Most likely, if you enjoy mystery-thriller books, you’ve heard of Harlan Coben. The New York Times bestselling novelist from the United States has written over 33 novels so far, and counting. He signed a contract to transform a total of 14 of his books into Netflix series, and since 2016, he has had 7 stories turned into the streaming service.
The appeal of these series lies in their capacity to surprise viewers at every turn, even though nearly all of Coben’s adapted works share similar themes and beginning positions, frequently leaving a parent to unravel the secrets of the women in his life or confront a demon from his past. We’ve ranked each of the seven Harlan Coben Netflix series below. This list will undoubtedly include something for you if you enjoy surprises and tortured suburban parents. There may be spoilers in some of the entries on this list, so beware.
Gone For Good
Incorporating some of Coben’s most well-known themes—lost loves, betrayals, and family secrets—Gone For Good is the alluring story of Guillaume, a social worker in the south of France. Guillaume is portrayed by Finnegan Oldfield. The episodes alternate between Nice ten years ago, when Guillaume’s ex-lover and brother were shot and died on the same night, and Nice now, where Guillaume’s gorgeous girlfriend mysteriously disappears. Two sad days are connected by a tenuous chain of coincidences, leading Guillaume and his best friend—who has his own issues to face—into the Riviera’s underground in pursuit of his love and, finally, the truth. Compared to most adaptations, this five-part miniseries takes the Coben formula far more seriously, emphasising genuine reactions rather than just shock value. Despite this, the show continues to deliver a good amount of surprises and twists from episode to episode. The locale alone gives a Coben mystery’s continual bait-and-switch a new aspect.
Hold Tight
This Polish production was just released, and it has been moderately successful. The main plot of Hold Tight concentrates on a young man who vanishes shortly after his companion passes away. The opulent Warsaw neighbourhood at the centre of the novel is anything but a picture-perfect suburb; instead, we learn that almost every character, from the careless parents to the reckless youngsters, is hiding something. And the struggle between a parent and a child in the digital age is at the heart of this. The characters have drawn criticism for being so unlikeable that it is impossible to root for them. Hold Tight’s protagonists all have significant flaws, but this just adds depth to the narrative and guides viewers to a gratifying but perilous climax.
Safe
Safe, the best Netflix series by Harlan Coben, has a typical beginning. Tom Delaney, a suburban British dad (played by Michael C. Hall of Dexter), finds his world turned upside down when his teenage daughter Jenny (Amy James-Kelly) disappears from their gated community. He is forced to deal with a deceased wife, a developing romance with the top detective on the case, a drugged-out closest buddy, and hidden threats within the gated neighbourhood as he struggles with the abrupt absence of a lost kid. Raging parties, shady bars, a suspicious fire, and other twists and turns are present. Safe is the one of Coben’s programmes that does these elements the best, even though they aren’t really unique to it. The plot convincingly establishes emotional ties between our primary cast of liars and heroes, and the big disclosure feels genuinely dramatic. And the fact that it’s easy television, fun to watch, and even more fun to discuss after each episode, is its precise appeal. It’s a well-paced thriller, and a Harlan Coben adaptation at its finest.
Stay Close
The fact that Stay Close has a female protagonist sets it apart from other Harlan Coben novel TV adaptations. We begin with Megan Pierce (Cush Jumbo), a bride-to-be, enjoying her bachelorette party with her buddies. After a quiet night, she returns home to discover a message on her porch written to “Cassie.” Megan has not always been Megan, as we quickly discover. The exotic dancer-turned-suburban mother of three discovers that her former self and other shady figures from her past are returning to haunt her. Old and new secrets are revealed as she struggles to shield her family and keep her prior life hidden. The weird secondary plots (psychopathic show choir guns-for-hire) may be overlooked because of Cush Jumbo’s pained performance, and the other main characters have equally interesting backstories. Coben provides us with a forbidden romance, teenage angst, a series of unsolved murders, health crises, and a wonderful conclusion that serves as an excellent example of how happy endings are not always what they seem to be.
The Innocent
Mateo Vidal (Mario Casas) is at last released from prison and prepared for a fresh start after unintentionally killing a man in a bar fight years earlier. After being released from prison, he reconnects with an old flame and marries Olivia, his new wife (Aura Garrido). The first episode of this eight-part Spanish television series starts out pleasantly enough, but Mat is soon confronted with perplexing truths concerning Olivia. Then, we quickly cut to a detective’s POV as he investigates a nun’s mysterious suicide. The ghosts of our core ensemble of people’ pasts connect seemingly unrelated occurrences in The Innocent, much like in other Coben works. Compared to some other entrants, the show gets off to a little slower start, alternating between a maddening slow burn and admirable restraint. The Innocent is a binge-worthy movie, nevertheless, because to the emotionally compelling performances and unique spin on Coben’s old material.
The Stranger
Pure Harlan Coben joy is what The Stranger is all about. A 20-year-old lady wearing a baseball cap approaches British suburban dad Adam Price (Richard Armitage), telling him to get his children’s DNA checked and that his wife (Dervla Kirwan) might have fabricated her miscarriages. He confronts his wife, which leaves him more perplexed than before when she disappears. In search of the truth, Price chases both his wife and the unknown person who left him the cryptic message. This journey is followed in the show. A local child who is Price’s son’s classmate is discovered unconscious and naked in the woods, starting a police inquiry that weaves together several other tales. These strange, seemingly unrelated events are simply the beginning of the eight-part series, which keeps up its rapid-fire twisting and turning until the very end. In the end, The Stranger is a genuine thrill from beginning to end, even though it lacks some of the emotional resonance of subsequent volumes.
The Woods
The Woods alternates between a 1994 summer camp in the woods and 2019 Warsaw, much like Gone For Good. A prominent lawyer named Pawel Kopinski (played by Grzegorz Damicki) is plagued by the events of 1994, when two children were found killed at the aforementioned summer camp while he was a chaperone. The following night, two more people—including his sister—went missing. The wound is reopened and Kopinski’s unfinished business is as puzzling as ever when he is asked to identify a death that appears to be related to the mysteries of that summer of 1994. The show also features a heartwarming tale of a love that was lost; Kopinski is compelled to work alongside Laura, a Jewish girl from the same camp who was once his flame. The Woods offers a slightly grimier take on the whodunit and a whodunwhat mystery than previous adaptations like The Stranger and The Five (another Coben programme for Sky1). Although there was a tenuous connection to Hold Tight, the season ended on a cliffhanger, so let’s hope we get to witness how this sinister Polish story ends.
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