Three superb Harlan Coben thrillers on Netflix which you must see

You may have seen the latest Harlan Coben adaptation to be released on Netflix. The stylish thriller Missing You has just been released there. It’s well worth seeing and with five episodes of around 45 minutes each, is highly suitable for a binge-watch.

If you've seen it, you are maybe an avid fan of Harlan Coben, via his books or the many TV adaptations. He and Netflix are regular partners and a number of his novels have been turned into drama series on the platform. On the other hand, there are likely to be viewers who haven't yet caught on to the writer's work. 

If you have only seen one or two, or even less, then there's a great opportunity to catch up. With several titles available on Netflix there are plenty of options for those newer viewers. Let's take a closer look at just three of the very best Coben dramas on Netflix, in addition to the latest, Missing You. You should take the chance to view these soon if you haven’t already done so.

Three more great Harlan Coben thrillers to watch 

Fool Me Once

This is a quite recent one to watch, it was released in 2024. There’s an excellent lineup of stars here with the main parts taken by Michelle Keegan, Richard Armitage, Adeel Akhtar, and Joanna Lumley. Spread over eight episodes there is plenty of room for the story to unfold. 

It’s based on widow Maya Stern, played by Keegan, dealing with the loss of her husband, his funeral, and then the shock of seeing him again some two weeks later on indoor nanny cam footage talking to the couple's young baby. Armitage plays husband Joe, then there is Akhtar, a detective with his own troubles as well as murders to solve. Lumley is a class act as an ’is she wicked or just a grieving mother-in-law’ of Maya? 

Maya seems to be thwarted at every turn as she tries to find out what's going on. Many people emerge as suspects as the drama progresses and the plot gets deeper. Will Maya find the answers she seeks?

Stay Close

Another thrilling eight-part drama with Richard Armitage in the lead role again.  Cush Jumbo, James Nesbitt, Jo Joyner, and Sarah Parish join him in the cast. Like many of Coben’s stories, Stay Close involves people digging into the past and revealing secrets and hidden pasts. 

One of those looking back is Megan, played by Jumbo, a mother of three who is about to marry her long-term fiance. Armitage plays a photographer who needs to find out more about someone he captured in an image taken in some woods. Then Nesbitt, playing a detective, has a disappeared person to track down.

The three quests appear unconnected initially but gradually become linked. Cleverly the plot is revealed in parts, but the whole story remains well hidden until the very end. Look out for some staggering twists at the end of the episodes which change your view of what's going on dramatically. Stay Close is one of the top Coben stories on Netflix.

The Stranger

Another eight-part drama, again with Richard Armitage in a leading role. This is quite possibly the best of this series of Coben thrillers so far. It's based on his book of the same name from 2015 and was released on Netflix in January 2020. The cast also includes Siobhan Finneran, Jennifer Saunders, Paul Kaye, and Dervla Kirwan.

With Coben's dramas, it’s important to avoid revealing too much when writing about them. It’s no giveaway to say The Stranger is a mysterious woman hidden by a baseball cap who tips off people about secrets in their lives and families. They all have dramatic consequences that keep moving the story forward and adding links between the characters.

The Stranger soon becomes an addictive watch. That Netflix approach of lining up the next episode ready to start in a matter of seconds draws you in deeper. Before you know it you are a few episodes in and need to see more. It’s another top Coben and Netflix collaboration. 

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