Campfires and Corpses - An Interview, Review, & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Nikki Weber to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Nikki writes the Maine Campground Mystery series. CAMPFIRES AND CORPSES is the first book in the series and was released

 

Kathy: In CAMPFIRES AND CORPSES Noelle Cooper returns to rural Maine to run her family’s campground. I admit I am not a fan of camping, only having gone a handful of times as a kid and then as a young adult. Did you grow up camping? Is it something you love?

NW: Ha! What a great question! I did grow up camping, but I’ve only slept on the ground in a tent a handful of times in my life. My parents purchased a tow-along camping trailer when I was five or six, and that is my preferred method of camping. I am not great at “roughing it”, but I do love the sense of community and camaraderie amongst campers. Also, there are always a lot of dogs around, which makes any day a good day. 


Kathy: Noelle stumbles upon the body of her high school rival. Did you have a rival in high school? Have you met as adults? Hopefully, if you did meet again you didn’t stumble over a body! 

NW: Oooh, another good question. I didn’t have a competitive rival, but there’s a guy that I really didn’t get along with in my larger friend group. Because of the group, we were always invited to the same events and in each other’s company. We’ve seen each other a couple of times in the twenty plus years since high school, and we just politely ignore one another. 


Kathy: Noelle gets help from her podcast-obsessed cousin. Are you a fan of podcasts? If so what type? 

NW: I am! I used to write a podcast recommendation and review blog called Podcast Maniac (that’s a little word play on “Maine”). The website is still live, but I don’t keep up with it these days. The podcast industry went quite “Hollywood” during the pandemic, and it’s difficult to keep up with all that’s out there these days. Some of my favorite podcasts are about books and reading (more on that in a minute), and I also enjoy a hilariously funny podcast on etiquette called Were You Raised By Wolves? 

Kathy: Noelle has an anxious rescue beagle. Why choose a beagle as her pet? Do you have pets of your own? 

NW: I had a beagle-mix growing up, and beagles are still my favorite breed. Noelle’s beagle, Corny, is actually the name I would give to a dog if I had one. The only thing I love more than dogs is traveling, and I don’t think it would be fair to any pet to be left behind so often.

Corny is actually based on many different beagles, specifically the ones who have been born and bred in research facilities. I’m a big fan of Beagle Freedom Project, a California-based organization that advocates for the release of research beagles and an end to animal testing. It’s important to me to draw attention to this practice and the wonderful work that Beagle Freedom Project does. 


Kathy: What first drew you to cozy mysteries? 

NW: I first heard about the cozy mystery genre on a podcast! When the host started talking about the small towns and quirky characters, it just felt comforting. And familiar. I immediately imagined a murder mystery in the campground that I’ve been going to all my life.

As I started to research the genre and read a variety of different cozies, I learned that I really like ones that are fast paced, so I aimed to do that with my own series. I also love witty or sassy characters in my books, and cozies always have a few of those! 


Kathy: Do you write in any other genres? 

NW: Not at this time, but I have had a very specific seed of a story in my head for YEARS. I imagine it would fall into literary fiction whenever I figure out how to develop it. I also love a good romcom, so I may try my hand at that some day. 


Kathy: Tell us about your series. 

NW: The Maine Campground Cozy Mystery series takes place in rural Maine, far away from the craggy coast and picturesque lighthouses. It has woodsy, small town, down-to-earth vibes. The books are told from the point of view of Noelle, a down on her luck event planner who has returned to her hometown for the first time in eighteen years. She reconnects with old friends and family, and meets a lot of new, eccentric characters. 


Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?

NW: There’s a side character named Tom Bosse who I really enjoy writing. Tom is the campground grump. He looks like he’s been living deep in the woods without a hairbrush or clean set of clothes. He has no sense of decorum and would prefer to be left alone. He definitely doesn’t think of himself as part of the “community,” and he would never consider doing a favor for anyone.

It’s fun to write a character who is so completely different from myself and the other fictional characters that I have created. Tom isn’t based on anyone I know, and he’s not representative of most Maine folks, but someone like him could definitely exist at our campground 


Kathy: Did you have a specific inspiration for your series? 

NW: As I mentioned above, the campground and small-town setting are heavily inspired by the real town my family camps at in Franklin County, Maine. But the characters are not. And that is on purpose. I didn’t want any of the real people in my life to think that characters were based on them. I think it is a slippery slope to have even one character closely based on a real person, because then everyone who reads the book is trying to guess who the other characters are based on.

I went out of my way to ensure that the Cooper family (who is at the center of the series) has a different family unit from my own personal family (different number of siblings, jobs, connections). I also tried to create roles for the characters that are unique and not connected to the real-life version of the campground. 

Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work? 

NW: Oh, that was not much of a decision. I’m not the kind of person who writes words in private. I have never journaled. When I wanted to express my thoughts and opinions about podcasts, I started a blog and I promoted it to get as many readers as possible. So, when I decided to write a cozy mystery series, it was always with the intention of publishing it for the masses. 


Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite? 

NW: Ann Patchett, Fredrik Backman, Julie Mulhern, Nikki Erlich (This took me all of 10 seconds to answer/type.) 


Kathy: What are you currently reading? 

NW: I’m listening to the audio of HOME OF THE AMERICAN CIRCUS by Allison Larkin. Her book THE PEOPLE WE KEEP is one of my favorite books of all time.

I’m also reading a big ol’ brick of a book (576 pages) called LOS NUEVE REINOS (The Nine Kingdoms) by Santiago Diaz. It’s a historical fiction book set in Spain that my husband read and told me I must read. The last time he recommended a giant historical fiction book to me (also in Spanish), I loved it, so I had to give this one a try. 


Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us? 

NW: I took up tennis about twelve years ago and I really enjoy it. I take lessons and practice more for myself, just for the love of the game. I’m also on year thirty of trying to become fluent in Spanish. I live in Spain for half the year, so it’s sort of an essential skill that shouldn’t be treated as simply an “interest,” but when you spend your days writing and crafting dialogue in English, it’s hard to change the chip in your mind to Spanish. 


Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry. 

NW: Medjool dates, hummus, peanut butter, and soymilk.


Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series? 

NW: The second book in the Maine Campground Cozy Mystery Series is coming out in June. It’s titled WHOOPIE PIES & ALIBIS and is available for preorder now at most stores. The third book, S’MORES & SUSPICION, is due out in October. If there are enough readers out there who like the first three books, I’ll write three more. And, yes, I definitely look forward to starting a new cozy mystery series in the future.

Kathy: What’s your favorite thing about being an author? 

NW: That all of the stories in my head actually get out, and other people get to read them! I have always had stories in my head, it’s just how my brain works. It’s not easy putting it all together the way readers expect it, but I enjoy the challenge. 


Kathy: Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. 

NW: Thank you very much for having me! I love talking about reading and writing. If your readers have any other questions for me, they can contact me via my website, http://www.nikkiweberbooks.com.

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Review

CAMPFIRES & CORPSES by Nikki Weber
The First Maine Campground Cozy Mystery 

 

Camping has never been Noelle's favorite thing, but after losing her job and apartment in Nashville and with her mother going into a clinical trial in Florida, the timing is right for her to return to her family's campground in rural Maine, if only to stay and run it for the summer. Her arrival isn't off to the best start. Instead of staying in the big house, Noelle learns she's spending the summer in a small camper. Then she breaks up a volatile argument on the beach between a metal detecting camper and an old high school rival, Delilah. Not only that, her ex-boyfriend happens to be the local game warden. Fortunately, her young cousin Mandy has the campground running like a well oiled machine. But as she takes her rescue dog for a walk the next morning, Corny pulls her towards the beach and the very dead body of Delilah. With a burn ban in place and a dead body on the beach Noelle still has to keep her campers happy. And when the state trooper in charge of the investigation sets his eyes on Noelle as the killer she and Mandy will have to discover the real guilty party.

 

I have never been one for camping, but I really like virtual camping and a campground makes the perfect setting. There are new characters coming and going and it's a small accessible site with people easily in each other's space and business. I also like the summertime vibe. I can hear the screen door slamming with kids coming in the tiny office to get ice cream and hear them shrieking with laughter. I like the fact that there are three different types of law enforcement featured: game warden, sheriff, and state trooper. Adding to that dynamic is the fact that the sheriff and trooper are half brothers. Noelle is an interesting protagonist. She's a bit prickly and often speaks before she thinks. I absolutely love the fact that she adopted a beagle formerly used in a research facility and kudos to the author for bringing attention to these poor souls. Corny is a sweet animal learning how to trust and simply be a dog.

 

I enjoyed the mystery; an unpopular victim, a variety of possible motives, lots of suspects, and suspicious behavior by most of them. People lie and not everyone can be trusted. There are lots of interesting personal dynamics as well. I had a feeling who the killer was before Noelle but enjoyed seeing all of the truths come out. An exciting confrontation will have your pulse racing as Noelle and the killer face off.

 

CAMPFIRES & CORPSES provides a good dose of summer fun and danger. You'll be hankering for a Popsicle or yearning for a campfire by the end of this delightful debut!

 

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 Campfires & Corpses: A Maine Campground Cozy Mystery by Nikki Weber

About Campfires & Corpses

Campfires & Corpses: A Maine Campground Cozy Mystery
Cozy Mystery/ Cozy Animal Mystery 1st in Series
Setting - Maine
Publisher: ‎ Independently published (February 24, 2025)
Paperback: ‎ 282 pages

When the campground becomes the scene of the crime, will Noelle's peaceful summer go up in flames?

Down on her luck event planner Noelle Cooper is returning to rural Maine to do the one thing she swore she would never do: run her family’s campground. But it’s only for the summer, and the timing couldn’t be better–she’s lost her job and has nowhere to live. She hopes that a change of scenery will be the thing she needs to regroup and reinvent herself.

But Noelle’s plans go up in smoke on her first morning back when she stumbles upon the body of her high school rival. She barely has time to process this before she comes face-to-face with her ex-boyfriend, meets the handsome county sheriff, and is questioned by an intimidating state trooper who gives her the creeps.

While she’s busy dealing with a group of pushy campers who insist that the murder means she must cancel the annual bonfire, Noelle becomes the prime suspect in the murder investigation. She’s convinced that someone is feeding false information to the police and is determined to clear her name.

With the help of her podcast-obsessed cousin, her anxious rescue beagle, and a few eccentric campers, Noelle compiles a list of other suspects and pokes around to uncover the real killer.

Can Noelle prove her innocence before getting tossed in jail? Or is she playing with fire? Read Campfires & Corpses now to find out.

*** This clean, contemporary cozy mystery is set in a small town with quirky characters and lovable dogs. Cozy mystery fans will enjoy dissecting the suspects’ alibis and following the clues along with Noelle and her gang. ***

Here's what you'll LOVE about this series!

These are just a few of the reasons you'll love Campfires & Corpses:

• The story is set in Maine
• During a summer heatwave
• There's a rescue beagle (and other great dog-themed references)
• It all takes place in a campground that's in a tiny town
• There's a fast-paced, page-turning ending

About Nikki Weber

Nikki Weber was born and raised in Maine, and spent her childhood summers camping with her family and their beagle. She loves to read, listen to podcasts, travel, and play tennis. Campfires & Corpses: A Maine Campground Cozy Mystery is her first book, and there are many more in the pipeline.

Author Links: 

Website: https://nikkiweberbooks.com/  

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