If there’s one thing Harlan Coben knows how to do, it’s keep us on the edge of our seats. Thanks to his ongoing collaboration with Netflix, he’s brought his gripping novels to life, turning them into binge-worthy TV thrillers that are impossible to pause.
While many of his adaptations span different countries and languages, the British-set series have gained significant attention for their unique take on Coben's signature blend of mystery, drama, and suspense. With five British series now streaming on Netflix, fans are constantly debating which ones stand out as the most thrilling, engaging, and satisfying. So, let’s take a deep dive into all five British Harlan Coben Netflix shows and rank them from worst to best.
5. Stay Close
As a fan of Cush Jumbo, I was eagerly anticipating this series, but I couldn't shake the feeling of being somewhat disappointed by how it ultimately played out. While the show has a good plot on the surface, it becomes tangled in its execution. Over the course of its eight episodes, the show bounces from character to character and storyline to storyline, losing focus and struggling to maintain a coherent narrative. I was confused about what was going on most of the time, which made it difficult for me to get fully invested. Despite Jumbo's solid performance, the show didn’t quite live up to its potential for me.
Stay Close stars Jumbo as Megan Pierce, a suburban soccer mom with a seemingly perfect life who is hiding a dark past. As long-buried secrets resurface, her carefully constructed world starts to fall apart. She soon finds herself entangled with Ray Levine, a former documentary photographer, and DS Michael Broome, a tenacious detective fixated on solving a cold case involving a missing person from years ago.
4. Missing You
Slow Horses star Rosalind Eleazar playing the protagonist? I just had to check out this series. However, I wasn't that impressed by what I watched. Is it Coben's worst Netflix adaptation? No. There are several of his non-English adaptations that miss the mark more. But when we're comparing all the British adaptations, Missing You definitely feels like one of the weakest links. The premise captured my interest right away, but how the story unfolded left me underwhelmed.
What let me down most was the secondary plotline and how the series wrapped up. Coben’s shows usually do a great job of weaving multiple threads into one satisfying payoff, but here, the subplot involving a criminal luring singles through fake dating profiles felt clumsy and forced. Sure, it technically tied into the main story, but it just wasn't clever enough in my opinion. Then, there's the ending that just felt incomplete. But I guess I can't be all that mad if both the subplot and ending are the same as in the book.
Eleazar plays Kat Donovan, a detective who was happily engaged until one day her fiancé suddenly vanished. Many years later, she comes across his dating profile and soon finds herself pulled back into the mystery of his disappearance.
3. The Stranger
The Stranger is one of Coben's Netflix adaptations frequently mentioned in fan discussions, and it's no surprise, given how it keeps viewers on their toes with its unexpected twists. Richard Armitage delivers an amazing performance as a man plunged into a world of lies and deception after realizing that his seemingly perfect life is built on a foundation of secrets. Alongside him, Hannah John-Kamen plays the enigmatic stranger, adding an extra layer of mystery and intensity to the story. Put them together on screen, and the chemistry is undeniable, creating a tense, unpredictable dynamic between their characters.
Adam Price's life was going smoothly until one day, a mysterious woman reveals a startling secret about his wife, Corrinne. This discovery triggers a series of events that unravel Adam's seemingly perfect world, exposing a web of hidden lies, betrayals, and dangerous secrets.
2. Safe
After playing a serial killer for seven years in Dexter, Michael C. Hall took on a completely different role in the crime thriller Safe. This show will not only keep you invested all the way through, but it will also have you questioning every character and their hidden motives. In the eight-episode series, Hall portrays Tom Delaney, a widowed father to two teenage girls. When his eldest suddenly goes missing, Tom embarks on a desperate search to find her, uncovering a tangled web of secrets within his seemingly perfect affluent neighborhood.
1. Fool Me Once
We've finally reached the best British Harlan Coben Netflix show of all time, Fool Me Once. Not only does this series see the return of Armitage, but it also stars Coronation Street's Michelle Keegan in the leading role. What's so great about this show is its detailed plot that keeps you guessing at every turn. Unlike some of Coben's other adaptations, where the acting can sometimes fall short, I would argue that pretty much everyone in this show's cast delivers a standout performance. Overall, Fool Me Once is easily one of the most engaging and well-executed adaptations in Coben's catalog. It would be a shame if you skipped out on it.
Keegan plays Maya Stern, an ex-military pilot who is still grappling with the sudden and tragic loss of her husband. However, her world is completely shaken when, while reviewing her nanny cam footage, she discovers that her husband is alive. As she digs deeper into the mystery, Maya uncovers a web of lies and betrayal that forces her to confront uncomfortable truths about her husband and those closest to her.