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Wits' End #2
Planet of the Grapes
Aliens, fairies and murder, oh, my!In small-town Doyle, California, UFO abductions are a budding tourist attraction. So, when Susan Witsend brings a UFO festival to town, she’s ready for some well-deserved time in the sun.What she gets instead is the corpse of a UFO conspiracy theorist, brained with a bottle of local wine.Susan may be the owner of a UFO-themed B&B, but she doesn’t wish on stars to get what she wants. She’s a woman with a planner. Plan A) Milk the UFO festival for all it’s worth. Plan B) Stop lusting after her best-friend-turned-security-consultant, Arsen Holiday. Plan C) Solve a murder.But murder isn’t the only thing threatening Susan’s best-laid plans. Beset by alien protestors, aging nudists, and hidden secrets at every turn, Susan’s nearing her wits’ end. And now Plan D is to stay on the good side of a grumpy local sheriff.Susan may not have a clue, but she knows she wants a certain security consultant at her side when this killer goes supernova.Planet of the Grapes is book 2 in the Wits’ End series of cozy mystery novels. If you like laugh-out-loud cozy mysteries, you’ll love Planet of the Grapes. Get cozy and start reading this quirky mystery today!
246 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 28, 2018
218 people are currently reading
179 people want to read
About the author
Kirsten Weiss
110 books1,302 followersKirsten Weiss writes laugh-out-loud, page-turning mysteries. Her heroines aren’t perfect, but they’re smart, they struggle, and they succeed. Kirsten writes in a house high on a hill in the Colorado woods and occasionally ventures out for wine and chocolate. Or for a visit to the local pie shop.
She is best known for her cozy and witch mystery novels. So if you like funny, action-packed mysteries with complicated heroines, just turn the page…
Kirsten sends out original short stories of mystery and magic to her mailing list. If you’d like to get them delivered straight to your inbox, make sure to sign up for her newsletter at kirstenweiss.com
Feel free to follow her on Twitter @KirstenWeiss or Bookbub, get in touch on Facebook, post a picture of this book to Instagram and tag her @kirstenweissauthor, or send her an email. She’ll answer you personally…which may be a good or a bad thing, depending on your perspective.
She is best known for her cozy and witch mystery novels. So if you like funny, action-packed mysteries with complicated heroines, just turn the page…
Kirsten sends out original short stories of mystery and magic to her mailing list. If you’d like to get them delivered straight to your inbox, make sure to sign up for her newsletter at kirstenweiss.com
Feel free to follow her on Twitter @KirstenWeiss or Bookbub, get in touch on Facebook, post a picture of this book to Instagram and tag her @kirstenweissauthor, or send her an email. She’ll answer you personally…which may be a good or a bad thing, depending on your perspective.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
July 5, 2020
These books are a fun diversion.
July 21, 2020
Same song, second verse: Still feeling unwell, I still needed something fluffier than the N.K. Jemisin geophysics I’ve been reading. This one was on the mark.
As in my previous At Wit’s End review, I thought there are rather a surplus of clothing descriptions. Many, many adjectives, which when bunched together like grapes are frequently separated by unnecessary commas. …her slim, gold watch … Usually if they’re in different descriptive classes (opinion-size-age-shape-colour-etc.) they don’t need separation, so this annoys my on-board editor. There isn’t as much dog in this second volume, and the paramour is not quite so persistently muscular, but instead he’s become more controlling and … dismissive. If he’s so rich, why is he always eating on her dime? Why doesn’t he ever take her somewhere nice? Not even a burger and fries lunch! He just drops in every day for breakfast, and if it’s dinner, he may barbecue but she’s the one who bought the groceries. And he lies. If I could give some advice to Susan, the protagonist, I’d tell her to steer clear of this dude – at least set some boundaries. Otherwise he’ll take her for everything – what little - she’s got.
For a small town, Doyle seems to have put on a fantastic UFO Con – I’d go, for sure. Lots of good speakers and panels, lots of displays, lots of sales material, food and music. Battles between fairy-fans and alien fans. Only one nude guy, though, despite the blurb’s plural. And a murderer. Fun. Oh, and I really liked the bit about cow-tipping being a myth: Cows are big animals. If you tried to shove one over, it would just look at you.
Engaging characters, a fun setting, a sufficiently complex storyline for my ailing attention span and some creative murders – attempted or realized – made this a fine summer diversion. Thank you, Ms. Weiss.
As in my previous At Wit’s End review, I thought there are rather a surplus of clothing descriptions. Many, many adjectives, which when bunched together like grapes are frequently separated by unnecessary commas. …her slim, gold watch … Usually if they’re in different descriptive classes (opinion-size-age-shape-colour-etc.) they don’t need separation, so this annoys my on-board editor. There isn’t as much dog in this second volume, and the paramour is not quite so persistently muscular, but instead he’s become more controlling and … dismissive. If he’s so rich, why is he always eating on her dime? Why doesn’t he ever take her somewhere nice? Not even a burger and fries lunch! He just drops in every day for breakfast, and if it’s dinner, he may barbecue but she’s the one who bought the groceries. And he lies. If I could give some advice to Susan, the protagonist, I’d tell her to steer clear of this dude – at least set some boundaries. Otherwise he’ll take her for everything – what little - she’s got.
For a small town, Doyle seems to have put on a fantastic UFO Con – I’d go, for sure. Lots of good speakers and panels, lots of displays, lots of sales material, food and music. Battles between fairy-fans and alien fans. Only one nude guy, though, despite the blurb’s plural. And a murderer. Fun. Oh, and I really liked the bit about cow-tipping being a myth: Cows are big animals. If you tried to shove one over, it would just look at you.
Engaging characters, a fun setting, a sufficiently complex storyline for my ailing attention span and some creative murders – attempted or realized – made this a fine summer diversion. Thank you, Ms. Weiss.
December 11, 2018
This book may be one of the most entertaining and amusing books Weiss has written! There's just so much absurdity but it's all related in a sort of affectionate, appreciative way that keeps it from being cynical. Truly delightful.
May 12, 2020
Susan Witsend has helped to bring a UFO convention to Doyle. Unfortunately, her plans for bring money and tourism to the city is not view with favor by all the locals. In fact, a confrontation in a coffee shop makes her aware of her totally displeased some of the residents are. Then an author is murdered in the sponsors tent on the first day - before the convention is even opened! Susan stumbles over the body. Her friend, Anson, is helping with security for the convention but is troubled by the fact that Susan feels responsible for the event and all that happens at it. After all, if she had not helped persuade the city of commerce, the event would not be there and the murder would not have happened (at least not there). She persists in the delusion that the sheriff is hinting for her assistance, so goes looking for clues and hints about the people there. She is also searching for the elusive writer that her grandmother greatly admired and wants to give him the UFO pamphlet her grandmother wrote that she herself updated. But it appears he is going incognito and not necessarily turning up for all his events.....Then she discovers what Anson really did when he ran away from home to join the circus........................
June 4, 2021
I liked this one. Lots of alien-freaks, two wacky murders, quite some attempts on Susan’s life, not much Dixie but tons of Arsen - me likey!
The case was not too obvious (though I’ve read better ones of this author) and the characters developed some more, as well as Susan’s relationship with Arsen. Some ‘secrets’ of his past come to light, throwing a break on things, so the biggest puzzle is perhaps rather what happens there than who the killer is - which is just fine with me.
Also, especially her oblivious interactions with the Sheriff were quite hilarious.
Two things though has me frowning a bit: these cases always follow the same scheme which isn’t exactly uncommon but seriously, she could shake it up a bit more, kill sometimes more or less than always having strictly two murders, the second happening in the middle of the book.
And sadly, in my ebook edition, there were quite a lot of mistakes, too many to not mention it. I mean, I’m not even native English speaking myself, still I cringed a few times ... A shame really and I hope, the next one is better edited again.
Because yeah, definitely reading on!
The case was not too obvious (though I’ve read better ones of this author) and the characters developed some more, as well as Susan’s relationship with Arsen. Some ‘secrets’ of his past come to light, throwing a break on things, so the biggest puzzle is perhaps rather what happens there than who the killer is - which is just fine with me.
Also, especially her oblivious interactions with the Sheriff were quite hilarious.
Two things though has me frowning a bit: these cases always follow the same scheme which isn’t exactly uncommon but seriously, she could shake it up a bit more, kill sometimes more or less than always having strictly two murders, the second happening in the middle of the book.
And sadly, in my ebook edition, there were quite a lot of mistakes, too many to not mention it. I mean, I’m not even native English speaking myself, still I cringed a few times ... A shame really and I hope, the next one is better edited again.
Because yeah, definitely reading on!
January 31, 2021
Kirsten Weiss is a favorite author of mine. I have some from all of her series on my Nook and I will read them all and everything else she wants to write. This is a fun series, though only two books so far.
Susan Witsend is the main character and runs her UFO themed B&B with her planner and her intestinal fortitude. She also has her hands full with helping with the UFO festival she helped bring to the town of Doyle. Craziness descends on the town as well as murder. Susan takes her self-appointed role as confidential informant to the town sheriff very seriously and proceeds to investigate. This is how naturally she falls into the search for information as an 'insider' with her VIP status at the festival.
I am still waiting for some more shoes to drop from her background. Hints keep popping up and they intrigue me. I really like Susan, even with her need for control of all situations.
This is an entertaining book and series.
I can definitely recommend this book, series and author.
Susan Witsend is the main character and runs her UFO themed B&B with her planner and her intestinal fortitude. She also has her hands full with helping with the UFO festival she helped bring to the town of Doyle. Craziness descends on the town as well as murder. Susan takes her self-appointed role as confidential informant to the town sheriff very seriously and proceeds to investigate. This is how naturally she falls into the search for information as an 'insider' with her VIP status at the festival.
I am still waiting for some more shoes to drop from her background. Hints keep popping up and they intrigue me. I really like Susan, even with her need for control of all situations.
This is an entertaining book and series.
I can definitely recommend this book, series and author.
September 20, 2018
What do you do when your best friend with whom you shared your childhood, grows up into a gorgeous hunk who you cannot help but lust after? Leap on him and tell you how you feel? Not when he seems to think of you as the childhood friend with a capital F who he cares for, cherishes and protects like his little sister. Then throw in all the weirdos in the world into a small town festival for UFO believers and non believers, a corpse or two and you have a fun, cozy mystery with laugh-out loud bits and enough suspects to keep any alien hunter bemused.
Thank you Kiersten Weiss for this ARC, thoroughly enjoyed, although many a time I have felt like giving both Arsen and Susan a good hard shove towards each other - go on, take a chance on love! This is my honest review.
Thank you Kiersten Weiss for this ARC, thoroughly enjoyed, although many a time I have felt like giving both Arsen and Susan a good hard shove towards each other - go on, take a chance on love! This is my honest review.
July 9, 2020
UFO festival in Doyle, what could go wrong?
This is an entertaining follow-up to book 1. Susan has been influential to bringing a UFO festival to Doyle. Naturally, things go awry at the festival and Susan feels compelled to help with the investigation. Her relationship with Arsen is growing. More is revealed about his background and there are more hints into why Susan calls Doyle home. I looking forward to book 3.
This is an entertaining follow-up to book 1. Susan has been influential to bringing a UFO festival to Doyle. Naturally, things go awry at the festival and Susan feels compelled to help with the investigation. Her relationship with Arsen is growing. More is revealed about his background and there are more hints into why Susan calls Doyle home. I looking forward to book 3.
April 6, 2022
a fun addition to the Doyle Cozy series
I really enjoy the Doyle cozies. The Wits' End are not my favorites. I find Susan a little too oblivious to be credible as even an amatuer detective, but I love the glimpses of other characters from Doyle in the book.
I really enjoy the Doyle cozies. The Wits' End are not my favorites. I find Susan a little too oblivious to be credible as even an amatuer detective, but I love the glimpses of other characters from Doyle in the book.
November 11, 2018
Wow! Loved it. Great follow up to the first book. Looking forward to more adventures with Susan!
May 8, 2020
Close Encounters of a Dangerous Kind
I was intrigued by tge first book. But I think this one has made me fall in love with Doyle.
I was intrigued by tge first book. But I think this one has made me fall in love with Doyle.
May 13, 2020
Another really fun cozy! Nice mystery, nice romance, fascinating characters, and fun premise!
May 19, 2020
Excellent!
July 1, 2020
Love to laugh and enjoy a who-done-it.
I really enjoy guessing who did it. Add to this a little romance, or not. I like knowing the main characters. Feels like friends.
I really enjoy guessing who did it. Add to this a little romance, or not. I like knowing the main characters. Feels like friends.
January 11, 2021
Book two
Kirsten Weiss truly knows how to weave a very interesting tale. I looked the little twists and turns that she added to make the story so much fun.
Kirsten Weiss truly knows how to weave a very interesting tale. I looked the little twists and turns that she added to make the story so much fun.
February 20, 2021
A convoluted plot!
Wow! SO many characters in this fast moving plots &'really interesting maneuvers!! Some of the characters are a tad weak!!
Wow! SO many characters in this fast moving plots &'really interesting maneuvers!! Some of the characters are a tad weak!!
March 25, 2023
****3.5****
May 25, 2025
3.5 stars, rounded up because the mystery was good
I've read and enjoyed two of this author's other series, but even after two books, I haven't made up my mind about this one. I understand that it's what the town relies on for tourist dollars, but some of the problem is the over-the-top UFO emphasis, even though I'm a firm believer in life on other planets. The bigger issue, though, is Susan (the MC) herself. She's away from her business more than she's there, she lets her cousin get away with way more than most employers would tolerate, she's quick to jump to conclusions, and she's too reliant on her planner.
The murder victim here was not a popular person, so nearly everyone Susan - and the police - talked to had a reason to want him dead. I kept changing my mind about the guilty party, but narrowed it down to just one person well before it was revealed in the book, although I hadn't quite worked out the motive.
I have left the next book in this series on my to-read shelf, but I won't be in a hurry to read it anytime soon.
I've read and enjoyed two of this author's other series, but even after two books, I haven't made up my mind about this one. I understand that it's what the town relies on for tourist dollars, but some of the problem is the over-the-top UFO emphasis, even though I'm a firm believer in life on other planets. The bigger issue, though, is Susan (the MC) herself. She's away from her business more than she's there, she lets her cousin get away with way more than most employers would tolerate, she's quick to jump to conclusions, and she's too reliant on her planner.
The murder victim here was not a popular person, so nearly everyone Susan - and the police - talked to had a reason to want him dead. I kept changing my mind about the guilty party, but narrowed it down to just one person well before it was revealed in the book, although I hadn't quite worked out the motive.
I have left the next book in this series on my to-read shelf, but I won't be in a hurry to read it anytime soon.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews