Yahoo Lifestyle A 101 in Harlan Coben's back catalogue of Netflix shows
Harlan Coben's Netflix shows always have us glued to the sofa, and thanks to his five-year deal with the streaming service, it doesn't look like that's going to change any time soon.
Whether you've got a weekend spent on the sofa or want a thrilling series to watch each night, we've got just the ticket. Because what could be more appealing than settling down with an array of snacks and a Harlan Coben mystery? Even better, why don't you settle down for a binge-watch of them?
The American author has penned 33 novels which have reportedly sold 80 million copies and been translated into 43 languages. In 2018, he signed a multi-million-dollar five-year deal with Netflix to adapt 14 of his books into TV series, some of which have already come out. Here's your guide to Harlan Coben's Netflix shows, starting with the latest release, before looking at what's to come.
Upcoming Harlan Coben Netflix projects
On 22nd January 2024, Netflix revealed the next two Harlan Coben adaptations that would be coming to the streaming platform. Those include:
Missing You, 2025
Language: English
Book release: March 2016
Cast: Rosalind Eleazar, Jessica Plummer, Richard Armitage, Lenny Henry, Steve Pemberton, Paul Kaye, Samantha Spiro, Lisa Faulkner and Mary Malone
Number of episodes: Five
Episode length: 60 minutes
Filming for Missing You started in spring 2024 in Manchester. The novel follows detective Kat Donovan (played by Rosalind Eleazar from Slow Horses), whose fiancé Josh disappeared 11 years ago without a trace. Her whole world is turned upside down when she's scrolling through a dating app, and he appears, forcing her to unpack the mysteries (including her father's murder) from over a decade ago.
Run Away
Language: English
Book release: 2019
Cast: Currently unknown
Number of episodes: Currently unknown
Episode length: Currently unknown
The novel is set in New York, and follows Simon, who seemingly has a perfect family life. That is until his eldest daughter Paige runs away, gets addicted to drugs and has a dangerous boyfriend. Simon's quest to bring his daughter home takes him into a criminal underworld, while also revealing there are threatening issues much closer to home than he thinks.
Details about the production of Run Away are currently under wraps, and it's not known whether it will be set in the UK instead of New York.
Harlan Coben shows on Netflix in order
Fool Me Once, 1st January 2024
Language: English
Book release: 2015
Cast: Michelle Keegan, Richard Armitage, Joanna Lumley, Adeel Akhtar
Number of episodes: Eight
Episode length: 60 minutes
In February 2023, Netflix announced the next Harlan Coben project heading to the streaming service: Fool Me Once. The series was filmed in Manchester and follows Maya (Michelle Keegan), who is shocked to spot her husband Joe (Richard Armitage) - who she believed to be dead - in her house after installing a nanny-cam to watch over her daughter.
Detective Sergeant Sami Kierce (Adeel Akhar) is in charge of the homicide investigation into Joe's death, whilst also battling secrets of his own. Maya's niece and nephew are dealing with their own mother's murder, which occurred a few months earlier, and they're on the hunt for answers. Is there any chance the two cases are connected?
The new series will be released on 1st January 2024, perfect for cosy New Year's Day binge watching.
Hold Tight, released April 2022
Language: Polish
Book release: April 2008
Cast: Magdalena Boczarska, Leszek Lichota, Grzegorz Damiecki, Agata Labno
Number of episodes: Six
Episode length: 42 to 51 minutes
Filmed in Polish, the drama follows the story of a young man who goes missing soon after his friend dies, focusing on his family in the aftermath. With life in his tight-knit, affluent Warsaw suburb now uprooted, the lives of those around him slowly unravel, exposing a chain of secrets and lies. Majorly gripping stuff.
Stay Close, released December 2021
Language: English
Book release date: Based on Don't Let Go, 2012
Cast: Cush Jumbo, Richard Armitage, James Nesbitt, Sarah Parish, Eddie Izzard
Number of episodes: Eight
Episode length: 38 to 53 minutes
Three people living seemingly unconnected lives are all concealing deep secrets, that threaten to ruin the comfortable surroundings they've built for themselves.
Gone For Good, released August 2021
Language: French
Book release date: 2002
Cast: Finnegan Oldfield, Nicolas Duvauchelle, Guillaume Gouix, Garance Marillier, Nailia Harzoune
Number of episodes: Five
Episode length: 44 to 53 minutes
A man finds himself at the centre of a nightmarish mystery when his girlfriend vanishes, a decade after losing two loved ones.
The Innocent, released April 2021
Language: Spanish
Book release date: 2005
Cast: Mario Casas, Alexandra Jiménez, Aura Garrido, José Coronado, Martina Gusmá
Number of episodes: Eight
Episode length: 49 to 71 minutes
Nine years after being involved in the accidental killing of a man, Mateo (Casas) and his wife Olivia (Garrido) are torn apart by a surprise phone call that forces them to confront their demons.
The Woods, released June 2020
Language: Polish
Book release date: 2007
Cast: Grzegorz Damięcki, Agnieszka Grochowska, Hubert Miłkowski
Number of episodes: Six
Episode length: 46 to 54 minutes
When a body is found in Warsaw, a prosecutor hopes it might help to explain to his sister's disappearance 25 years earlier.
The Stranger, released January 2020
Language: English
Book release date: 2015
Cast: Richard Armitage, Shaun Dooley, Siobhan Finneran, Hannah John-Camen, Jennifer Saunders
Number of episodes: Eight
Episode length: 42 to 51 minutes
A mysterious woman in her 20s starts blackmailing strangers with their secrets, starting by telling Adam Price (Armitage) something that will have a devastating impact on his life. As more secrets emerge, a woman goes missing.
Safe, released May 2018
Language: English
Cast: Michael C. Hall, Amanda Abbington, Marc Warren, Audrey Fleurot, Hannah Arterton
Number of episodes: Eight
Episode length: 41 to 48 minutes
When 16-year-old Jenny goes missing, her widowed father Tom Delaney (Hall) frantically searches for her, and uncovers a disturbing web of lies in the process.
Potential Harlan Coben Netflix projects
There are a whole host of other Harlan Coben novels that could get the adaptation treatment at some stage. Those include:
Play Dead (1990)
Miracle Cure (1991)
Tell No One (2001)
Gone For Good (2002)
Just One Look (2009)
Caught (2010)
Six Years (2013)
The Boy from the Woods (2020)
Win (2021)
The Match (2022)
I Will Find You (released in 2023)
Just a few options, then.
Speaking about what appealed to him about a multi-deal with Netflix, Harlan Coben told Deadline it was all about the ability to adapt stories in a way that appealed to him. "If I was trying to do TV series 20 years ago, which I wasn’t, the episodes would have to be 40 minutes, start with a crime, end with a crime, 22-episode seasons, that would not fit what I do. Netflix does.
"[Gone For Good] is five episodes, The Innocent is eight, some episodes are 40 minutes, some are 50 minutes. For my kind of storytelling, streaming fits."
He continued, "they are also doing really interesting things with their marketing. They change up the poster you’re looking at on the platform, to get new people to watch it. I am a guy who wants people to watch my shows. That sounds obvious but a lot of writers pretend they don’t care, I do care. Netflix has a tremendous worldwide platform and that’s cool."
Stream on Netflix now.
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