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Award-winning author Harlan Coben was already known for penning gripping mystery and thriller books, but in 2018, he really expanded his resume. That year, he signed a multi-year exclusive deal with Netflix to begin adapting his novels for the small screen, and their partnership has been undeniably lucrative, with numerous projects ever since.
Whether you're an OG fan of Harlan's books or are just in the market for a new, intense TV show, we've ranked his best book-to-TV adaptations that you can start streaming ASAP.
Scroll to see all the best Harlan Coben adaptations ranked from best to worst!
Netflix
1. Fool Me Once
Inspired by Harlan's 2016 book of the same name, Fool Me Once stars Michelle Keegan, Adeel Akhtar, Richard Armitage, and Joanna Lumley. The eight-part series follows character Maya Stern, who sees her supposedly murdered husband alive via a nanny cam in her house. She starts to question what truly happened to him and if his case is somehow related to her sister's slaying.
Netflix
2. The Stranger
The Stranger hit Netflix in 2020, following Harlan's book release in 2015. In the miniseries, a twenty-something-year-old begins using strangers' secrets to blackmail them, forcing a man named Adam Prince to set off on a hunt for answers about those around him. Throw in the mysterious disappearance of a woman, and we have another suspenseful Harlan story.
Netflix
3. The Woods
This Polish-language series centers on Paweł Kopiński, a prosecutor whose sister vanished in the woods over two decades prior. His inability to solve the case has haunted him, but when he begins investigating a boy's murder at a summer camp, he realizes they might be linked. The Woods stars Grzegorz Damięcki, Wiktoria Filus, Hubert Milkowski, and more.
Prime Video
4. Shelter
Starring Jaden Michael, Abby Corrigan, Constance Zimmer, and Adrian Greensmith, Shelter tells the tale of Mickey Bolitar, a young man who moves to New Jersey following his dad's death. But once he arrives at his new school, he gets caught up in the disappearance of a peer named Ashley Kent. This miniseries is based on Harlan's 2011 YA novel.
Netflix
5. Stay Close
In 2021, Stay Close debuted, chronicling the disruption of three people's lives due to an old Atlantic City missing person case. The resurfacing of one photo starts to reveal old secrets and links together three people with no apparent connections to each other–a soccer mom, a photojournalist, and a homicide detective. The cast of this British miniseries includes Cush Jumbo, James Nesbitt, and Richard Armitage.
Netflix
6. The Innocent
Mario Casas stars as Mateo Vidal in The Innocent, which premiered in 2021. An accidental murder rocks his world, and right when he finds freedom (and love), a strange phone call drags him back into the mess. This show, adapted from Harlan's 2005 novel, has actually received a near-perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes, an impressive 98%.
Netflix
7. Safe
Released in 2018, Safe follows a widowed surgeon named Tom Delaney (played by Michael C. Hall), who's been trying to raise his daughters solo following his wife's death. However, after his eldest goes missing, he's pushed to seek help from his police detective girlfriend, Sophie, and ultimately discovers secrets lurking within his gated community.
Netflix
8. Hold Tight
Finally, Harlan's 2008 novel Hold Tight received a Polish-language Netflix adaptation in 2022 that delivered some standout performances by cast members Krzysztof Oleksyn, Magdalena Boczarska, Grzegorz Damięcki, and more. The series centers on a young man who goes missing just before his friend dies, leaving a Warsaw community reeling.
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