What is Harlan Coben’s best TV series? We’re sure the answer to that is quite subjective, and there is plenty to take into account when pitting them against each other.
Each show has signature fingerprints that have become synonymous with the award-winning novelist’s style. A missing person. Mysterious and unexplainable circumstances. And secrets, lots of secrets.
But whether it’s down to the star power of its cast, a particularly mind-blowing reveal, or critical acclaim, there is sure to be one Harlan Coben series that stands out to you.
Related: Best thrillers on Netflix
The success of Fool Me Once is probably the freshest in all of our minds. The Michelle Keegan-fronted hit stormed straight into the streaming charts after its perfectly timed New Year’s Day release this year, and has since broken into the list of Netflix’s most-watched series of all time (a hard nut to crack).
But did you know that Netflix (other streaming platforms are available, but they have radically fewer Harlan Coben options) is a treasure trove of Harlan Coben adaptations, with its dedicated collection boasting no fewer than eight shows?
And, as it happens, one of them is sitting pretty with an impressive 100% Rotten Tomatoes score – plot twist: It’s not Fool Me Once.
Here are all the Harlan Coben series currently on Netflix, with the best saved until last.
Gone for Good
First released in 2021, this French-language thriller sees a man plunged into the centre of a mystery when his girlfriend suddenly vanishes.
The man in question has already experienced an intense tragedy, and over the course of its five episodes, he starts to uncover more in a series of twists and turns.
Hold Tight
This Polish thriller follows another missing person – only this time, it’s a distressed mother who’s on the hunt for her teenage son.
To add to the suspense, his disappearance closely followed the death of one of his friends.
Safe
Tom (Dexter‘s Michael C Hall), a wealthy surgeon, is struggling to raise his two daughters alone following his wife’s death. This especially ramps up when Tom’s oldest daughter Jenny, along with her boyfriend, goes missing after a party.
Conveniently, Tom is now dating a police detective, who he leans on to help locate them. But as part of his own investigation, Tom starts to uncover all manner of secrets.
The Woods
Four teenagers – you guessed it – disappear during a summer camp in The Woods.
Set across two different timelines, the fast-forward events see a Warsaw prosecutor called in after a body is discovered. But will this finding shed any new light on the events of that summer camp?
The Stranger
Often credited as Harlan Coben’s first breakout hit for Netflix, The Stranger was released in January 2020. Its all-star cast boasted Richard Armitage (who has since become a Harlan Coben staple), Happy Valley‘s Siobhan Finneran, Buffy’s Anthony Head and Absolutely Fabulous legend Jennifer Saunders.
When a mysterious stranger wearing a baseball cap approaches a man to tell him a secret, everything turns upside down for him. His wife goes missing as a result of what he’s been told, but what does this stranger actually have to do with it all?
Stay Close
Powerhouses Cush Jumbo and James Nesbitt lead the ensemble this time, with Eddie Izzard, Richard Armitage and Sarah Parish also starring.
A suburban mum-of-three, a photographer and a detective still haunted by a cold case find themselves brought together by a disturbing event from the past.
Fool Me Once
Michelle Keegan’s acting prowess really did breathe new life into the Harlan Coben drama, and we’re not surprised that Fool Me Once has become the most successful of the small-screen adaptations when it comes to the viewing figures. The scene-stealing tussles between Keegan’s Maya Stern and Joanna Lumley’s deliciously wicked Judith Burkett are worth the runtime alone.
After the shocking murder of her husband Joe, Maya installs a nanny cam to watch over their home and their young daughter. But when watching the footage back, she is shocked to see her husband…
The Innocent
The only Harlan Coben show to boast a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, this Spanish series was first released to the streaming platform in 2021.
The crime show kicks off with an accidental killing, which leads a man down a dark path. But just as he finds love and a sense of freedom, a phone call pulls him right back into the nightmare.
Harlan Coben shows coming soon to Netflix
If you have already binged your way through all of these series and are waiting with bated breath for what’s coming next, you’ll be pleased to hear that there are a number of projects on the way.
Missing You – which brings together Richard Armitage and James Nesbitt, as well as introducing Ashley Walters – promises everything you’d come to expect from a Coben/Netflix partnership.
Another series, Caught (Atrapados), is also set to arrive on the streaming service in 2025.
Amazon Prime subscribers will be pleased to hear that Coben’s Lazarus, starring Sam Claflin, was recently filmed in Manchester.
Harlan Coben’s collection is now on Netflix.
TV Editor, Digital Spy Laura has been watching television for over 30 years and professionally writing about entertainment for almost 10 of those. Â Previously at LOOK and now heading up the TV desk at the UK’s biggest TV and movies site Digital Spy, Laura has helped steer conversations around some of the most popular shows on the box. Laura has appeared on Channel 5 News and radio to talk viewing habits and TV recommendations. Â As well as putting her nerd-level Buffy knowledge to good use during an IRL meet with Sarah Michelle Gellar, Laura also once had afternoon tea with One Direction, has sat around the fire pit of the Love Island villa, spoken to Sir David Attenborough about the world’s oceans and even interviewed Rylan from inside the Big Brother house (housemate status, forever pending).Â