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Maine Campground Cozy Mystery #3
S'mores & Suspicions: A Maine Campground Cozy Mystery
She planned for gooey treats, not a sticky investigation.
Noelle Cooper is settling into life at her family’s campground in rural Maine. She has her own campsite, is rebuilding her career as a self-employed event planner, and is dating (sort of). Before the campground closes for the season, Noelle is planning one final bash: a s’mores-themed celebration with a contest for the best s’mores creation.
When Noelle is forced to let the detestable Trooper Thompson oversee event preparations, she’s certain that it’s the worst thing that could possibly happen—until a camper dies, and Noelle is the only one who thinks it’s suspicious.
With the loathsome state trooper lurking around, Noelle tries to keep her investigation on a low flame. But things start to get sticky when she realizes that solving the murder—and letting her nemesis take credit for it—might be the ticket to getting him out of her hair.
As Noelle races the clock to solve the murder and pull off the event, she’s unnerved by how many people she knows and trusts that end up on her suspect list.
Will Noelle get to the bottom of things before it’s too late, or is she about to get skewered?
*** 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. ***
Noelle Cooper is settling into life at her family’s campground in rural Maine. She has her own campsite, is rebuilding her career as a self-employed event planner, and is dating (sort of). Before the campground closes for the season, Noelle is planning one final bash: a s’mores-themed celebration with a contest for the best s’mores creation.
When Noelle is forced to let the detestable Trooper Thompson oversee event preparations, she’s certain that it’s the worst thing that could possibly happen—until a camper dies, and Noelle is the only one who thinks it’s suspicious.
With the loathsome state trooper lurking around, Noelle tries to keep her investigation on a low flame. But things start to get sticky when she realizes that solving the murder—and letting her nemesis take credit for it—might be the ticket to getting him out of her hair.
As Noelle races the clock to solve the murder and pull off the event, she’s unnerved by how many people she knows and trusts that end up on her suspect list.
Will Noelle get to the bottom of things before it’s too late, or is she about to get skewered?
*** 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. ***
- GenresCozy Mystery
229 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 7, 2025
5 people are currently reading
44 people want to read
About the author
Nikki Weber
6 books47 followersHi, I'm Nicole (aka Nikki). I grew up reading in unconventional spots: the backseat of a car, the top of the monkey bars on my backyard play set, the corners of the quietest hallways in my elementary school.
I don't read a lot of horror or poetry, and (after years of DNF'ing) I have a hard rule never to read books that have witches as characters. I read in pretty much any other genre, and I've even helped to edit a translated book in the military science fiction genre.
I'm originally from Maine in the USA, but I live in Madrid, Spain these days. Madrid is a city of readers, with bookstores and libraries on practically every block, and one of the biggest book fairs I have ever seen that takes place every May. As a cozy mystery author, I find it fun to spot cozies, both translated from English or written in Spanish, around the city.
I love dogs, nachos, coffee, and ice cream, and so far, I have worked three of those four things into the books in my Maine Campground Cozy Mystery series. I'm supposed to be working on the next book right now, so maybe I'll go write a scene in which the characters are eating nachos!
You can learn more about me, buy my books, or read my blog posts at: NikkiWeberBooks.com
I don't read a lot of horror or poetry, and (after years of DNF'ing) I have a hard rule never to read books that have witches as characters. I read in pretty much any other genre, and I've even helped to edit a translated book in the military science fiction genre.
I'm originally from Maine in the USA, but I live in Madrid, Spain these days. Madrid is a city of readers, with bookstores and libraries on practically every block, and one of the biggest book fairs I have ever seen that takes place every May. As a cozy mystery author, I find it fun to spot cozies, both translated from English or written in Spanish, around the city.
I love dogs, nachos, coffee, and ice cream, and so far, I have worked three of those four things into the books in my Maine Campground Cozy Mystery series. I'm supposed to be working on the next book right now, so maybe I'll go write a scene in which the characters are eating nachos!
You can learn more about me, buy my books, or read my blog posts at: NikkiWeberBooks.com
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 5, 2025
"S'mores & Suspicions (Maine Campground Cozy Mystery #3)" by Nikki Weber has Noelle fully in event planner mode for her family's campground. They've decided to keep the campground open through September to make a little extra money before shutting down for winter. To celebrate the fall season setting in they have Noelle planning and putting on a S'mores themed festival. There's a s'mores recipe contest (even a booze/drinks category), s'mores making and leaf piles for jumping.
A test run for the drink competitors has it boarding on house party level of drunk and noisy. Noelle ends up breaking up the party and discovers one of the party had passed away. Was it due to a medication accident or was it intentional? Unfortunately, before Noelle can convince anyone to help her look into it there is a second unusual death.
The detective on the case actually works with Noelle a bit. Helps it would benefit him if she can help solve things quickly. He's up for a big promotion. Noelle is all for this and is willing to let him look good so he's out of her hair. Together they work out what really happened i both deaths. Though, more of it was Noelle.
A test run for the drink competitors has it boarding on house party level of drunk and noisy. Noelle ends up breaking up the party and discovers one of the party had passed away. Was it due to a medication accident or was it intentional? Unfortunately, before Noelle can convince anyone to help her look into it there is a second unusual death.
The detective on the case actually works with Noelle a bit. Helps it would benefit him if she can help solve things quickly. He's up for a big promotion. Noelle is all for this and is willing to let him look good so he's out of her hair. Together they work out what really happened i both deaths. Though, more of it was Noelle.
October 22, 2025
This is the latest book in the Maine Campground Cozy Mystery series. Each book can be a standalone, but I’m glad I read them in order. They are such fun and always have a twist at the end that makes you say, “I didn’t see that coming!” I had some issues with this one, however. There were a number of misspelled words and sentences that were a bit off. But I still enjoyed it and am anxiously waiting for the next book in the series.
October 11, 2025
S’mores & Suspicions is the third cozy mystery in the Maine Campground Cozy Mystery series. It’s almost time for the S’mores themed festival at the campground, but when a dead body or two appears, Noelle must investigate to keep everything on track. Unwilling to let her festival plans get messed up by the investigation, she’s determined to solve the case in time to still host the event. It may take every second she’s got, but Noelle is going to get to the bottom of it, hopefully before it’s too late.
This is a solid start to a cozy mystery series and I enjoy each new book in the series more than the last. This series is doing a great job of building off of each other and I’ve enjoyed getting to really know some of the characters and the town. The mystery pulled me in from the beginning and let me interested as the story twisted and turned. I liked this fall themed cozy mystery and thought it was a fun ride. I look forward to what comes next for Noelle and company.
This is a solid start to a cozy mystery series and I enjoy each new book in the series more than the last. This series is doing a great job of building off of each other and I’ve enjoyed getting to really know some of the characters and the town. The mystery pulled me in from the beginning and let me interested as the story twisted and turned. I liked this fall themed cozy mystery and thought it was a fun ride. I look forward to what comes next for Noelle and company.
January 14, 2026
S’mores & Suspicions is an entertaining third installment in the really fun Maine Campground Mysteries, and I once again enjoyed spending time on the pages with protagonist Noelle Cooper. I also want s’mores, but that’s neither here nor there as far as this review is concerned. (Seriously, though, really need to find some after hearing about the campground’s big s’mores event that Noelle is putting together all through the book.)
Author Nikki Weber knows how to craft a mystery that keeps me on the edge of my seat, biting my nails, and trying not to act as surprised as I just was by an unexpected twist. In S’mores & Suspicions, I started out stunned by the first victim and I ended the book stunned by the identity of the culprit. It’s not easy to surprise me in a cozy mystery, because I cut my teeth on shows like Murder, She Wrote and have read untold numbers of books in this genre as well. They all follow a certain template, so to speak, but Weber excels at staying within the ‘comfort’ parameters without staying predictable. I loved being caught off guard again – just like I was in book one (I still need to read book two) – though in hindsight I should have picked up on one of the cleverly-embedded clues. But in my defense I was also caught up in the various dramas that pop up in the campground owned by Noelle’s family and trying to sort out which were relevant (if any) to the investigation and which weren’t.
I truly enjoy Noelle’s character and her dog Corny, as well as the relationships she’s formed at the campground, the swoony sheriff, and her family and longtime friends. It makes reading each book in the series such an engaging experience, and in S’mores & Suspicions I also became more invested in the relationship between Noelle and her antagonist, Trooper Thompson (who also happens to be the brother of her almost-beau – the aforementioned swoony sheriff). No specifics, but they seem to be thawing toward one another a bit and … I don’t know… I maaaaaaay have picked up on some very slight attraction vibes coming from the Trooper. Or it could just be my KissingBooks-loving heart. We’ll see, assuming he’s in book four. (And I hope he is! And I kinda hope I’m right because that would certainly cause some interesting dynamics haha!)
Bottom Line: For readers who relish a clever puzzle even more than gooey-chocolatey campground snacks, S’mores & Suspicions delivers a satisfying whodunit full of twisty turns… and enough mention of those melty treats to make you go hunting for the nearest bonfire. Talented author Nikki Weber excels at skillful misdirection and stunning surprises, and the mysteries in this one outsmarted me to my delight. Noelle continues to be the kind of amateur sleuth (and heroine) you can’t help rooting for, and she has a great team of co-sleuths that are also quite likable, including her faithful canine companion Corny (and his elite sniffer), her ex Emmitt, her bestie Poppy, and her cousin Mandy. There’s a fun secondary blend of wit and romance and character growth that all enhance the story without dominating it, and I stayed invested from the first scene to the last. Already looking forward to book 4 of this charming cozy mystery series!
(I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book which I purchased for my own collection.)
first reviewed at Reading Is My SuperPower
Author Nikki Weber knows how to craft a mystery that keeps me on the edge of my seat, biting my nails, and trying not to act as surprised as I just was by an unexpected twist. In S’mores & Suspicions, I started out stunned by the first victim and I ended the book stunned by the identity of the culprit. It’s not easy to surprise me in a cozy mystery, because I cut my teeth on shows like Murder, She Wrote and have read untold numbers of books in this genre as well. They all follow a certain template, so to speak, but Weber excels at staying within the ‘comfort’ parameters without staying predictable. I loved being caught off guard again – just like I was in book one (I still need to read book two) – though in hindsight I should have picked up on one of the cleverly-embedded clues. But in my defense I was also caught up in the various dramas that pop up in the campground owned by Noelle’s family and trying to sort out which were relevant (if any) to the investigation and which weren’t.
I truly enjoy Noelle’s character and her dog Corny, as well as the relationships she’s formed at the campground, the swoony sheriff, and her family and longtime friends. It makes reading each book in the series such an engaging experience, and in S’mores & Suspicions I also became more invested in the relationship between Noelle and her antagonist, Trooper Thompson (who also happens to be the brother of her almost-beau – the aforementioned swoony sheriff). No specifics, but they seem to be thawing toward one another a bit and … I don’t know… I maaaaaaay have picked up on some very slight attraction vibes coming from the Trooper. Or it could just be my KissingBooks-loving heart. We’ll see, assuming he’s in book four. (And I hope he is! And I kinda hope I’m right because that would certainly cause some interesting dynamics haha!)
Bottom Line: For readers who relish a clever puzzle even more than gooey-chocolatey campground snacks, S’mores & Suspicions delivers a satisfying whodunit full of twisty turns… and enough mention of those melty treats to make you go hunting for the nearest bonfire. Talented author Nikki Weber excels at skillful misdirection and stunning surprises, and the mysteries in this one outsmarted me to my delight. Noelle continues to be the kind of amateur sleuth (and heroine) you can’t help rooting for, and she has a great team of co-sleuths that are also quite likable, including her faithful canine companion Corny (and his elite sniffer), her ex Emmitt, her bestie Poppy, and her cousin Mandy. There’s a fun secondary blend of wit and romance and character growth that all enhance the story without dominating it, and I stayed invested from the first scene to the last. Already looking forward to book 4 of this charming cozy mystery series!
(I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book which I purchased for my own collection.)
first reviewed at Reading Is My SuperPower
September 30, 2025
Noelle is planning a huge S’more themed event at the campground before the place closes for the winter. Everyone is so excited and are coming up with s’more everything ideas. During a pre-event taste testing, someone dies. So many suspects and so many reasons why. Great to see all the regulars back. Emmitt and Zoey have a sweet growing relationship. Zoey and Trooper Wiley are great additions and hope to see more of them. Noelle and the sheriff have a slow growing relationship as well. Can Noelle help his brother, Thompson, get a big promotion and move away? She sure hopes so and works hard to solve the mystery. Another fun story. Can’t wait for this group’s next adventure. A huge Christmas event maybe??
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October 23, 2025** Update October 2025 --S'mores & Suspicions is out in the world NOW! Grab your copy in ebook or paperback format and start reading today! I thoroughly enjoyed writing this book, and I'm proud of the story. I hope you will love it!
** Update September 28 -- The manuscript is final and uploaded, and paperback copies are now available for sale via my website, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.org! If you're an e-book reader, you still have a week to preorder the e-book. I'm really thrilled with how this story took shape, and I hope that readers will be, too! **
Just a few weeks before S'mores & Suspicions is available everywhere! I'm working on some final ebook edits by re-reading the entire story on my own e-reader. So far, I've found three spacing issues that don't show up in any other format, so I'm glad that I've made time for this task!
I can't wait for you all to read the third installment in the Maine Campground Cozy Mystery series. I really enjoyed playing with smells in this book. It wasn't intentional, but once I noticed that I had done it a few times, I made a point to include more of what the food, air, and people smelled like.
I hope you'll be surprised by some of the subplots in the story, and how it all turns out. As with most cozy mystery series, each book shows the progression of the character's lives just a little more, and I enjoy that!
** Update September 28 -- The manuscript is final and uploaded, and paperback copies are now available for sale via my website, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.org! If you're an e-book reader, you still have a week to preorder the e-book. I'm really thrilled with how this story took shape, and I hope that readers will be, too! **
Just a few weeks before S'mores & Suspicions is available everywhere! I'm working on some final ebook edits by re-reading the entire story on my own e-reader. So far, I've found three spacing issues that don't show up in any other format, so I'm glad that I've made time for this task!
I can't wait for you all to read the third installment in the Maine Campground Cozy Mystery series. I really enjoyed playing with smells in this book. It wasn't intentional, but once I noticed that I had done it a few times, I made a point to include more of what the food, air, and people smelled like.
I hope you'll be surprised by some of the subplots in the story, and how it all turns out. As with most cozy mystery series, each book shows the progression of the character's lives just a little more, and I enjoy that!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews