Try free for 30 days
-
A Bone of Contention
- The Third Matthew Bartholomew Chronicle
- Narrated by: David Thorpe
- Series: Matthew Bartholomew, Book 3
- Length: 16 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Mystery
Add to basket failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from Wish List failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Listen with a free trial
Buy Now for $29.96
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Buy it with
-
An Unholy Alliance
- The Second Chronicle of Matthew Bartholomew
- By: Susanna Gregory
- Narrated by: David Thorpe
- Length: 12 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1350 the people of Cambridge are struggling to overcome the effects of the Black Death - and with a high mortality rate among priests and monks, the townsfolk are vulnerable to sinister cults that have sprung up. At Michaelhouse, Matthew Bartholomew is training new physicians when the body of a friar is found in the massive chest that the university uses to store precious documents. While investigating, Bartholomew stumbles across a derelict church being used as a meeting place for the mysterious sect he believes is at the heart of a web of blackmail.
-
-
Hard to follow
- By jackie trenbath on 23-03-2020
-
A Deadly Brew
- The Fourth Matthew Bartholomew Chronicle
- By: Susanna Gregory
- Narrated by: David Thorpe
- Length: 16 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The fourth chronicle of Matthew Bartholomew continues the adventures of the 14th-century Cambridge physician when he is called to attend to two deaths from some poisoned wine. The opening of a new and very well-endowed college has created petty infighting amongst the academics as new appointments are made. The winter and spring have been appallingly wet, there is a fever outbreak amongst the poorer townspeople and the country is not yet fully recovered from the aftermath of the plague.
-
A Plague on Both Your Houses
- The First Chronicle of Matthew Bartholomew
- By: Susanna Gregory
- Narrated by: David Thorpe
- Length: 13 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Matthew Bartholomew, unorthodox but effective physician to Michaelhouse college in medieval Cambridge, is as worried as anyone about the pestilence that is ravaging Europe and seems to be approaching England. But he is distracted by the sudden and inexplicable death of the Master of Michaelhouse - a death the University authorities do not want investigated.
-
-
Slow start but ultimately worth the time
- By Anonymous User on 10-03-2022
-
A Wicked Deed
- The Fifth Matthew Bartholomew Chronicle
- By: Susanna Gregory
- Narrated by: David Thorpe
- Length: 17 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Matthew Bartholomew, doctor of medicine and fellow of Michaelhouse, Cambridge, is travelling with a party from the college to accept the gift of the living of a parish in Suffolk. One of his companions, Unwin, an unworldly scholar, is to be installed as priest. Their journey is not without incident - they are chased by footpads, pass through an eerie village abandoned after the recent plague and find a man barely alive on a gibbet - so they reach their destination with some relief. But their thoughts of recovering while enjoying the local Pentecostal Fair are soon curtailed.
-
A Masterly Murder
- The Sixth Chronicle of Matthew Bartholomew
- By: Susanna Gregory
- Narrated by: David Thorpe
- Length: 18 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Michaelhouse is in uproar: Kenyngham, the saintly but ageing master, has announced his retirement, and with unseemly haste Runham arranges his own 'election' as his successor. Within days he has dismissed several members of staff, including the redoubtable laundress Agatha, and is making life so unpleasant for the scholars that even Matthew Bartholomew believes his future as physician and teacher at the college is untenable.
-
A Summer of Discontent
- The Eighth Matthew Bartholomew Chronicle
- By: Susanna Gregory
- Narrated by: David Thorpe
- Length: 19 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Matthew Bartholomew jumps at the chance to travel to Ely with Brother Michael, as it will give him a unique opportunity to study in the richly stocked library of the Benedictine priory. Michael has been summoned to the city by his bishop, but it isn't until they arrive that they discover the reason - the bishop has been accused of murder. The charge seems ludicrous, but Michael takes the investigation seriously and energetically sets about his task. Almost immediately he discovers that there appears to have been a series of unexplained deaths in the area.
-
An Unholy Alliance
- The Second Chronicle of Matthew Bartholomew
- By: Susanna Gregory
- Narrated by: David Thorpe
- Length: 12 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1350 the people of Cambridge are struggling to overcome the effects of the Black Death - and with a high mortality rate among priests and monks, the townsfolk are vulnerable to sinister cults that have sprung up. At Michaelhouse, Matthew Bartholomew is training new physicians when the body of a friar is found in the massive chest that the university uses to store precious documents. While investigating, Bartholomew stumbles across a derelict church being used as a meeting place for the mysterious sect he believes is at the heart of a web of blackmail.
-
-
Hard to follow
- By jackie trenbath on 23-03-2020
-
A Deadly Brew
- The Fourth Matthew Bartholomew Chronicle
- By: Susanna Gregory
- Narrated by: David Thorpe
- Length: 16 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The fourth chronicle of Matthew Bartholomew continues the adventures of the 14th-century Cambridge physician when he is called to attend to two deaths from some poisoned wine. The opening of a new and very well-endowed college has created petty infighting amongst the academics as new appointments are made. The winter and spring have been appallingly wet, there is a fever outbreak amongst the poorer townspeople and the country is not yet fully recovered from the aftermath of the plague.
-
A Plague on Both Your Houses
- The First Chronicle of Matthew Bartholomew
- By: Susanna Gregory
- Narrated by: David Thorpe
- Length: 13 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Matthew Bartholomew, unorthodox but effective physician to Michaelhouse college in medieval Cambridge, is as worried as anyone about the pestilence that is ravaging Europe and seems to be approaching England. But he is distracted by the sudden and inexplicable death of the Master of Michaelhouse - a death the University authorities do not want investigated.
-
-
Slow start but ultimately worth the time
- By Anonymous User on 10-03-2022
-
A Wicked Deed
- The Fifth Matthew Bartholomew Chronicle
- By: Susanna Gregory
- Narrated by: David Thorpe
- Length: 17 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Matthew Bartholomew, doctor of medicine and fellow of Michaelhouse, Cambridge, is travelling with a party from the college to accept the gift of the living of a parish in Suffolk. One of his companions, Unwin, an unworldly scholar, is to be installed as priest. Their journey is not without incident - they are chased by footpads, pass through an eerie village abandoned after the recent plague and find a man barely alive on a gibbet - so they reach their destination with some relief. But their thoughts of recovering while enjoying the local Pentecostal Fair are soon curtailed.
-
A Masterly Murder
- The Sixth Chronicle of Matthew Bartholomew
- By: Susanna Gregory
- Narrated by: David Thorpe
- Length: 18 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Michaelhouse is in uproar: Kenyngham, the saintly but ageing master, has announced his retirement, and with unseemly haste Runham arranges his own 'election' as his successor. Within days he has dismissed several members of staff, including the redoubtable laundress Agatha, and is making life so unpleasant for the scholars that even Matthew Bartholomew believes his future as physician and teacher at the college is untenable.
-
A Summer of Discontent
- The Eighth Matthew Bartholomew Chronicle
- By: Susanna Gregory
- Narrated by: David Thorpe
- Length: 19 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Matthew Bartholomew jumps at the chance to travel to Ely with Brother Michael, as it will give him a unique opportunity to study in the richly stocked library of the Benedictine priory. Michael has been summoned to the city by his bishop, but it isn't until they arrive that they discover the reason - the bishop has been accused of murder. The charge seems ludicrous, but Michael takes the investigation seriously and energetically sets about his task. Almost immediately he discovers that there appears to have been a series of unexplained deaths in the area.
-
A Killer in Winter
- The Ninth Matthew Bartholomew Chronicle
- By: Susanna Gregory
- Narrated by: David Thorpe
- Length: 19 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Cambridge, 1354. Christmas approaches, and the town is gripped by the worst blizzards in living memory. As the physician Matthew Bartholomew struggles to help the poorer citizens cope with freezing temperatures, his colleagues prepare for the festivities. The weather has trapped many travellers in the town, including Matthew's erstwhile love, Philippa. She and her wealthy husband are invited to Michaelhouse for the main feast, and Matthew is horrified that he does not immediately recognise the overweight, sulky woman who once stole his heart.
-
-
Disappointing
- By K. on 29-04-2018
-
The Hand of Justice
- The Tenth Chronicle of Matthew Bartholomew
- By: Susanna Gregory
- Narrated by: David Thorpe
- Length: 19 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Cambridge, 1355, the colleges of the fledgling university are as much at odds with each other as they are with the ordinary townfolk. This tension has recently been heightened by the return of two well-born murderers after receiving the King's pardon, showing no remorse but ready to confront those who helped convict them. And in the midst of this Bartholomew the physician is called to the local mill to examine two corpses. It is almost a relief to be able to turn his back on the fractious town, but as always in Cambridge nothing is disconnected.
-
The Mark of a Murderer
- By: Susanna Gregory
- Narrated by: Andrew Wincott
- Length: 16 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
February 1355: Oxford explodes in one of the most serious riots of its history. Fearing for their lives, the scholars flee, and some choose the University at Cambridge as their temporary refuge. But they don't remain safe for long. Within hours of their arrival, the first of their number dies, followed quickly by a second. When Matthew Bartholomew begins to investigate the deaths, he uncovers evidence that the Oxford riot was not a case of random violence, but part of a carefully orchestrated plot.
-
-
Spoiled my Enjoyment
- By Mr Simon Lovell on 06-09-2020
-
To Kill or Cure
- The Thirteenth Chronicle of Matthew Bartholomew
- By: Susanna Gregory
- Narrated by: David Thorpe
- Length: 15 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Cambridge University is in dire financial straits: the town's landlords are demanding an extortionate rent rise for the students' hostels, and the plague years have left the colleges with scant resources. Tension between town and gown is at boiling point and soon explodes into violence and death. Into this maelstrom comes a charismatic physician whose healing methods owe more to magic than medicine, but his success threatens Matthew Bartholomew's professional reputation - and his life....
-
-
To Kill or Cure
- By lone on 10-07-2019
-
The Tarnished Chalice
- By: Susanna Gregory
- Narrated by: Andrew Wincott
- Length: 17 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It is not long before they learn that the friary in which they are staying is not the safe haven they imagine - one guest has already been murdered. It soon emerges that the dead man was holding the Hugh Chalice, a Lincoln relic with a curiously bloody history. Bartholomew and Michael are soon drawn into a web of murder, lies and suspicion in a city where neither knows who can be trusted.
-
Mystery in the Minster
- The Seventeenth Chronicle of Matthew Bartholomew
- By: Susanna Gregory
- Narrated by: David Thorpe
- Length: 13 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1358 the fledging college of Michaelhouse in Cambridge is in need of extra funds. A legacy from the Archbishop of York of a parish close to that city promises a welcome source of income. However, there has been another claim to its ownership, and it seems the only way to settle the dispute is for a deputation from Michaelhouse to travel north. Matthew Bartholomew is among the small party which arrives in the bustling city, where the increasing wealth of the merchants is unsettling the established order....
-
The Devil's Disciples
- The Fourteenth Chronicle of Matthew Bartholomew
- By: Susanna Gregory
- Narrated by: David Thorpe
- Length: 15 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Rumours of plague threaten Cambridge again, 10 years after the Black Death had almost laid waste to the town. Neither the church nor its priests had defended people from the disease, and now they turn elsewhere for protection, to pagan ritual and magical potions. It is a ripe atmosphere to be exploited by the mysterious 'Sorcerer', an anonymous magician whose increasing influence seems certain to oust both civil and church leaders from power.
-
The Killer of Pilgrims
- The Sixteenth Chronicle of Matthew Bartholomew
- By: Susanna Gregory
- Narrated by: David Thorpe
- Length: 14 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When a wealthy benefactor is found dead in Michaelhouse, Brother Michael and Matthew Bartholomew must find the culprit before the college is accused of foul play. At the same time, Cambridge is plagued by a mystery thief who is targeting rich pilgrims. Moreover, pranksters are at large in the university, staging a series of practical jokes that are growing increasingly dangerous and that are dividing scholars into bitterly opposed factions.
-
A Vein of Deceit
- The Fifteenth Chronicle of Matthew Bartholomew
- By: Susanna Gregory
- Narrated by: David Thorpe
- Length: 15 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There is something very amiss in the finances of Michaelhouse. Despite a new influx of well-heeled students, there is an acute lack of funds for the upkeep of the buildings, even for decent provisions. It is only when the brother in charge of the account books dies unexpectedly that some sort of explanation is revealed: he has been paying large amounts of money for goods the college itself has never received.
-
A Poisonous Plot
- The Twenty First Chronicle of Matthew Bartholomew
- By: Susanna Gregory
- Narrated by: David Thorpe
- Length: 13 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1358, over a century after its foundation in Cambridge, the college of Michael House is facing a serious shortfall of funds and competition from upstarts rivals such as Zachary Hostel. Their problems are made no easier by the hostility of the town's inhabitants, who favour the university moving away to the Fens. This simmering tension threatens to break into violence when a well-known tradesman is found dead in one of the colleges.
-
-
Disappointing
- By K. on 07-06-2018
-
The Sanctuary Murders
- The Twenty-Fourth Chronicle of Matthew Bartholomew
- By: Susanna Gregory
- Narrated by: David Thorpe
- Length: 13 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1360 Edward III issues a call to arms, as sporadic attacks by the French threaten to turn into a full-blown invasion. In Cambridge, fear of the enemy is magnified by the belief that foreign agents are lurking in the area. Tension runs ever higher as rumours and ignorance fan the flames of suspicion amid preparations for war. And then the first murder occurs - of a French scholar living in the town.
-
-
Too formulaic
- By Carol on 05-05-2022
-
The Chancellor's Secret
- The Twenty-Fifth Chronicle of Matthew Bartholomew
- By: Susanna Gregory
- Narrated by: David Thorpe
- Length: 14 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1360, the Great Bridge over the River Cam is close to collapse. To repair it will cost the town and the University dear, especially if its rotten wood is replaced by more durable stone. As arguments rage over raising the money other, equally heated, differences are coming to the boil over the election of a new chancellor. While the majority support Brother Michael for the post, at least one of his opponents aims to seize it by fair means or foul. Then the discovery of a body under the bridge and the disappearance of two scholars throws a more sinister shadow over both disputes.
Publisher's Summary
Cambridge in 1352 is rife with terrible clashes between the fledgling university and the townspeople. Matthew Bartholomew, physician and teacher at Michaelhouse College, is trying to keep the peace when a student is murdered and the town plunges into chaos. At the same time, a skeleton is discovered that is rumoured to belong to a local martyr, and Bartholomew has his hands full investigating both deaths while the rioting intensifies....
More from the same
What listeners say about A Bone of Contention
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Confucious
- 05-12-2021
Plenty of unexpected twists and turns. The narrator was great
I’d like to commend the narrator whose name is David Thorpe he is capable of doing so many different voices and accents that really lead life to the story. The book itself is fun to listen to and there are a lot of unexpected twists. Just when you suspect one thingThe characters discover something entirely different is true. This was my first Susanna Gregory’s books but I don’t plan on it being my last.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Mrs S
- 21-07-2017
Fantastic narration
Where does A Bone of Contention rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
I have previoulsy read these books and audio gives me an added pleasure
Who was your favorite character and why?
Matthew Bartholomew. He is the main character who explains the often convoluted story line very clearly.
Have you listened to any of David Thorpe’s other performances? How does this one compare?
Yes. David Thorpe is brilliant in bringing these medieval characters to life. His regional accents add humour and pathos to them. His narration is superb.
Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
It involved me intellectually and made me smile.
Any additional comments?
Highly recommend this series.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Boof
- 15-05-2017
Narrator spoils the characters
I know it's subjective but the way the narrator portrays the characters is far from the descriptions in the text. For example Brother Michael is described as having an appreciation of the ladies and to be able to hold his own in a fight but he is given a totally contrary voice.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Kindle Customer
- 27-06-2020
Continuing Appeal
This is my third Matthew Bartholomew novel listen. I am committed to continue the journey. It is so easy to slip into the world of these books. The first thing to say is that this is an easy enough listen, and the only cautions for prospective readers is that there is a wealth of characters and that some simple understanding of the University set-up at the time (colleges and hostels) would be useful. It is also worth the time to find a copy of the map included with the printed copy of the book online and print it so that you can orientate yourself. It would helpful if this was available from Audible. I am still getting used to the death counts in the first three novels and it will be interesting to see if this continues. I enjoy the depiction of the times in these novels and the core of characters. Of particular interest to me in this listen was the role of holy relics at the time and the divergent views of them. The references to food and drink also entertained me – see what you think of the stewed fish giblets. I also enjoyed the role of The King’s Ditch, only a tiny portion of which remains today and that within the walls of one of Cambridge’s older colleges. Matthew Bartholomew still presents as human and fallible and his companion (Michael) still provides frequent relief (much of it light) and challenge. The Epilogue to this book I found something wanting. That said it provided a thinking point as to how the next book in the series would present matters. A balding male, as I am, I was perhaps over-sensitive to the number of times that the author has Mathew Bartholomew running his hands/fingers through his hair. And the author’s preference for glower/glowered/glowering irritated again. The plot is busy and there are many twists (as you would expect) to keep the reader occupied and thinking – which a good. My last active listening session of this book was over six hours and this ought to give some idea as to the book’s appeal. The performance of the book I enjoyed though at odd times the narrative does not match the characterisation of a voice. The diction is clear and precise, which I always value.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Olivia
- 30-05-2017
Brilliant
This was my first listen to Susannah Gregory, and I'm pleased to note there are many more on audible. Brilliantly read, and a darned good yarn.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Janicef
- 05-06-2020
Good but not the best
I like to listen to audio books while working so I dont particularly want anything too heavy so this series suits me fine.
I started with book 1 (of course)and this is book 3 so not far into the series but Im getting to know the reoccurring characters and I like that, There is a small twist here in the the main character (the doctor) often comes over as the fool while the fat monk (a semi side kick) steals every scene (Thorpe's reading performance tends to highlight this which I think is good) .
The books are long (not a problem for me as I said I listen while working and the longer the better) and seem to always have more than one thread running through them ,One crime seems to have been solved and when I check the run time there is still some hours to run ,so I know there is another twist to come which stops the story becoming pedestrian .
The research into the period is very good,Im a bit of a history buff and the medieval period is my preferred era so I do notice mistakes ,some of which ,Im guessing, are there to fit the story. Some of the poorer people seem to be far to well of and suddenly embark on long trips with little reason and with no future which at this time (just after the black death) would be very unlikely if not impossible. The tension between the university and town is true to history but follows a bit of a predictable route in the three books ive read so far. Both the medical aspects and clerical ones surrounding the university are well put over and I like all of that (although the doctors success rate is unbelievably high LOL). The doctors relationships with the opposite sex are also a little different from the norm and the fat monk seems be more interested in what would be for him a "forbidden fruit".
The plots are complex and minor players mix in and out of the various threads which can make it a little confusing at times, But bottom line is ...I like them,and am about to start on the next instalment
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Jacqueline I.Foster
- 05-07-2022
one of an intriguing series
Good narrator. Plot with twists. Believable characters. Really sets the historical context . Very enjoyable.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Anonymous User
- 05-05-2022
excellent
I enjoyed listening to this book before bedtime. Highly recommended, wonderful characters and narrated well.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Nicola
- 01-04-2022
Great series
Living in Cambridge I love to follow the geography as well as enjoying the characters and plot lines.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- TEEPEE
- 05-02-2022
I want the narrator to go
I love these books but the narrator is killing them . I constantly want to push him along or take a breath for him.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Oldbird
- 31-01-2022
I enjoyed this story.
I'm getting used to the authors style now. it took a long time to find out that Bartholomew had dark eyes and black hair. Volume 3 or 4? Still it was a good exciting story and I like David Thorpe as a reader. I have heard him reading other authors. How he manages all those accents - it's amazing. Just one thing. Hereward the Wake. I thought it was pronounced Herra rather than Here? But then I'm no scholar. I'm ready for the next one now. Thank you.
16 Best Audiobooks by Aboriginal Authors
Across genres, there’s no shortage of brilliant titles from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writers of Australia.



16 Audiobooks Full of Life Hacks to Live By
Looking to improve yourself mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually? This is where to start.



14 Feel-Good Audiobooks to Brighten Up Your Day
The Audible library is packed with feel-good audiobooks that will lighten the soul and fill the heart with joy.


