My problem with this series is that it's so long between books that I forget what has happened previously as I start the next book. I'm glad the author included a historical note, or the plot would have made far less sense.
Bell and Magdalene's relationship is developing nice and slowly. I like that William of Ypres is becoming a slightly more developed character, but I missed the Old Priory women.
Bell and Magdalene's relationship is developing nice and slowly. I like that William of Ypres is becoming a slightly more developed character, but I missed the Old Priory women.
April 10, 2022
I recently discovered Roberta Gellis and this series of books. It is based in the middle ages and the principal characters are a whoremistress and the Archbishops Knight. Great premise to start a series of brilliant whodunnits which are filled with a great bunch of secondary characters who see murderers in medieval England. Madeleine and Bell are wonderfully drawn and by the end of the series one feels part of their lives. Really entertaining read, I recommend to all.
December 17, 2019
Unorthodox viewpoint for historical fiction - which makes it doubly entertaining. Fantastic characters.
July 2, 2018
Bone of Contention was an enjoyable audio production. I liked how the relationship between Magdalene and Bell developed. I liked William’s interactions with Magdalene. I’m curious as to what will happen next.
March 15, 2021
I like the characters and the premise was interesting but the story seemed to wander a bit before finally getting to the climax of the story.
August 22, 2021
Criminal justice during medieval times is definitely not tied up in a neat bow. More mystery and historical fiction than romance but also fantastically beautiful.
May 4, 2022
Please see review of first in series.
dnf
May 16, 2023There's only so much you can take of a character enduring the trial of having perfect beauty.
June 19, 2019
It was OK, but I found the mystery less interesting than the historical background.
July 30, 2019
Magdalene La Batarde is a successful whoremistress with a high class brothel in the Southwark of 1136. King Stephen, the grandson of William the Conqueror, is on the throne, but barely. Magdalene's patron, William of Ypres, summons her to Oxford, where Stephen's court is meeting. There are various strands of possible treason and rebellion rising, but impossible to trace.
As soon as she arrives, she is asked by a friend and former client to take a young noblewoman under her care. The girl, Loveday of Oxmore, is managing her estates after the death of her father and brother two years earlier. She is in love with Niall, a young knight, but is mysteriously accosted by Aimory St. Cyr, a loutish man of arms, who says he has the king's permission to marry her. Loveday's men drive St. Cyr away, but he promises to return.
A day or two later St. Cyr turns up dead in a stable yard, and Niall is charged with the crime. Magdalene and her lover, Knight Sir Bellamy , who works for William of Ypres, start trying to figure out who killed him.
This is an interesting book, especially if the reader has a fascination with 12th Century carryout. (It existed, but the buyers had to provide the containers.) Magdalene is constantly ordering out, since she is staying with a friend at a whorehouse, and there's no kitchen. However, Gellis defies the rule that the murderer has to be someone who has been introduced to the readers. There is a long list of political characters that Bell and Magdalene discuss ad in finitum. It was hard to keep everyone straight.
As soon as she arrives, she is asked by a friend and former client to take a young noblewoman under her care. The girl, Loveday of Oxmore, is managing her estates after the death of her father and brother two years earlier. She is in love with Niall, a young knight, but is mysteriously accosted by Aimory St. Cyr, a loutish man of arms, who says he has the king's permission to marry her. Loveday's men drive St. Cyr away, but he promises to return.
A day or two later St. Cyr turns up dead in a stable yard, and Niall is charged with the crime. Magdalene and her lover, Knight Sir Bellamy , who works for William of Ypres, start trying to figure out who killed him.
This is an interesting book, especially if the reader has a fascination with 12th Century carryout. (It existed, but the buyers had to provide the containers.) Magdalene is constantly ordering out, since she is staying with a friend at a whorehouse, and there's no kitchen. However, Gellis defies the rule that the murderer has to be someone who has been introduced to the readers. There is a long list of political characters that Bell and Magdalene discuss ad in finitum. It was hard to keep everyone straight.
October 21, 2015
In Bone of Contention Magdalene, her protector William of Ypres & her lover Sir Bellamy of Itchen end up in Oxford during a furiously political council of barons called by King Stephen in 1134. Barons & nobles great & small scheme against one another for Stephen's favor: the politics are thick in this book (and in 1134!).
I frankly got a little lost in the politics, even having a better-than-average background on the era, largely because the characters spend so much time speculating on this-or-that lord's possible motives for the murders that form the core of the story: once again, as in previous books, there's too much repetition of details already established.
The murder drags a bit, although there is some quite startling action. I'm getting a bit tired of Sir Bellamy's whininess around Magdalene but I'm also getting quite fond of William, something I don't think is intended.
Gellis again demonstrates her absolute mastery of the history of the era but I got tired of reading the order for every single meal. If you learn any aspect of behavior, type of clothing, or indeed political history from this book you can be assured that you are getting correct detail. She knows her era and for that alone I'd like the book; enjoying Magdalene's character is an added benefit but overall this book took a bit of effort to not skip to the end.
I frankly got a little lost in the politics, even having a better-than-average background on the era, largely because the characters spend so much time speculating on this-or-that lord's possible motives for the murders that form the core of the story: once again, as in previous books, there's too much repetition of details already established.
The murder drags a bit, although there is some quite startling action. I'm getting a bit tired of Sir Bellamy's whininess around Magdalene but I'm also getting quite fond of William, something I don't think is intended.
Gellis again demonstrates her absolute mastery of the history of the era but I got tired of reading the order for every single meal. If you learn any aspect of behavior, type of clothing, or indeed political history from this book you can be assured that you are getting correct detail. She knows her era and for that alone I'd like the book; enjoying Magdalene's character is an added benefit but overall this book took a bit of effort to not skip to the end.
December 22, 2021
Magdalene & Bell both head to Oxford for their own reasons. William of Ypres wants her there so he'll have a safe place to meet people & Bell is on church business. They get drawn into the problems of a young woman, Loveday of Ottmore, who is being forced into marriage with an unpleasant suitor. The suitor ends up dead. One of Ypres men is the prime suspect. Plus something odd is going on with the housing of certain lords' men.
September 4, 2011
I am really enjoying this series, and the characters keep getting more and more interesting. I appreciate the interweaving of historical events, although I thought some of the exposition was a little clumsier in this installment than in some of the others.
January 17, 2015
Excellent series from my favorite author!!! LOVE her Roselynde Chronicles and the Regency group (associated characters) are finely researched and she paints the colors wonderfully. I have read ALL of the books MULTIPLE times.
February 22, 2016
The power of a strong woman.
Every man needs a loyal sounding board, as every woman has need of r protector, complimenting their different but separate lives when their paths demand it.
Every man needs a loyal sounding board, as every woman has need of r protector, complimenting their different but separate lives when their paths demand it.
May 4, 2016
Amazing history lesson
The action never stops in this book. The explanations involving the politics and society of the times are fascinating. From forged betrothal papers to treason, its all here.
The action never stops in this book. The explanations involving the politics and society of the times are fascinating. From forged betrothal papers to treason, its all here.
March 10, 2009
I like this series, but this one starts getting a little dry. I like history, but do people REALLY talk that much about the government/monarchy ALL the time????
February 20, 2012
So many people with motives! I keep reading more for the relationship between Magdalene, Bel, and William.
January 8, 2015
The overall mystery is good. I would have given this a higher rating except the sex language and some of the content was unnecessary and rather disgusting.
May 10, 2016
I liked this series. I like a solid historical story, but not when the characters have "zippers".
November 15, 2016
3rd in a series of 4 books. Great history. Good story.
July 2, 2017
finished 2017-07-02
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews