Harlan Coben’s Run Away is the perfect binge-worthy thriller for mystery fans

Harlan Coben’s Netflix shows are usually good. Not just “good” in the background-noise, easy-watch sense, but good in the way that makes you say, “Okay, one more episode,” at midnight and then suddenly realize it’s 3 a.m. and you’ve accidentally watched half a season.

Seriously, there’s a very specific comfort in his brand of thrillers. Typically, the plot revolves around ordinary people pulled into extraordinary danger, secrets that refuse to stay buried, and mysteries that unravel just slowly enough to keep you completely hooked. If you’re a fan of twist-driven storytelling, morally complicated characters, and that creeping feeling that something is very wrong beneath a seemingly normal surface, a Harlan Coben series almost always feels like a safe bet.

That’s what made me press play on Run Away with a mix of excitement and expectation. At this point, Coben’s Netflix adaptations have built a reputation for being addictive and almost dangerously easy to binge. I'm talking the kind of shows that lure you in with a familiar setup and then refuse to let you go until the final twist lands.

Here's the official synopsis for Run Away via Netflix:

"Simon had the perfect life: loving wife and kids, great job, beautiful home. But then his eldest daughter Paige ran away and everything fell apart. So now when he finds her, vulnerable and strung out on drugs in a city park, he finally has the chance to bring his little girl home. But it turns out she’s not alone, and an argument escalates into shocking violence. In the aftermath, Simon loses his daughter all over again, and his search to find her will take him into a dangerous underworld, revealing deep secrets that could tear his family apart forever."

From the very beginning, Run Away grabs you not just with suspense, but with a profound sense of unease. Watching Simon Greene’s (James Nesbitt) world unravel after his daughter disappears is gripping in a way that’s impossible to ignore. Every moment carries the weight of fear, guilt, and love colliding in real time. The show doesn’t just tease you with questions about what happened. It makes you feel the terrifying uncertainty of a parent losing touch with the person they care about most, and the helplessness that comes with watching a life slip further out of reach.

And of course, because this is Harlan Coben, the search doesn’t stay simple for long. The deeper Simon digs, the more dangerous everything becomes. Secrets pile on top of secrets, and Simon learns things about his loved ones that make him question everything he thought he knew. Then, there's the relentless tension as the episodes build.

One moment, you think you've got it all figured out. You've told yourself that you understand who can be trusted, what the danger is, and how the pieces fit together. And then, just when you feel secure, Run Away flips everything on its head. A single revelation can completely upend your assumptions about who is innocent, who is guilty, and what the truth really is. By the time the season reaches its finale, you’re completely immersed in a world where trust is fragile, secrets are deadly, and suspense never lets up.

Overall, Run Away cements itself as a must-see thriller. It's the perfect show to watch to kick off the new year. That's eight episodes full of shocking twists and turns and emotionally charged moments that hit hard. Sure, most of the world is watching the Stranger Things series finale. But Run Away is just as unmissable, offering a different kind of thrill.

Run Away is now available to stream on Netflix.