Everything we know about Harlan Coben’s Fool Me Once series

Where are all the Harlan Coben fans? You might want to check in with us because we have all the important details about the talented writer’s new Netflix series. It’s called Fool Me Once, and based on that title, you know you’re in for a ride.

We first learned of this show back in February 2023 when Netflix announced that it was in the works. The streamer had revealed a lot of information at the time, like casting news, what it was about, the episode count, filming updates, and information about the creative team behind it.

Now, we have the official release date! Of course, you know we can’t keep this juicy piece of information to ourselves. So, we decided to share all there is to know about the upcoming thriller series right below.

What is Fool Me Once about?

Fool Me Once is an eight-part limited series created by Harlan Coben. It’s based on his 2016 book of the same name. In addition, Quay Street Productions is the production company behind the show, with Danny Brocklehurst signed on as lead writer and Charlotte Coben, Yemi Oyefuwa, Nina Metivier, and Tom Farrelly assisting with writing as well. David Moore and Nimer Rashed directed the episodes, while Coben, Brocklehurst, Nicola Shindler, and Richard Fee executive produced.

This is Coben’s eighth on-screen adaptation, which is through his ongoing creative partnership with Netflix, which started in 2018.

When grieving wife, Maya Stern, sees her murdered husband appear in the nanny cam she set up to watch over her young daughter, her world gets turned completely upside down. Elsewhere, Maya’s nephew and niece are working to try to find out the truth about their mother’s murder, which occurred a few months earlier. Meanwhile, Detective Sergeant Sami Kierce is leading the investigation into Maya’s husband’s death, but he has some secrets of his own.

Here’s the official synopsis via Netflix Media Center:

"Fool Me Once follows Maya Stern (Michelle Keegan) who is trying to come to terms with the brutal murder of her husband, Joe (Richard Armitage). But when Maya installs a nanny-cam to keep an eye on her young daughter, she is shocked to see a man she recognises in her house. Her husband, who she thought was dead…Detective Sergeant Sami Kierce (Adeel Akhtar) leads the homicide investigation into Joe’s death while grappling with secrets of his own. Meanwhile, Maya’s niece and nephew, Abby and Daniel, are trying to find the truth about their mother’s murder, several months earlier. Are the two cases connected? Fool Me Once follows these characters on a thrilling hunt for the truth that will reveal shocking secrets and change their lives forever."

Who’s in the cast of Fool Me Once?

Michelle Keegan leads the cast as Maya Stern. Keegan is best known for her roles as Tina McIntyre in the British soap opera Coronation Street and Sergeant Georgie Lane in the drama series Our Girl.

English actor Richard Armitage plays the role of Joe, Maya’s murdered husband. You might recognize Armitage from his previous role as Thorin Oakenshield in Peter Jackson’s film trilogy adaptation of The Hobbit. He also starred in the leading role of Adam Price in another one of Coben’s Netflix series called The Stranger. Also, he voiced the lead character, Trevor Belmont, in the animated series Castlevania.

Here are the names of more cast members:

• Adeel Akhtar as Detective Sergeant Sami Kierce
• Joanna Lumley as Judith Burkett, Joe’s mother
• Emmett J Scanlan as Shane Tessier
• Dino Fetscher as Marty McGreggor
• Marcus Garvey as Eddie Walker
• Adelle Leonce as Eva
• Natalia Kostrzewa as Izabella Godek
• Natalie Anderson as Claire Walker
• Hattie Morahan
• James Northcote
• Danya Griver
• Daniel Burt
• Laura Gibbons

When did filming start and end?

Although the book is set in the United States, Coben chose to change settings for the Netflix series. The story is set in the United Kingdom instead. Production started in February 2023 and took place primarily in Manchester and the Northwest of England. Additional filming also took place in Spain. It looks like filming wrapped in July 2023, based on an Instagram post from Michelle Keegan.

When is Fool Me Once coming to Netflix?

You can expect all eight episodes to be released at once on Monday, Jan. 1, 2024. Each episode is about 60 minutes long, so you’ll have much to watch and enjoy.

However, the show will most likely not return with a second season since it’s billed as a limited series. This shouldn’t be surprising since all of Coben’s shows on Netflix have only received one season, and that’s it.

Check out these official production stills from the thriller series to get pumped up for its release!

As of November 2023, an official trailer has not dropped. We can probably expect one to come out closer to the show’s release. Of course, you can count on us to share it once it drops.

Stay tuned to Netflix Life for more news and coverage on Fool Me Once.