Author
Rick Cochran
Cape Cod mysteries, Wellfleet memoirs, and a Civil War novel drawn from a family's own letters and diaries.
The Books
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About the Author
Rick Cochran grew up in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, on the Outer Cape, where his father was the principal of the local high school. A graduate of Tufts and Northeastern, he spent a career in education before turning to writing full-time.
He is the author of six books — two short-story memoir collections, Wellfleet Tales and Wellfleet Tales II: Confessions of a Wash-Ashore; the three-book Bound Brook Cape Cod Mystery series; and his most recent novel, True to His Country, a 2025 Civil War story based on the letters and diaries of his own great-grandparents.
His novel Death at Bound Brook Pier received a coveted Star Review from Kirkus Reviews and was selected as a Kirkus “Indie Book of the Month.” Rick has also contributed to Cape Cod Life magazine and the Barnstable Patriot, served on the board of the Cape Cod Writers Center, and is the creator of the popular Facebook group Wellfleet Tales, which shares old photographs and stories of the Outer Cape. He lives at Nantasket Beach in Hull, Massachusetts.
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The Books
Death at Bound Brook Pier
Rob and Rachel are finally reunited — until the mafia arrives, using the Cape Cod real-estate boom to launder its money. Ex-boxer Rocco Marini tries to atone for a life of crime in this Kirkus “Indie Book of the Month.”
True to His Country
A Civil War novel based on the real letters and diary of the author's great-grandparents. Charles, a Union veteran of the Tenth Connecticut, and Charlotte, an orphaned Irish immigrant, endure four years of war on the front and the home front alike.
Wellfleet Tales II: Confessions of a Wash-Ashore
A second collection of stories from Wellfleet — more of the people, places, and seasons of an Outer Cape childhood, from the author who knows the territory by heart.
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Reviews & Press
“Cochran evocatively captures the feeling of a bygone Cape Cod at season's end, and he fills his story with characters readers will want to cheer… A fast-paced and satisfying tale of the Mafia and murder on old Cape Cod.”— Kirkus Reviews, on Death at Bound Brook Pier (Starred Review)
“His deft blending of historical materials and first-person narrative makes for a personal, yet powerful approach… A well-crafted, incisive exploration of America's bloodiest conflict.”— Kirkus Reviews, on True to His Country
Full reviews and the author's Kirkus profile: Kirkus Reviews Goodreads Amazon Author Page
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Events & Interviews
2025
Rick Cochran presents True to His Country
New England Civil War Museum, Vernon, CT.
2025
An evening with the Wintonbury Historical Society
Bloomfield, CT — the home town of Charles and Charlotte Taylor, the real-life couple at the heart of True to His Country.
2025
Wellfleet Cultural District author event
Hometown reading and signing on the Outer Cape.
Video
“True to His Country” — author interview
A conversation about the letters, the diary, and the years of research behind the novel.
Video
Cape Cod Writers Center — Books and the World
Interview on Bound Brook Pond, second in the Cape Cod Mystery series.
2022
Author's Talk at the Wellfleet Historical Society
A homecoming evening of Wellfleet stories with the Historical Society and Museum.
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Articles & Writing
Beyond the books, Rick has been a regular contributor to Cape Cod Life magazine and the Barnstable Patriot, writing about Outer Cape history, characters, and the changing seasons of the region he grew up in.
He also runs the popular Facebook group Wellfleet Tales, where he and thousands of members share old and new photographs, family histories, and stories of the Outer Cape.
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Connect
For events, signings, interviews, or to ask a question about the books, the best ways to reach Rick are through his Kirkus Pro Connect page or the Wellfleet Tales Facebook community.