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164 ratings | 103 reviews | avg rating:4.80

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William J. Cook

Goodreads Author

Born

in New Britain, Connecticut, The United States

Website

http://www.authorwilliamcook.com

Genre

Fiction, Suspense, Mystery

Member Since

March 2016

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William Cook is a Connecticut native transplanted to Oregon in 1989. He is a graduate of the State University of New York at Albany, where he received his Master's Degree in Social Work. He spent 37 years as a mental health therapist, and he is now enjoying his retirement with his artist wife.

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21 posts
William J. Cook's Blog

Yikes!

Dear friends,

My sincerest apologies! I haven't looked at Goodreads with any regularity in many months. To those of you who wrote reviews for my books, forgive me and thank you!

My news is that my new book, Persona, is the first one I've published traditionally. A small press called Next Chapter has picked it up. (Would you believe their main office is in Tokyo?) Anyway, I'm pretty excited about it. Read more of this blog post »

2 likes · Like • 2 comments • flag

Published on March 17, 2026 16:07

View all 21 posts »

Combine Editions
William J. Cook’s books

Average rating: 4.32 · 1,367 ratings · 235 reviews · 13 distinct works • Similar authors

	Seal of Secrets (The Driftwood Mysteries, #1) 4.09 avg rating — 463 ratings — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Woman in the Waves (The Driftwood Mysteries #3) 4.45 avg rating — 338 ratings — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Brothers of Blood 4.46 avg rating — 197 ratings — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Before Our House Fell into the Ocean: Stories of Love and Death 4.31 avg rating — 77 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Catch of the Day 4.62 avg rating — 65 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Pieta in Ordinary Time: And Other Stories 4.50 avg rating — 58 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	All the Bodies Do 4.43 avg rating — 47 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Eye of Newt (The Driftwood Mysteries #2) 4.22 avg rating — 49 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Persona it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 37 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Songs for the Journey Home 3.70 avg rating — 20 ratings — published 2014 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by William J. Cook…

Series by William J. Cook

Driftwood Mysteries (6 books)
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William J. Cook (Goodreads Author)

4.29 avg rating — 1,112 ratings

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William’s Recent Updates

William Cook rated a book it was amazing Dark Days, White Nights: A Short Novel and Shorter Fiction by L. Wade Powers	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
This collection of long and short fiction defies easy categorization. The title story is a novel/memoir of the author’s nine months in Petrozavodsk, Russia, as a Fulbright Fellow from the winter of 1999 to the summer of 2000. The photo essay that fol ...more
Sep 07, 2026 09:38AM · like · see review
William Cook rated a book it was amazing The Loud Silence by Justin Hatchett	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I first encountered author Hatchett on Facebook, where he frequently posts poems and line drawings that illuminate the screen with their intimate revelations. In this book, he examines grief, loss, loneliness, resilience, survival, hope, with an unfl ...more
Aug 16, 2026 12:52PM · like · see review
William Cook rated a book it was amazing Kwame Come Home: The Grief by Peter Okonkwo	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Author Peter Okonkwo calls his book a collection of narrative prose poetry. The story is told from several points of view, including Kwame’s mother, his brother, and Kwame himself. I was reminded of the Biblical Psalms when I started it, especially P ...more
Jul 25, 2026 12:52PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Kwame Come Home by Peter Okonkwo. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Kwame Come Home by Peter Okonkwo <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
William Cook rated a book it was amazing A Confluence of Strangers by Michael Strelow (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Can the story of a professional hitman who wants to retire be elevated to fine art? Author Strelow does just that with his novel, A Confluence of Strangers, a work that showcases his love of words, language, and literature. Enter the fragrant bakery ...more
Jul 07, 2026 02:54PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of A Confluence of Strangers by Michael Strelow. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — A Confluence of Strangers by Michael Strelow <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
William Cook is now following Cristin Pratt and Jonny
Apr 28, 2026 06:22AM
William Cook and 1 other person liked Ginger Bensman's review of Persona: "This one kept me turning pages! Persona is an unsettling, cleverly plotted psychological thriller. "
Apr 20, 2026 09:25AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Persona by William J. Cook. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Persona by William J. Cook <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
William Cook liked Jean N.'s review of Persona: "This book delivers exactly what a psychological thriller should: tension, mystery, and a strong central character. Carter Lane’s journey is both compelling and unsettling, and the story keeps you engaged from beginning to end. The twists feel natural" Read more of this review »
Apr 20, 2026 09:25AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Persona by William J. Cook. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Persona by William J. Cook <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
William Cook made a comment on Yikes! " Thanks so much, Michael. Wishing you well on your own writer's journey. Warm regards, Will ...more "
Mar 24, 2026 02:28PM · see blog post

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Quotes by William J. Cook (?)

“I imagined grief as a large black crow sitting on my shoulder like a captious shadow, watching everything I did, usually content to sit there quietly, but sometimes cawing judgment in my ear.”
― William J. Cook, Before Our House Fell into the Ocean: Stories of Love and Death

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