Who doesn’t look a good binge of a mystery/thriller series on streaming? For some reason, there’s something oddly comforting about sitting down on the sofa after a long day and wiling away your evening watching other people’s lives fall about due to murder and dark secrets from their past coming back to bite them. Maybe it makes us feel better about our own boring lives in some way? Who knows, I’m not a psychiatrist, I’m just a fellow hopeless addict, like you. 2p6uv

In many ways, the cream of the crop of mystery/thriller series available on Netflix is anything based on a Harlan Coben novel. The globally best-selling author knows how to string along a fascinating crime-ridden tale and, for the most part, the screen adaptations of his works have replicated that knack. They might not be what you’d call prestige TV, but once you’ve clicked play on one of Coben’s shows it’s very difficult to stop watching until the credits roll on the final episode and you realize you’ve got to get up for work in two hours (oh, come on, I know you’ve been there).

For those that haven’t yet experienced the world of Harlan Coben on Netflix but are looking to dive in, however, you might be wondering about the best place to start and which order to watch all the titles in. Allow me to solve the mystery…

Harlan Coben Netflix shows release order, explained 351z5r

Although the first screen adaptation of one of the author’s works was Tell No One, a French thriller film released in 2006, it wasn’t until 2018 when Harlan Coben’s novels got the streaming TV treatment, which has proven to be the absolute best form for bringing his stories to life. Over the past six years and counting, Netflix has partnered with the writer to generally adapt at least one book per year, with some years delivering multiple releases.

Thanks to the worldwide appeal of Coben’s books, Netflix’s adaptations have taken a truly international approach. Of the eight available to stream on the platform at the time of writing (more are on their way), four of them are European productions while the other half are English language series. The Woods and Hold Tight are Polish productions, The Innocent is Spanish, and Gone for Good is French.

The remaining four are all British-based adaptations of Coben’s works, despite the New Jersey native generally setting his books in his home country. While they are all standalone projects, The Stranger, Stay Close, and Fool Me Once are connected by the presence of actor Richard Armitage starring in all three in different roles.

If you want to approach all of Netflix’s Coben shows as one big shared universe, here’s how to watch them in order:

• Safe (2018)
• The Stranger (2020)
• The Woods (2020)
• The Innocent (2021)
• Gone for Good (2021)
• Stay Close (2021)
• Hold Tight (2022)
• Fool Me Once (2024)

Other Harlan Coben TV series 5e3r4k

While Coben’s collaborations with Netflix have been his most fruitful, there are a couple of other TV adaptations of his novels. 2016’s thriller miniseries The Five kickstarted the small screen’s obsession with the author. Although the show is hard to find on streaming, those in the U.K. with a Sky subscription can look for it on Sky Stream. Secondly, 2023 delivered YA mystery series Shelter on Prime Video. Sadly, that one was cancelled after just one season, but all eight episodes can still be found on the Amazon Studios platform.

If Netflix execs made their New Year Resolution to kick off 2024 with a massive hit then they definitely succeeded. Fool Me Once, the streamer’s latest thriller series based on a book by best-selling author Harlan Coben, became the internet’s most popular TV show of January. It seems once viewers hopped on the Fool Me Once train, there was just no getting off until they had binged all eight episodes and found out who really killed Maya Stern’s sister and if her husband Joe really was alive or not.

And yet streaming success is a fickle thing. While movies like, say, Barbie can dominate theaters for weeks on end, popular films and TV shows on Netflix often find a much more fleeting form of fame. The platform naturally releases a barrage of new original content each and every week so once s have gorged themselves on one series they simply move on to another, which means that Netflix’s top 10 charts are in a constant state of flux. Sure enough, just over a month after its arrival, Fool Me Once‘s crown has been well and truly stolen by Netflix’s newest must-see show.

Fool Me Once is streaming’s biggest hit since Suits, but Griselda is Netflix ’s new drug of choice 60535i

As per Flix Patrol, the most-watched TV show on Netflix worldwide right now isn’t Fool Me Once but Griselda. Debuting on Jan. 25, the crime drama has clearly hooked viewers in with its dark and compelling narrative about Griselda Blanco, the real-life Colombian drug lord who rose up to become the most dangerous woman in Miami in the 1980s. The six-parter accrued a criminally impressive 113.8 million viewing minutes across its first three days on the site.

And yet that’s nothing compared to Fool Me Once‘s own mind-blowing milestone of an entrance onto the scene. Across its first week on Netflix, the series amassed just over 3 billion viewing minutes, which makes it the biggest success for the platform since the Suits renaissance and the most popular streaming original anywhere since before the strikes. Still, you can’t keep the gold medal forever and it’s currently down to the bronze place on the charts, behind Griselda and docies Alexander: The Making of a God.

That said, Fool Me Once may have won the viewing figures war but Griselda has the critical reception battle in the bag. The crime drama is sitting at a fetching 87% on Rotten Tomatoes, with Sofia Vergara garnering much of the praise for her committed central performance, which couldn’t be any more different from her many years on Modern Family. Meanwhile, Fool Me Once dwells at just 69%, with audiences even less forgiving, awarding it a mere 45%. A steep decline from Griselda‘s strong 73% from s.

Fool Me Once‘s stranglehold on streaming is over, but Griselda‘s own storyline warns us that being at the top of the food chain is only a temporary state.

Netflix kicked off its 2024 with a bang, at least in of quantity of viewers if not the quality of the product, as Fool Me Once kicked up a storm on the streaming charts this January.

The latest adaptation of one of Harlan Coben’s best-selling thriller novels to hit the platform, Fool Me Once is perhaps the most successful to date as its twisty-turny narrative gripped viewers worldwide, no matter how far-fetched and underdeveloped its insane ending may have been (your mileage may vary). Unfortunately not every screen version of the author’s work can say the same. In fact, the Coben adaptation immediately preceding Fool Me Once was swiftly cancelled virtually as soon as it premiered. Namely, Harlan Coben’s Shelter, found on Prime Video rather than Netflix.

If you’ve burned through Netflix’s cadre of Coben shows and movies, maybe you’re tempted to give this one a go? Well, sure, it’s a free country (although streaming services aren’t), but here’s what you might want to know first.

Amazon’s attempt to capitalize on Coben-Mania didn’t take off with Shelter 6tkv

If it didn’t have his name in the title, you’d be forgiven for completely missing the fact that Shelter is based on a Coben book as this is a YA mystery series rather than an adult-oriented thriller — it’s derived from one of the author’s rare young adult works. On paper, Amazon’s decision to adapt it made sense. Those of an older demographic love Coben’s work. Why not attempt to hook the younger demo too? Unfortunately, the attempt didn’t come off. Premiering its 8-part season on Aug. 18, 2023 and concluding on Sep. 22, less than two months later Prime Video pulled the plug on the show.

At first glance, this seems like another acclaimed series killed off too soon in the ever-cutthroat world of streaming. On Rotten Tomatoes, Shelter sports an impressive 88% tomatometer, a vast improvement on Fool Me Once‘s mere 67%. However, when you dig deeper into what critics have to say about the show then it becomes clear that, at least for some, it’s one of those so-bad-it’s-good kind of dealies.

“Instead of the pulse-pounding chiller it promises viewers, Harlan Coben’s Shelter works like a frustrating thousand-piece puzzle, with chunks and threads of the narrative only clicking together in the last moment,” decreed Variety. Meanwhile, Evening Standard summed it thusly: “Shelter’s best claim to originality might be not that it is something you have never seen before — but rather that it is everything you have seen before.”

Den of Geek may have said it best, though, with the critique: “Very serious themes meet Scooby-Doo mystery-solving in this bewilderingly poor taste teen thriller that’s entertaining, but not always for the right reasons.”

Of course, if you’re the sort of person who likes to make your own mind up about things, then Harlan Coben’s Shelter is all yours to binge on Prime Video. The series follows teen Mickey Bolitar (Jaden Michael) as he moves to Kasselton, New Jersey, and quickly becomes entangled in the mysterious disappearance of a student at his school, which exposes him to the dark underworld of this quiet suburban community. Just don’t expect the rest of the Mickey Bolitar book trilogy to be adapted anytime soon.

As Fool Me Once captivates countless Netflix subscribers, you might be wondering: what next for Harlan Coben, the writer whose book the series is based on.

Coben is an ultra successful thriller writer, and a number of his novels have appeared on the NYT best-sellers list. Fool Me Once wasn’t his first book-to-screen adaptation either. In 2018, Coben and Netflix announced a five-year deal that would see 14 of Coben’s current and future works into shows and films, with Fool Me Once being the eighth.

The author has a long track record of being adapted. Non-Netflix, English language Harlan Coben pieces of content include The Five, a British mini-series from 2016, and Harlan Coben’s Shelter, which was produced by and appeared on Prime Video.

The other seven Coben adaptations on Netflix are Safe, Stay Close, The Stranger, The Innocent, The Woods, Hold Tight, and Gone for Good. This means that there are six more to come as part of his deal. We are aware of five of these, with the final bit of content in the Harlan Coben Collection (for now, anyway) yet to be revealed.

Here’s our overview of the 5 Harlan Coben projects currently in production or development, all of which are part of his Netflix deal.

Atrapados (Caught) n366z

This mini-series looks like it will be produced in Spanish and possibly be set in Argentina. This isn’t the first time the location has been shifted from Coben’s book, with Fool Me Once moving from the States to England. Atrapados is based on Coben’s novel Caught, and also seems like it will be part of his Netflix deal. There’s no news on when it might be released, nor on actors who are attached to the project.

The book follows a reporter who specializes in catching sexual offenders in sting operations, a la Chris Hanson in To Catch a Predator. However, things get rough when she accidentally traps a social worker in one of her setups, and she begins to think not everything is what it seems…

As this will be set in a Hispanic country, we’re sure there will be more of a Latin flavor to ground the series in its location. So, while the general plot of the book will likely give us clues to how the show will play out, don’t be surprised if there are some changes. There is no confirmed release date yet.

Run Away 2g3g3h

This mysterious book about a drug-addled runaway and an old mystery is set to be adapted into a miniseries. The novel was released after Coben’s deal with Netflix, so there’s every chance he wrote it with the inevitable small-screen adaptation in mind.

Run Away follows a father who lost his daughter to drugs and an abusive relationship. However, one day he spots her busking in Central Park. When she sees him she dashes off, but he gives chase, only to find himself in a criminal world he could have never imagined.

As the desperate parent tries to bring his daughter home, everything he thought about her life is proven to be wrong. Was her partner really abusive? And what dangerous, gang-filled universe has she fallen into? As the story unravels, it soon transpires that everyone, not just his daughter, is keeping secrets from him.

Six Years 1o5p2m

The only bit of information about the adaptation of Six Years that we have confirms it will be a film, not a series. Again, there’s very little publicly known information about the cast or producers, or even if it will be set in the same place as the book.

The novel is just as mysterious as the production currently is. It follows Jake, a man who is still depressed by the fact that the love of his life, Natalie, married somebody else six years prior. He has spent the intervening time becoming a workaholic, and ignoring his desperate desire to her.

When he sees her husband’s obituary in the papers, he can’t stop himself from attending the funeral. However, when he gets there he sees that the grieving widow isn’t Natalie at all, but a completely different woman. Thus begins a search for the truth that leads him down several dead-ends. It transpires that nobody has seen Natalie in years, and Jake begins to believe the life he has made for himself is built on a massive lie.

Tell No One 41426k

Much of Coben’s work has been adapted into French-language content, including this 2001 novel which became a film starring Guillaume Canet and Kristen Scott Thomas. It was only his third standalone novel, but is one of the main reasons he became such a hit in the crime and mystery world, and allowed him to move on from his highly successful Myron Bolitar series. We really don’t know much about this production other than the fact it’s in development.

The story follows the young, relatively newlyweds David and Elizabeth. They take a romantic trip to a secluded lake to celebrate the anniversary of their first kiss, only for Elizabeth to be abducted and brutally murdered. The killer is caught and punished, but that doesn’t help David at all. The grieving widower can’t seem to get over the death, no matter how hard he tries.

Eight years later, authorities uncover two decaying bodies near the very same lake, bringing up old memories for David. Things only get more confusing when he receives an unsolicited email from a stranger that uses a special phrase that only he and Elizabeth knew. David, certain that something isn’t right, begins to investigate.

Long Lost 4g14i

Again, we know very little about the adaptation of Long Lost, except for the fact it’s in development. It’s based on the ninth Myron Bolitar book, and follows the detective as he hears from an old flame who disappeared from his life. She weaves a tale of woe that includes the death of her daughter, ending with the bombshell that she’s a suspect in the murder of her ex-husband in Paris. At the end of the call, she asks Myron for his help, and he accepts.

However, things aren’t as straightforward as they seem. Myron unearths a piece of evidence that makes him think his former lover might have a lot more to her than he previously thought and, more importantly, her deceased child might still be alive. The pair tear through Paris, attempting to stay ahead of the police, dangerous criminals, and even Mossad.

Right now it seems Netflix viewers just can’t get enough of Harlan Coben, and we can’t blame them — his books have translated almost perfectly into intense mystery thrillers. So, if you’ve just finished Fool Me Once and you’re looking for more like it, you’re in luck.

He’s one of the most prolific murder mystery writers in the game at the moment, having written 34 books and not showing signs of slowing down. Netflix has made eight series with Coben’s name attached so far, although only seven are adapted from his books, with Safe (2018) being an original series written by the author. If you want to know which of those shows are the best, we’ve also made a neat list ranking them from best to worst.

Netflix isn’t the only one looking to work with the author as other streaming platforms and networks have also turned his books into series. There was also a French film based on his book Tell No One way back in 2006. Even though that’s a movie, not a series, it gets an honorable mention for being the first proper Coben adaptation.

Coming back to the exceptional TV adaptations of his work, the shows come from all over the place, a handful have been filmed and set in the U.K., while others became a silver screen reality in Poland, , and Spain. But the setting doesn’t really count, what matters is the story, the mystery, and the suspense.

Fool Me Once (2024) 1d2d1y

Based on: Fool Me Once (2016)

This is the most recent series to be released on Netflix. The story follows Maya, a grieving widow who finds footage that proves her dead husband might not be as dead as he’s supposed to be. From there Maya begins unraveling a wild conspiracy that also links her sister’s death to the convoluted mess of secrets connected to her husband. The plot will keep you guessing right up until the end.

Shelter (2023) 1h5r24

Based on: Shelter (2011)

This is one of the few TV series based on Coben’s works to be adapted by another streaming network. After seeing all the success Netflix had found with previous adaptations, seems like Amazon wanted a piece of that pie too.

In Shelter, when a strange old woman tells Mickey that his father isn’t dead, he begins uncovering the dark underbelly of his quiet suburban town. Despite being on a different platform, the limited series still feels just like the other Coben shows over at Netflix and is as captivating as the other wonders bringing Coben’s imagination to life.

Hold Tight (2022) 6a4f8

Based on: Hold Tight (2008)

After the death of his friend, teenager Adam goes missing, and as the story turns to his family and the aftermath, secrets are exposed and people’s lives begin to unravel. It’s one of the shorter Coben adaptations (being only six episodes in total), but that just means you can binge the whole thing in one evening because let’s be honest, once your brain is obsessed with its plot, it won’t let you sleep unless you how it all ends.

Stay Close (2021) 6rr1i

Based on: Stay Close (2012)

The investigation into the case of a missing person links to a similar cold case from a long time ago. As DS Michael Broome falls deeper into the mystery, it threatens to reveal not only his dark secrets, but the secrets of others as well. It’s got all the mainstays of a classic Harlan Coben series — murder, mystery, and most importantly, Richard Armitage.

Gone for Good (2021) 6d616x

Based on: Gone for Good (2002)

Once again we see a protagonist unraveling a mystery after a loved one goes missing. We’re starting to notice a pattern with these Harlan Coben stories, but hey, people always say that stick to what you’re good at and there’s no doubt that the author is very good at accurately portraying the specific brand of chaos that spreads when dark secrets, hidden for decades, are finally revealed.

The Innocent (2021) 4w4870

Based on: The Innocent (2005)

Almost a decade after accidentally killing a man, Mateo has started his life over, but it seems like the past isn’t done with him as a mysterious phone call threatens to resurrect the not-so-good old days. Arguably this Spanish adaptation of the 2005 novel of the same name is one of the best Coben adaptations — with a solid 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, this isn’t one to miss out on.

The Woods (2020) 1o435

Based on: The Woods (2007)

Another mysterious murder and another great example of Coben’s writing combined with stellar acting. The Woods follows a Polish prosecutor, Paweł Kopiński, who is called upon to identify the body of a murder victim. Kopiński suspects that it might all be linked to another murder and the disappearance of his sister, which occurred 25 years prior. The story takes place in two time periods, 1994 and 2019, as we go forward and backward between the past and present.

The Stranger (2020) 5o2i4q

Based on: The Stranger (2015)

By now you should know the drill — a disappearance, dark secrets, Richard Armitage is there too.

When family man Adam Price’s wife goes missing, he embarks on a quest to discover what happened to her. At the same time, a stranger shows up in the town threatening to expose the dark secrets kept by the people around Adam. Also, there’s a weird subplot involving a decapitated alpaca, but trust me, it is all neatly tied up by the end.

No Second Chance (2015) 5l114k

Based on: No Second Chance (2003)

The beginning of the Coben adaptations, this mini-series created for French television isn’t as well known as the rest. The plot revolves around Alice Lambert, a doctor whose husband is killed and her daughter is kidnapped. When the police fail to help, Lambert hatches her own plan to find her daughter and get revenge.

Will there be future adaptations? 62595k

Back in 2018, Netflix signed a five-year contract to adapt 14 Harlan Coben novels. While it’s been more than five years, it looks like the streaming giant is still obligated to produce six more stories. Considering how successful they’ve been making more of these seems like a no-brainer.

And as we’ve seen, Netflix isn’t the only platform vying for the rights to adapt some Coben novels. Amazon has already had a go and there’s clearly interest from other parts of the world with French, Spanish, and Polish series all based on his book. It’s only a matter of time before somebody else aspires to take a stab at it.

Nothing has been confirmed yet regarding what the next adaptation will be, but we can daydream — there are plenty of novels to choose from!

What is one thing that both Netflix and Marvel Studios always need more of? British acting talent, apparently.

With the streaming giant finding international success again and again with its U.K.-based productions, and Marvel frequently shooting its movies and shows across the pond, the acting community of Great Britain and Ireland has been kept in gainful employment over the past decade or so, and that’s probably not going to change anytime soon either. Just take a look at Netflix’s Fool Me Once or Secret Invasion.

In fact, the smash-hit mystery-thriller series actually features a couple of stars who have already appeared in the MCU as well, although you would be forgiven for forgetting their stints in the Sacred Timeline. What’s more, as Marvel burns through the rest of SAG-AFTRA and Equity (the British actors’ union) for its next round of projects, it might want to keep these three other Fool Me Once cast- in mind.

Fool Me Once actors who’ve already ed the MCU 417125

Richard Armitage 26s2f

Richard Armitage is often cited as one of those actors Marvel wasted in a tiny bit-part. Just a year before he was playing the all-important role of Thorin in The Hobbit trilogy, and 13 before he ed the cast of Fool Me Once as Joe, Armitage showed up in Captain America: The First Avenger for a handful of minutes. In his defense, his role as HYDRA undercover agent Heinz Kruger might be small but he is responsible for attempting to stop Steve Rogers’ super-soldier transformation, meaning he’s an integral part of Cap’s origins.

Emmett J. Scanlan w5z

A decade before he creeped us all out for no reason at all as Shane in Fool Me Once (he was just a red herring so why was he such a stalker? We need answers, Netflix!), Emmett J. Scanlan made a brief MCU appearance in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy. Scanlan played the Head Riot Guard at space prison the Kyln, who is tortured by Nebula for information on the Guardians’ escape. Scanlan later got to make a bigger impression in the DC multiverse, portraying Lobo in Syfy’s Krypton — a mooted spinoff that would’ve seen him reprise his role failed to get the greenlight.

Fool Me Once actors who should the MCU 4h2d3o

Dino Fetscher 3m4o3o

That’s it for Fool Me Once actors who have already been in Marvel — although Charlie Cain, who plays Maya’s nephew Louis, worked in the art department on The Marvels — but there are some other cast- who would be a great fit for the MCU. First up, Dino Fetscher steals every scene he’s in as Marty McGreggor aka Detective Himbo. Fetscher has such a likeable screen presence and excellent comic timing that he’d be a natural for any light-hearted Marvel production. e.g. She-Hulk season 2.

Adeel Akhtar 294f45

Adeel Akhtar is a Netflix favorite at this point, after his roles in the Enola Holmes films, Sweet Tooth (produced by Marvel’s own Robert Downey Jr.), and both of Adam Sandler’s Murder Mystery movies. Not to mention his recurring part in Killing Eve. Basically, this guy is so prolific that he’s bound to end up in the MCU somewhere sooner or later. If there was any doubt, though, his portrayal of loveably curmudgeonly detective Sam Kierce makes it clear what he could bring to the franchise. Especially if he’s paired up with Fetscher again for round two of their adorable double act.

Hattie Morahan 22x58

Hattie Morahan has got to be one of the most prolific, talented and yet underrated character actresses working in the U.K. today. Aside from playing Caroline Burkett in Fool Me Once, you may have seen her as the Enchantress in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast or Netflix’s own Luther: The Fallen Sun, Enola Holmes, and Sex Education. She’s even played a companion of the Doctor in Doctor Who audio dramas. Morahan is equally at home in crime thrillers and sci-fi universes, then, meaning she’d be a delightful addition to some future Marvel project. Thereby allowing a whole new audience to point at the screen like Leonardo DiCaprio and say “Hey! It’s that lady from that thing!”

Fool Me Once has left a lasting impression on viewers ever since its Jan. 1, 2024 debut on Netflix.

From its stellar cast to its many twists and turns, there’s no question why it shot to the #1 spot on the Netflix charts in multiple countries and stayed there. The only problem is that it’s too short, leaving fans wanting more but sadly offering very little guarantee that more is coming.

The show’s vibe is unique, as tends to be the case with Harlan Coben’s adaptations, but the truth is, Netflix boasts a relatively limited catalogue of series with that same kind of thrilling, whodunnit feel. If you enjoyed Coben’s latest and are itching for something to watch that feels fresh but familiar, fear not ⏤ there is more out there if you know where to look.

Someone at Netflix must love adapting mystery thrillers from the U.K., because there are actually a fair few currently on the platform. Whoever this person is should be given a raise, because all of these series have been great. Behind Her Eyes is no exception. In fact, I’d argue that its twists are even more insane than the ones in Fool Me Once. Without giving anything away, I’d go so far as to say that the ending has one of the most mind-blowing twists on all of Netflix. But before you reach the end, you need to start at the beginning ⏤ a very good place to start, as it turns out.

What is Behind Her Eyes about? 5co4k

Behind Her Eyes is based on the New York Times bestseller of the same name written by Sarah Pinborough. It follows Louise, a single mother who starts having an affair with her boss, David, which grows increasingly more complicated when she befriends David’s wife, Adele, and is drawn into their dark and strange lives.

The show was released on Netflix back in 2021 and received a decent amount of attention at the time, but it’s mostly been forgotten now. This is a crime against humanity given the show’s latter episodes, which are so pulse-pounding, you’ll struggle to understand why no one told you about it sooner. It boasts an ending that still plays in my mind three years later. That’s not to say the rest of the show is forgettable; in fact, the way the mystery develops and the pieces all slowly come together is reminiscent of Fool Me Once, but superior (without question).

Each episode gives viewers another piece of the overall puzzle, but more often than not it raises more questions, making it hard to know who to trust as Louise learns more and more about David and Adele. When everything comes together in the end, though? Trust me, your mind will be blown.

One thing that’s worth knowing before watching Behind Her Eyes is that it’s a different kind of thriller than Fool Me Once ⏤ I won’t say what kind, as the surprise is a powerful one, but just know that you should absolutely stick with it when things start getting weird around episode four. The beginning of the series is ittedly a bit slow, but the way the dots connect by the show’s shocking conclusion is nothing short of shock-inducing.

If you liked Fool Me Once and are on the hunt for that next intense thriller, I can’t recommend this show enough. It’s weird, it’s suspenseful, and it will haunt you long after you’re done watching and are attempting to pick your jaw up off the floor. Don’t be a fool ⏤ give it a go.

There are many things that can be said of Netflix’s latest streaming sensation, mystery thriller series Fool Me Once. Far-fetched to the point of straining credulity? Suffering from a too-short series finale? Check and check. But boring? Definitely not.

As the latest limited series from the platform to be based on the works of author Harlan Coben, Fool Me Once keeps on piling on the shocking plot developments, ending each and every one of its eight episodes on a massive cliffhanger that keeps you wanting more. And even though its final installment is only just over half-hour long, it still packs in even more twists and turns that we didn’t see coming.

True to form for a crime thriller, this includes another shocking death. But who’s the killer of this latest, and most mind-blowing, victim?

Who is responsible for Fool Me Once‘s final surprise death? 376ig

They say a story should put its protagonist through the ringer, and that’s definitely what Fool Me Once does with Maya Stern (Michelle Keegan). Her sister and husband have been murdered and her career in the military has been ended by a whistleblower… and that’s just her backstory! Luckily, she also possesses an enviably copious coat closet otherwise her life would really suck.

Things only get tougher throughout the season, too, as we learn that Maya is also carrying around some serious guilt over causing the deaths of civilians during her last military mission. Not to mention the fact that she killed her husband. But only because he was the one who murdered her sister first, due to her uncovering all about his family’s dark secrets.

Armed with the truth, and ready to come clean about her own crimes, Maya confronts her in-laws, the Burketts, over the secrets Joe was willing to kill to keep hidden: that he murdered two boys as a teenager (including his own brother, Andrew) and that Burkett Global, the family’s pharmaceutical firm, has been selling dangerous drugs that pose a serious health risk.

While matriarch Judith (Joanna Lumley) attempts to strike a deal with Maya to conceal the truth, a furious Neil (James Northcote) — the last surviving son of the Burkett family — grabs Maya’s gun and fatally shoots her. He thinks he’s solved their problems, but actually Maya had hidden a secret nanny cam in the room, which was livestreaming online, capturing the Burketts literally red-handed for the world to see.

So, yes, Neil is Maya’s killer. Although only a minor character throughout the show, it’s clear that Joe being his mother’s favorite child had fostered in Neil a dangerous inferiority complex and he was clearly eager to take over the business now that his older brother was out the way. Likewise, it becomes apparent that he shares Joe’s murderous tendencies.

Although Fool Me Once‘s final flashforward scene skips over exactly what happens to the Burketts, with actual video evidence of his crime available, no doubt Neil was sentenced to a lengthy stretch in jail for the murder of Maya Stern. RIP Maya, I hope you got to take your coats with you to heaven.

There’s really only one question viewers are asking when watching a mystery-thriller series like Fool Me Once. I mean, it’s the name of the whole genre itself: whodunnit? Forget the whys and the hows, what you want to know is which character pulled the trigger, wielded the knife, or killed Professor Plum in the library with the lead piping.

Sometimes, though, the answer isn’t quite so clear-cut, as is the case with the aforementioned Netflix smash-hit series As anyone who’s seen any of the other Netflix adaptations of the best-selling author’s works will know, Harlan Coben stories pile on twist after twist, making them much more ambitious and complex than your average crime thriller.

So, once you’ve blasted through the (oddly short) Fool Me Once finale, you might find yourself wondering: who exactly dunnit in this show, anyway?

Who counts as the “real” killer of Fool Me Once? 6a2hw

Here’s the root of the killer confusion: there are actually three murderers in Fool Me Once, making it difficult to determine which one is the ultimate culprit.

When the series begins, Maya Stern is grieving after the murders of both her sister, Claire, and her husband, Joe — Claire from a home invasion and Joe from an apparent mugging. Things aren’t exactly as it seems, because we find out in the penultimate episode that Maya killed Joe. Why did she murder her husband? Because she discovered he was the one who murdered her sister.

Joe, it turns out, has been a killer all along, as he murdered both schoolmate Theo Mora and his brother, Andrew, during his teenage years. When Claire turned corporate spy for whistleblower Corey the Whistle, uncovering evidence of Joe’s crimes and that his family company Burkett Global were guilty of major pharmaceutical malpractice, Joe murdered her, along with Tommy Dark — who knew the truth about Andrew’s death.

The third killer in the series, tragically, is the one who murders Maya herself. To entrap the Burketts into itting the truth about Joe’s crimes and the company’s, Maya confronts her in-laws while recording them on a secret nanny cam, even laying down her gun to entice one of them into using it. The oldest surviving son Neil grabs the weapon and shoots her dead. Maya loses her life but her plan comes to fruition and the corruption of the Burketts is outed to the world.

So who’s the true killer? Certainly, the character with the most blood directly on their hands is Joe, as he’s painted as someone with a taste for killing dating back to his adolescence. Then again, Neil is the one who murders the show’s heroine. And yet Maya is a killer herself. While we can perhaps forgive her for murdering Joe, she’s also responsible for firing on civilians during her service in the armed forces. Still, her deep guilt over this mistake means it’s hard to describe her as the villain.

However, it’s also possible to argue that the most reprehensible character never actually kills anyone. Judith Burkett, the head of Burkett Global since the death of her husband, is the person ultimately responsible for releasing dangerous drugs into the world which did many people — including Sam Kierce — serious harm. Likewise, by her ission, she is guilty of raising Joe to believe he was better than everyone else and for ignoring her son Neil, which no doubt fostered his murderous temper.

The identity of the “real killer” of Fool Me Once pretty much depends on the interpretation of each individual viewer, then. Although, whoever it is, it’s clear virtually every member of the Burkett family has some skeletons in their closet.

On the face of it, Netflix’s latest Harlan Coben thriller series, Fool Me Once, has little in common with the MCU. Other than the fact that actor Richard Armitage once played a Nazi spy who accidentally helped Captain America. And that the show’s storyline gets so far-fetched it might as well be set in the same universe as a talking tree.

And yet Fool Me Once actually falls prey to a problem that Marvel has repeated time and again on Disney Plus, a problem that particularly plagued the MCU’s most disastrous series ever. Yes, although they may seem to have as little in common as Fool Me Once does with a plausible plot, the Netflix show shares a quality-killing trait with none other than Marvel’s Secret Invasion.

Fool Me Once and Secret Invasion both have fatally short finales 2p5a1r

The benefit of streaming services is that production crews can make episodes as long as they like without having to be confined by traditional television scheduling, so that’s why it’s so frustrating when streaming shows decide to hand in tiny-teeny season finales, thereby reducing the impact of a series’ most important episode and therefore the series as a whole.

Both Fool Me Once and Secret Invasion are shows whose premieres were exactly 55 minutes in length but they ended with final episodes that were barely longer than half an hour — the Netflix show’s eighth installment was 34 minutes while the Marvel effort was 38 minutes. Both series were thriller series that required an action-packed but also informative finale to clear up many questions fans had over the course of the run. As a result of their brief lengths, however, both failed in this regard in many ways.

Secret Invasion‘s crimes are legendary at this point, but as a reminder, it left the plight of the Skrulls in an even worse state than at the show’s beginning, with questions regarding Nick Fury’s motivations and actions being left unanswered. Similarly, Fool Me Once drops a massive — and genuinely shocking — twist at the tail-end of its penultimate episode and then crowbars in a rushed conclusion in its 30-minute finale. In a mystery series this is particularly egregious, as various red herrings and the shifty behavior of would-be suspects are left unexplained (Shane, I still wouldn’t let you around my kid, buddy).

Thanks to the bewildering brevity of Fool Me Once‘s end, Maya’s motivations for the self-sacrificial stunt she plays on the Burketts are as mystifying as Fury’s own for being a grumpy sourpuss all season. Likewise, the way the Burketts are brought down is dealt with so swiftly and tied up in such a hurried bow that it makes as much sense as Emilia Clarke suddenly becoming the MCU’s strongest hero to defeat *checks Google* Gravik.

Of course, neither Netflix nor Disney Plus will learn any kind of lesson from these Ant-Man-sized endings, for very different reasons. Netflix won’t care because Fool Me Once is a ratings smash, whether audiences felt let down by the finale or not, while viewers never clicked on Secret Invasion in the first place so few stuck around long enough to be miffed about the conclusion being on the short side.

Fool me once, streaming, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on the MCU.

Fool Me Once might well be an intense conspiracy thriller filled with murder and paranoia, but it looks like the cast were having a pretty good time behind the scenes, as footage shared from on set shows actor Dino Fetscher and Adeel Akhtar having a laugh in between takes.

The clip was shared to Instagram by Dino, a fresh face in the ever-expanding Coben-verse, but fans have already taken a liking to the actor. The BTS footage shows him and his co-star applying each other’s make up whilst cracking each other up and just generally having a pretty good time.

According to the actor, it’s “a little insight to the giggles we had every day.” This is the kind of behind the scenes footage we love to see, where the cast are having a bit of banter with each other, and it’s clear that they are both enjoying their work. 

Fetscher and Akhtar play on-screen detective duo DS Sami Kierce (Akhtar) and Marty McGreggor (Fetscher). On his Instagram, Dino captions the clip speaking highly of the whole cast and crew but practically showering his on-screen partner in praise. 

“This job was a joy for me, for many reasons, but one of the main ones (not THE main one ok, keep that head in check @adeelakhtar ) was my partner in crime (solving) Adeel. Working with you was such joy from start to finish! Learned a lot from you.”

Fetscher also gives an explanation as to why they were doing each other’s make-up. According to the actor, the scene was shot during a heatwave which is very unlucky considering where it was shot is only hot for maybe a couple weeks a year.

The whole scene was filmed on a low loader. If you don’t know that is, don’t worry, neither do I. Luckily Fetscher gives a brief description in the caption: apparently it’s “a kind of special tow truck that tows the car at road level, so it looks like we are driving a low loader is a “special truck that tows the car at road level.” That explains why it looks like they’re driving whilst simultaneously applying make-up and not paying any attention to the road. 

Anyways, the make-up department couldn’t get to the pair between takes, thanks to the car being loaded onto the back of the truck. With the sweltering heat melting the make-up off of their faces, they took it upon themselves to fix each other’s make up, as you do.

It seems fans of the show enjoyed watching the duo together as much as the actors enjoyed playing the part. Fetscher’s followers commented on the clip, some praising the two for their chemistry on screen, whilst others responded to the humorous clip calling the pair “hilarious.” Some fans even want to see a spin-off series focusing on the two detectives — perhaps that could be one the cards if enough people got behind it? Maybe we should get a petition started.

Harlan Coben is one of this generation’s best writers. He’s a New York Times #1 bestselling author and a master of psychological suspense, twists, and turns that leave his readers eagerly turning page after page of his compendium of mystery-thrillers.

And, like every exceptional writer of his caliber, his work has been given the very best on-screen treatment, in this case, via Netflix. So far, eight of his stories have been released on the platform, one of which was streamed as a standalone adaptation while the rest have been subsequently produced through a 14-series deal with the streamer. Another seven are slated to appear in the future, with Coben as the constant executive producer of each series.

While his stories are reliably entertaining, some outrank others. Here are all of Coben’s projects to be released on Netflix so far, ranked from worst to first.

Gone For Good 6p59x

This 2021 drama features a young French man (played by Finnegan Oldfield) who goes through a series of trials and tribulations in an attempt to make sense of two past murders and the current disappearance of his girlfriend. Along for the ride is the protagonist’s best friend, who isn’t squeaky clean himself, making things even more interesting.

The story, based on the 2002 novel, consists of only five episodes but has plenty of twists and turns that will leave viewers hooked enough to find out what happens next. That said, the coincidences that occur therein are a little too predictable, lowering the shock value from episode to episode and resulting in a lackluster ending with no real payoff.

Hold Tight y1g12

Released in April 2022, Hold Tight was based on Coben’s 2008 novel of the same name and was spread out over the course of six episodes. The story is set in a suburban neighborhood in Poland and hinges on the disappearance of one character after the mysterious death of his friend. A family of four are themselves the main characters, but they’re not the only ones with skeletons in their closets ⏤ nearly every single person the audience sees has a damning secret of some kind. It’s a decent story at best, but with everyone seeming like they’re hiding something, viewers might find themselves confused about who, if anyone, can be trusted throughout the whole ordeal, and not in a good way.

The Stranger 4oz1n

This 2020 production focuses on a suburban dad, played by Corben-verse fave Richard Armitage, who is abruptly faced with some rather disturbing accusations regarding his wife. When he decides to act on what he’s heard, the missus goes missing and that’s just one of the threads that make this story ever so tangled.

Based on the 2015 book of the same name, The Stranger is definitely a story worth watching. However, some viewers will note that while witnessing the eight episodes unfold, the mixture of what’s truly strange and the apparent lack of emotion in some parts will make for an odd experience. All the same, there are some terrific performances in this heart-pounding drama and more than a few surprising moments.

Stay Close 2f1b13

This eight-episode series was released at the very end of 2021 and was based on Coben’s 2012 novel of the same name. Starring Cush Jumbo as the female protagonist ⏤ a rarity amongst Coben’s stories ⏤ Stay Close centers around a woman whose checkered past resurfaces and drastically interferes with her quiet suburban life. Of course, her storyline is not without mysteries, nor are the ones involving the ing characters. What’s going on with all of the involved parties might be a little too much for some viewers to navigate, but the last episode alone is worth the complicated journey ⏤ as long as you can stomach the pair of truly creepy dancing assassins that pop up along the way.

The Woods 35571y

This mystery, set in Poland, is based on the 2007 novel of the same name, and was released in 2020. An attorney, played by Polish actor Grzegorz Damięcki, revisits adolescent memories after he’s tasked with identifying a victim that has died under mysterious circumstances. The deceased triggers the lawyer’s memories from his teenage years, which took place at a local summer camp. Trying to piece things together along with the lead character forces the audience to bounce between two timelines: the present day and the summer of 1994. Old faces from his past certainly make things all the more intriguing and viewers are even faced with a cliffhanger ending, making this entry all the more worthwhile and unique.

Fool Me Once 3iu5

Netflix kicked off 2024 on a high with the release of Fool Me Once — adapted from the 2016 book — on New Year’s Day, which immediately gripped viewers the world over. Michelle Keegan stars as Maya Stern, a woman grieving for the recent murders of both her sister and her husband (Richard Armitage once more), whose understanding of her life and those she loves is upended when she spies her dead hubbie on a nanny cam.

From there, a mystery that seems to have no end unfolds over the following eight episodes, and while this means that the far-fetched narrative loses all sense of reality, it can be denied that it has you glued to the screen until its explosive conclusion, which sports one of Corben’s finest ever rug-pull reveals.

The Innocent 6v4w3p

This eight-episode series based on Coben’s 2005 novel follows a man who is fresh out of prison and eagerly looking to start a new life. Spanish actor Mario Casas plays the lead role wonderfully, and his character does indeed rebuild his new life only to have it shrouded in confusion by his new wife. From the beginning, the audience is cleverly misdirected by past details about the main character that don’t add up, and by the time viewers recognize their inherent cloud of confusion, they have no other choice but to watch The Innocent through to the very end to know for certain what’s going on.

Safe 425518

This was the first of Coben’s stories to be released on Netflix. He hadthree previous works ⏤ Tell No one, No Second Chance, and Just One Look ⏤ that were all adapted for the screen in Europe, and despite this one not being based on any of his previous literary works, it garnered the eventual multi-series deal that’s currently in production.

2018’s Safe stars Dexter’s Michael C. Hall as a British suburban father who must deal with the disappearance of his teenage daughter from their close-knit community. This, of course, is no easy task, as he’s also dealing with a deceased wife, complicated relationships with others in his social circle, and a web of lies that untangles perfectly by the time all eight episodes are through. It’s safe to say that this is Coben at his best, although one of these days a new series from the master of the modern thriller is bound to knock it from the top spot.