Superb new Harlan Coben dark thriller is finally out on Netflix

After a flurry of festive releases, shows, and films many people may be looking for something new to watch in January. Luckily there are a few new releases out on Netflix this month. If you want a good comedy caper, then Vengeance Most Fowl, the latest Wallace and Gromit animation, could be right up your street. But what if you want a darker thriller instead?

Well, the answer likely lies in the latest release in a series of Harlan Coben novels made into dramas for Netflix. Missing You was announced some time ago and is based on Coben’s 2014 novel. The writer and Netflix have an ongoing collaboration. This is the latest to be released and is available now.

There is a strong cast including Rosalind Eleazar in the lead role as Detective Kat Donovan. She is very ably supported by the likes of Richard Armitage, Lenny Henry, Steve Pemberton, James Nesbitt, Ashley Walters, Jessica Plummer, and Lisa Faulkner. Some articles about the series include Paul Kaye in the cast as Monte Leburne, but they've probably used an early press release rather than actually watching the series. If they had viewed it they’d have seen Marc Warren appearing in that role.

Missing You is an ideal new binge-watch from Netflix

The plot, as you might expect with a Coben story, is full of twists, turns, and shock reveals. At the core, the story is about Donovan whose fiance Josh mysteriously walked out on here and vanished 11 years ago. He reappears on a dating app which kicks off a find out what happened mission for Donovan. One which ties in with her additional quest to discover why her father was shot and killed.

But there is so much more to it than that. In the first couple of episodes alone there are many seemingly unconnected events and characters, all having a particular twist on a thrilling tale. Right at the start of episode two when Pemberton appears, his character is an oddball and aligned to the actor's usual role type in many of his Inside No.9 TV programs. He gets even more macabre as this one progresses.

Missing You rattles along at a fast pace, revealing new angles and a deeper and expanding plot as it goes. Each episode builds nicely and leaves you wanting more. With five in total at around 45 minutes an episode, it’s ideal and highly recommended binge-watch material for a grey and chilly January, or whatever weather you have where you are.

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