All 8 Harlan Coben Netflix shows ranked from worst to best

Fool Me Once, the new Netflix original series based on the works of Harlan Coben, premiered on Jan. 1, 2024. It's one of the most popular Netflix shows of the year so far, and we know fans are also interested in checking out more of the Harlan Coben Netflix shows.

So far, there have been eight of Coben's novels adapted into Netflix shows over the last few years. Coben's deal with Netflix was just extended in 2023, and now, Netflix is developing even more shows based on Coben's books.

With eight of Coben's shows on Netflix right now, we ranked all eight of the Netflix shows from worst to best. We'll continue adding shows to this ranking as they're released. Let's get the list of Coben's Netflix shows started with Gone For Good.

8. Gone For Good

• Release Date: Aug. 13, 2021
• Cast: Finnegan Oldfield, Nicolas Duvauchelle, Guillaume Gouix, Garance Marillier, Nailia Harzoune, and more

Gone For Good comes in last on the ranking of Coben's Netflix shows. As I repeated a few times throughout this ranking, I don't think these shows are bad by any means! Some are just less good than others, and that's what we have with Gone For Good.

The series is the first and only French Netflix original series of Coben's collection. Most of the shows are set in England, two are set in Poland, one in Spain, and one in France. Gone for Good is based on Coben's novel of the same name and published in 2002. In the series, Guillaume, played by Finnegan Oldfield, searches for his missing girlfriend, Judith, played by Nailia Harzoune, who disappears under suspicious circumstances.

Gone For Good's ending is a little bit underwhelming, in my opinion. There's a lot of story here, though, and that's one of the good aspects of this five-episode series. It's a quick binge-watch on Netflix, for sure!

Continue reading for the rest of the ranking of the Harlan Coben Netflix shows!

7. Hold Tight

• Release Date: April 22, 2022
• Cast: Magdalena Boczarska, Leszek Lichota, Krzysztof Oleksyn, Grzegorz Damięcki, Agata Łabno, Tomasz Drabek, Klementyna Karnkowska, Mikołaj Śliwa, Jakub Pruski, and more

Hold Tight is the second Polish Netflix original series from Coben. It was released two years after the first, The Woods, in the spring of 2022. It was a successful new release, although it failed to have a big landing in the United States. That's not a surprise, but unfortunately, Hold Tight is one of the worst of Coben's Netflix shows.

It's not that Hold Tight is bad! In my opinion, none of Coben's shows are bad at all. It's just about how enjoyable the series is, how the mystery unfolds, and how ridiculous they get. Most of these shows have so many twists and turns, and it's all about those payoffs and how they are executed.

Hold Tight tells the story of a family's search for their missing teenager. Not everything is as it seems in this one! It's based on Coben's novel of the same name.

Hold Tight is only six episodes, and each episode is under an hour, so it's quite a quick binge-watch compared to some of the others on the list. Up next is The Woods, Coben's other Polish Netflix original series.

6. The Woods

• Release Date: June 12, 2020
• Cast: Grzegorz Damięcki, Agnieszka Grochowska, Jacek Koman, Hubert Miłkowski, Wiktoria Filus, and more

The Woods isn't the best of Coben's Netflix shows, but it's pretty far from the worst.

The Woods is a Polish Netflix original series based on Coben's novel of the same name, which was published in 2007. The series premiered on Netflix in the summer of 2020, right at the beginning COVID-19 pandemic. Many Netflix viewers tuned in during that time, but The Woods is not one of the most popular of Coben's Netflix shows. That doesn't mean it's not good, but it's probably the one that fans haven't seen yet.

The Woods tells the story of a lawyer from Warsaw, Paweł Kopiński, played by Grzegorz Damięcki. He was present at a summer camp in the 1990s when several people were killed and others were taken. Pawel tries to connect the dots and solve the crime about 25 years later.

The Woods is one of the only dual timelines of Coben's Netflix shows. It makes it a little bit more confusing than some of the others, but it's still quite a solid mystery. Up next is Fool Me Once, the most recently released of Coben's Netflix shows.

5. Fool Me Once

• Release Date: Jan. 1, 2024
• Cast: Michelle Keegan, Dino Fetscher, Richard Armitage, Joanna Lumley, Adeel Akhtar, Emmett J. Scanlan, Joe Armstrong, Marcus Garvey, Jade Anouka, Dänya Griver, Anthony Howell, Laurie Kynaston, Hattie Morahan, and James Northcote

Fool Me Once is the newest of Coben's Netflix shows! It premiered on Netflix on New Year's Day 2024, and it's easily one of the best Netflix shows in a while, even going back to the fall of 2023. When it's all said and done, Fool Me Once should be one of the biggest Netflix shows of the year.

The series is based on Coben's novel of the same name released in 2016. Fool Me Once tells the story of Maya, played by Michelle Keegan, a disgraced helicopter pilot responsible for killing civilians in combat. While she was serving, her sister was murdered, and after she returned home, her husband, Joe, played by Richard Armitage, was also murdered. Maya sees Joe on her nanny cam, and she begins to spiral. Her investigation into Joe's reappearance leads to deeper, darker secrets. Will she get to the bottom of this mystery? You'll have to watch to find out.

Fool Me Once is definitely worth a watch! It bums me out that Fool Me Once didn't crack the top 3 of Coben's Netflix shows, but it's still a good series. There are some obvious flaws and some pacing issues that keep this show out of the top half of the list. It would have been better if this eight-episode series was, maybe, six or seven episodes, honestly. It would move so much more quickly through this story and get to the big reveal.

I usually like the endings of Coben's Netflix shows, but I didn't love the end of Fool Me Once. It's good, but I didn't love it. If you like Fool Me Once, you have to watch these other mystery Netflix shows next!

4. Stay Close

• Release Date: Dec. 31, 2021
• Cast: Cush Jumbo, James Nesbitt, Richard Armitage, Sarah Parish, Jo Joyner, Daniel Francis, Youssef Kerkour, Bethany Antonia, Alibe Parsons, Poppy Gilbert, Hyoie O'Grady, Ross Boatman, Leon Annor, and Eddie Izzard

Stay Close is based on Coben's 2012 novel of the same. The Netflix original series got the prime New Year's Eve release in 2021, and it definitely did not disappoint. Fans love watching Coben's shows to start and end the year, and Stay Close is no exception.

Stay Close, overall, is one of the most polarizing of Coben's Netflix shows. Some love this series, while others can't stand how this mystery develops and unfolds. For me, it's the multiple layers and deep, dark secrets that make Stay Close so enjoyable. I'm also a big fan of Cush Jumbo, and she crushes this role.

In Stay Close, Megan, played by Cush Jumbo, is doing her best to keep her old life and past hidden from her new fiance, Dave, played by Daniel Francis, but an investigation into a disappearance from a nearby nightclub threatens to disturb the peace she's found. The series also follows Ray, played by Richard Armitage, a photographer with links to the night in question, and an investigation by DS Michael Broome, played by James Nesbitt, who is trying to locate the missing person, Carlton Flynn.

Stay Close has one of the biggest and best plot twists of any of Coben's Netflix shows. It's truly shocking!

3. The Innocent

• Release Date: April 30, 2021
• Cast: Mario Casas, Alexandra Jiménez, Aura Garrido, José Coronado, Martina Gusmán, Gonzalo de Casto, Juana Acosta, and more

The Innocent is the third-best of Coben's Netflix show. It premiered on Netflix in April 2021, and it's based on The Innocent written by Harlan Coben. Oriol Paulo co-wrote the series with Jordi Vallejo
Guillem Clua. Paulo also directed the Spanish original series.

The Innocent tells the story of Mateo, also known as Mat, played by Mario Casas, a young man who accidentally killed another person during a fight at a bar. He spends several years in prison before he's released and tries to make the most of his life. Ma learns that there's something mysterious about his wife, Olivia, played by Aura Garrido, and when she disappears under suspicious circumstances, Mat does his best to track her down by looking into her past, which is quite alarming.

The Innocent is close to the best of Coben's best Netflix shows. It has a little bit of everything, and it's the most action-heavy of the other shows on the list. It's not perfect, and there are definitely some questionable moments in this series. If you're a fan of mystery, you're going to be entertained!

I know some people might not be interested in The Innocent because it's a Spanish series, which means they have to read subtitles or listen to the dubbed version, but it's definitely worth it. We highly recommend The Innocent on Netflix!

2. The Stranger

• Release Date: Jan. 30, 2020
• Cast: Richard Armitage, Siobhan Finneran, Jennifer Saunders, Shaun Dooley, Paul Kaye, Dervla Kirwan, Kadiff Kirwan, Jacob Dudman, Ella-Rae Smith, Brandon Fellows, Misha Handley, Anthony Head, Hannah John-Kamen, Stephen Rea, and more

The Stranger is based on Coben's novel of the same name and published in 2015. The Netflix original series premiered in the winter of 2020, and it's easily one of the most popular of Coben's Netflix shows.

Richard Armitage, a staple of Coben's Netflix shows, as mentioned throughout this list, stars as Adam Prince, a husband and father of two young boys. When Adam is approached by a stranger at a sports club who reveals a big secret about Adam's wife and family, Adam's wife, Corinne, played by Dervla Kirwan, had a secret about a recent pregnancy. In the chao that ensues, Corinne goes missing, and Adam tries to get to the bottom of this mystery. As it turns out, Corinne and Adam aren't the only ones with deep, dark secrets.

The Stranger is a bit silly, as a premise, and that's why I think it gets overlooked. Some truly wonky moments and things don't make that much sense, but overall, this is one entertaining mystery. That's why it's got the No. 2 spot on the ranking of Coben's Netflix shows. There's just too much to like about Armitage, how he plays this character, and how the story unfolds. I also like Siobhan Finneran's performance as DS Johanna Griffen. Although there were many connections between these characters, I felt like Finneran connected this story in a much-needed way.

1. Safe

• Release Date: May 10, 2018
• Cast: Michael C. Hall, Amanda Abbington, Marc Warren, Audrey Fleurot, Hannah Arterton, Nigel Lindsay, Laila Rouass, Joplin Sibtain, Milo Twomey, Emmett J. Scanlan, Amy James-Kelly, Amy-Leigh Hickman, Freddie Thorp, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, and Louis Greatorex

Safe starring Michael C. Hall is clearly the best of the Harlan Coben Netflix shows. The series premiered on the streaming service in 2018, and it was a huge success. The series Hall stars as Tom Delaney, a successful surgeon trying to raise two daughters following the death of his wife and mother of his children. When Jenny, one of Tom's daughters, goes missing, Tom takes the investigation into his own hands and tries to get his daughter back.

There are a lot of reasons why Safe is the best of Harlan Coben's Netflix shows. To me, Safe is a better, tighter story. There are always a lot of characters and misdirections in a Coben show, but Safe cuts through some of those misdirections with actual backstory relevant to Jenny's disappearance and Tom's investigation. Sometimes, as discussed, it feels like random stuff just happens because the adults are weird, and that's not necessarily true with Safe. It's a thrilling mystery until the very end, which is also much better than some of Coben's shows, too.

Along with that, it's important to note that Hall is probably the strongest male protagonist in any of Coben's Netflix shows. Hall is a truly gifted actor, and that's on display with this performance. If you're a fan of Hall or his hit series Dexter, Safe should definitely be on the list of shows you should watch on Netflix.

That's the list of the best Harlan Coben shows on Netflix. The good news is there are more of Coben's shows and movies in the works on Netflix in the near future. Myron Bolitar is another series in development at Netflix. Stay tuned for more news about those shows and movies!