6 mystery Netflix shows to watch if you like Fool Me Once

Harlan Coben's most recent Netflix shows, Fool Me Once, premiered on Netflix on Jan. 1, 2024. The Netflix original series is one of the most popular shows of the year so far, and it's been in the top 3 Netflix shows in the US and UK since its premiere. We know there are a ton of fans of Fool Me Once and other mystery series. To help you find another great show to watch on Netflix, we shared a list of shows to watch if you like Fool Me Once.

Fool Me Once stars Michelle Keegan, Richard Armitage, and Adeel Akhtar. After Maya's sister and husband are killed, Maya (Keegan) sees her husband on her nanny cam and starts to spiral. Is he alive? Is he dead? She tries to solve the crimes on her own while DS Sami Kierce (Akhtar) also tries to solve the crime.

Luckily, there are a lot of similar shows on Netflix, including more of Harlan Coben's Netflix shows. We shared a list of six Netflix shows for you to check out now. Let's get it started with Stay Close.

Stay Close

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

What it's about: Stay Close is based on Harlan Coben's novel of the same name. It was published in 2012. The story revolves around the disappearance of Stewart Green, the ensuing investigation led by DS Michael Broome (Nesbitt), and how each piece of this puzzle is connected. It also follows a mother of three children, Megan (Jumbo) who left her past behind years ago, but it's all coming back to her.

Why you should watch: Fool Me Once has a similar feel as Stay Close, and I think that's what fans will appreciate most. It has the same formula of sorts with a strong female protagonist with a secret past, along with a no-nonsense lead detective trying to get to the bottom of the crime. In Stay Close, that crime is a disappearance, while it's a murder investigation, or multiple murder investigations, in Fool Me Once.

Like many of Coben's shows set in England, Fool Me Once and Stay Close feature some of the same filming locations, which is fun for fans. Overall, the similarities in story and tone are the main reasons Fool Me Once fans should watch Stay Close.

Continue reading for seven more Netflix shows you should watch if you like Fool Me Once!

You Don't Know Me

Cast: Samuel Adewunmi, Sophie Wilde, Bukky Bukray, Roger Nsengiyumva, and more

What it's about: You Don't Know Me is based on the book of the same name by Imran Mahmood. It tells the story of Hero (Adewunmi), a young man who is accused of murder. During the trial, Hero tells his version of events, including his relationship with Kyra (Wilde), that led to the death of a man. Not everything is as it seems in this thrilling mystery.

Why you should watch: You Don't Know Me is only four episodes, so it's a quick binge-watch. That's the first reason why you should watch it. Most importantly, this show is really good, and you'll never see the twists coming. I felt that way watching Fool Me Once, too, although the twists were maybe a little less shocking than they are in You Don't Know Me. It's all about how the past determines the future, and I felt like that was a big theme in Fool Me Once, too.

Like Maya, Hero and Kyra end up in a lot of sticky situations and have to use their skills, smarts, and resources to try to get out of those situations. If you like stories about protagonists with their backs against the wall and enemies closing in, this is the show for you!

Up next is another one of Coben's Netflix shows, The Stranger.

The Stranger

Cast: Hannah John-Kamen, Richard Armitage, Siobhan Finneran, Jennifer Saunders, Shaun Dooley, Paul Kaye, Dervla Kirwan, Stephan Rea, Brandon Fellows, Misha Handley, Anthony Head, Kadiff Kirwan, Jacob Dudman, Ella-Rae Smith, and more

What it's about: The Stranger is the second-best of Harlan Coben's Netflix shows. It's based on Coben's book of the same name, and it tells the story of a woman, known as the Stranger (John-Kamen), who spills secrets to unsuspecting individuals. We don't know why exactly the person is doing it, but when they share the details with Adam Price (Armitage) about a secret his wife, Corinne (Kirwan), she goes missing. Adam conducts his own investigation into his wife's past to try to find her, while DS Johanna Griffin (Finneran) leads the criminal investigation and tries to get to the bottom of this mystery.

Why you should watch: The Stranger is a really good Netflix mystery! There's so much going on, but at its core, it's about a husband trying to find his missing wife. Like Fool Me Once, a lot of the secrets of the past come to light in not so nice ways. At times, the story can get a little confusing, but it's all tied up in a nice bow after eight episodes.

Up next is Inside Man!

Inside Man

Cast: David Tennant, Stanley Tucci, Dolly Wells, Lydia West, and more

What it's about: Inside Man is another BBC original released on Netflix internationally. Not to be confused with the Spike Lee movie of the same name, Inside Man tells the story of Jefferson Grieff (Tucci), who is due to be executed for the murder of his wife. He also is quite good at solving unexplainable cases. The twisted tale follows Grieff, a journalist, a vicar, and a tutor who get involved in a terrible misunderstanding that leads to a kidnapping and worse.

Why you should watch: Fool Me Once is a series that features a lot of moving parts. For most of the series, viewers have no idea how the pieces of the puzzle fit together. That's similar to Inside Man, although, in this series, viewers do know how everything connects. We get to watch as characters make difficult decisions and try to live with their choices.

Of the other picks on the list, Inside Man features the most high-profile and well-known actors in David Tennant and Stanley Tucci. It's probably the most different in that there's not really that law enforcement element that there is in Fool Me Once and other shows on the list.

Up next is the best of Harlan Coben's Netflix shows, Safe!

Safe

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

What it's about: Safe was developed by Harlan Coben and Danny Brocklehurst, who often works on Coben's Netflix shows. The series tells the story of Tom Delaney (Hall), who is dealing with the loss of his wife while also raising two young daughters. When one of Tom's daughters goes missing, he'll stop at nothing to see her returned safely. But, as with all of Coben's shows, there's a lot more going on than meets the eye. There are other layers of this mystery.

Why you should watch: Michael C. Hall is fantastic in this series. You'll want to watch for his performance alone, but this is a great story. It's easily the best of Coben's Netflix shows. It combines a lot of the elements of the other shows on this list with the mystery, the missing person's case, the investigation into what happened, and the search. The series also has similar themes with old wounds of the past leading to future strife and trauma.

Safe is the must-watch on this list. If you only watch one of these shows, Safe is our pick!

The last and final show on the list is The Night Agent!

The Night Agent

Cast: Gabriel Basso, Luciane Buchanan, Fola Evans-Akingbola, Sarah Desjardins, Eve Harlow, Phoenix Raei, Enrique Murciano, D. B. Woodside, Hong Chau, and more

What it's about: The Night Agent is based on the book of the same name by Matthew Quick. Shawn Ryan developed the series for Netflix. The Night Agent is easily one of the best Netflix shows of 2023, and it's coming back for season 2 soon! Okay, so what's it all about? The Night Agent tells the story of Peter Sutherland, (Basso), an FBI agent, who mans the Night Agent phone in the basement of the White House. The Night Agent program is a network of spies, but when a spy isn't on the other end of the line, Peter is pulled into a deeper mystery.

Why you should watch: The Night Agent has it all: spies, assassins, corrupt government officials, kidnapping, law enforcement investigations, and so much more. If you're into that, you're going to love The Night Agent. Most importantly, this is a twisty-turny mystery and thrill ride that you just have to keep watching. Once you start watching, you'll binge-watch all eight episodes, guaranteed. The Night Agent, as mentioned, is coming back for season 2 and figures to be one of the biggest new shows coming in 2024. Basso and co-star, Luciane Buchanan, who plays Rose in the series, have great chemistry, and that's another big part of this story.

Overall, The Night Agent is different from many of the other shows on the list. It's a much bigger series, in terms of what's at stake, but it still carries that human interest element we all love in shows like Fool Me Once. We start to really care about these characters and root for them every step of the way as they get to the bottom of the mystery.

The Night Agent season 2 is coming to Netflix in 2024!

That's the list of the Netflix shows to watch if you like Fool Me Once! We highly recommend all of these great shows if you're looking for something new to watch on Netflix.