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  • Penance on the Prairies: 1

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R.L. Syme
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Penance on the Prairies: 1 Paperback – 31 May 2021

by R.L. Syme (Author)
4.2 out of 5 stars (1,115)

One part Vicar of Dibley, one part amateur sleuth who loves pastries, set in the mountains of Montana where no one’s business is her own…

Between the police scanners, the coffee ladies, and the senior center, no secret is safe for long. But Vangie Vale wants nothing more than to stay under the radar...especially the police radar. So when her new business is linked to a murder investigation, nothing will stop the gossip mill from connecting her to the dead body.

Can't have that.

In order to clear her good name and keep her face off the front page, this part-time-baker-part-time-pastor becomes extra nosy...with a little side of breaking-and-entering. But when she comes face-to-face with the Sheriff, Vangie can't ignore the fact that one of her macarons was involved in a murder. She has to find the real murderer.

Penance on the Prairies is the first book in the Vangie Vale Mysteries--a western-set female sleuth mystery. It used to be called Vangie Vale and the Murdered Macaron. (This is the second edition.)
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  1. Book 1 of 6
    The Vangie Vale Mysteries
  2. Print length
    370 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    31 May 2021
  5. Dimensions
    12.7 x 2.36 x 20.32 cm
  6. ISBN-13
    979-8513074625
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B095WM8JMS
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ 31 May 2021
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 370 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8513074625
  • Item weight ‏ : ‎ 390 g
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 12.7 x 2.36 x 20.32 cm
  • Book 1 of 6 ‏ : ‎ The Vangie Vale Mysteries
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 out of 5 stars (1,115)

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
R.L. Syme

R.L. Syme

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R.L. Syme is a USA Today bestselling author of cozy mysteries that take place in Montana with a spunky amateur sleuth who owns a small bakery in a tourist town near a national park. R.L. was born and raised in the Last Best Place, Montana—the intersection of creativity, outdoor recreation, and contemporary rural living. She grew up reading Nancy Drew mysteries passed on by her grandmother. True to her Montana roots, RL’s heart will always be on the farm.

To keep up with the latest news, get free books, giveaways, and get in on the fun, sign up for her newsletter.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
1,115 global ratings

Top reviews from other countries

  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars new culinary cozy mystery that will definitely deliever!
    Reviewed in Canada on 21 August 2017
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Vangie Vale, pastor and owner of the Matchbaker bakery is a transplant to rural Montana. She has strict instructions to keep out of trouble if she wants to continue to be a member of the clergy. When a gorgeous man and his rude personal assistant walk in to her bakery a moment of unchristian like behaviour will alter many lives in town. After a body is found by the gas station in the neighbouring town the top suspect is that gorgeous man/movie star. But did he do it?

    Syme introduces a dynamic cast of individuals throughout this well written cozy mystery. These characters are all unique in voice and all add depth to the setting of this story. Throughout the entire novel I was left guessing just as much as Vangie was as the story unfolded. Syme paints an amazing picture not only in setting in character but through her storytelling. It takes a lot of skill to keep the momentum going in a cozy mystery, and this one moves well. She also left a lot of loose threads regarding the personal life of our protagonist Vangie Vale, and I am hooked! I will definitely continue to more books in this series as they are released.
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  • Deana
    5.0 out of 5 stars Macarons Can Be Deadly
    Reviewed in the United States on 6 August 2017
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I am so glad I got the chance to read this book. It is a refreshing book with wonderful characters that make the story so good. Vangie Vale is not your typical character in a cozy book. She is one complex woman in a small town in the beautiful setting of Montana. I have been to Montana before and it is easy to fall in love with the state. The landscape alone takes your breath away. The people are friendly and always helpful. It's the perfect place for Vangie to start over. She owns a bakery that has a quirky gimmick. I did have to laugh at how clever it was . Tourists couldn't resist stopping in at the bakery for fresh baked goods matched up especially for them. What I really liked about Angie was her other job as pastor of the small town. As you get further into the story, you will discover some background on her that will explain why she landed in Saint Agnes, Montana.

    Vangie has several goals in mind. She wants to help people and stay out of the limelight. Oh if only that could happen her life would be carefree. But it is not to be when a famous actor shows up in her bakery. I liked how Vangie wasn't that impressed about who he was which I'm sure must have hurt his ego. The mystery is subtle, and leaves behind secrets, blackmail and bodies. The best part of the entire book is that I couldn't figure out who the killer was. I had in my head who I thought it was, but with the twists the author delivers I quickly went to another suspect. The book is well written and I liked how the author touched on religion in a way that was not preachy. Along the way I found myself so engrossed in the book I forgot about everything going on around me.

    I loved the ending and how the author left us with questions as to where Vangie finds herself next. This is sure to be a series to follow and don't forgot to try the recipe at the end of the book. Thank you for a clean mystery that deals with forgiveness, redemption and family.

    I received a copy of this book from The Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours. The review is my own opinion.
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  • S. Watkins
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent and Superb
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 May 2023
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    This was an excellent and superb story, which was very well written. It had plenty of twists and turns, which kept you guessing right up until the end. It was unputdownable. It was good to get into the world of small town America. Several different strands of the story were woven together very well.
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  • Dawn Alexander
    4.0 out of 5 stars A Clean Cozy Mystery with an Intriguing Plot
    Reviewed in the United States on 3 July 2018
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Vangie Vale and the Murdered Macaron is a clean, cozy mystery that has kind of a Murder, She Wrote vibe. I mean that in the best possible way. I really enjoyed Vangie as a character. She is a pastor, but that doesn't make her unrelatable. She still lashes out in anger, makes mistakes, and has a physical attraction to men.

    Vangie has a great wit and hilarious inner dialogue that sometimes becomes outer dialogue which gets her into trouble. I feel that on a soul-mate level. I hate it when my filter fails.

    R.L. Syme's conversational style of writing feels like you're just snuggled in on a cold day, listening to her tell you how this all happened.

    I loved that most of Vangie's snooping isn't without consequence. She finds herself facing off with the sheriff, the church board, and the town gossips.

    She also has a cast of secondary characters that draw you into the small town of Saint Agnes. It starts to feel like a place you'd go visit a great aunt who'd sit on her floral print sofa and tell you stories about all the people she knew until you were both giggling.

    I would definitely recommend Vangie to my friends who like cozies. It is very clean. There is no foul language, very little violence, and references to sex, but they are extremely mild and not described in detail at all.

    What it does have is fun characters and an intriguing puzzle of a plot that keeps you (and Vangie) guessing.
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  • Nicole Laverdure
    5.0 out of 5 stars Escape into a cosy thrilling suspense that will keep you guessing until the very end!
    Reviewed in the United States on 21 July 2017
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Vangie Vale & the Murdered Macaron, written by talented author R.L. Syme, is so good I absolutely could not put it down! It's a refreshing and funny romantic new mystery series about a smart heroine with a job you've never seen before...matchbaker, also part time pastor and investigator. I loved this book because it’s set in a small town in Montana and watching Vangie deal with everything that gets thrown her way, was so much fun. She is a charming heroine always ready to help people, but sometimes... things happen that get her in trouble. Lovers of 'who dun it' of cosy mystery suspenses are in for a treat. The plot is suspenseful, fast-paced and filled with lots of clues and twists and turns, that grab your attention. I hope Ms. Syme's new culinary mystery series is a beautiful success!

    It tells the story of newly-arrived-in-town, Vangie Vale who wants nothing more than to stay under the police radar! Set in the small town of Saint Agnes, she the proud owner of a bakery that specializes in macarons, cookies, strudels, a job that helps her to relax. She is also a part-time pastor at a community church and part-time investigator, which keep her pretty much busy. Until, something happens when a customer buys some of macarons. Then the trouble began! Vangie can't help herself from trying to find clues to know what really happened. She will invest time and energy in a case that might indirectly involve her. What really happen?

    This book is all about lies, secrets and blackmail which make it a real page turner! I strongly recommend this new series The Matchbaker Mysteries. I can’t wait to read Vangie’s new adventure titled Vangie Vale and the Strangled Strudel.
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