Harlan Coben is back, and he's done it again! His newest thriller series, Lazarus, just dropped on Prime Video, and it's just as gripping, mysterious, and full of shocking twists as fans would expect. It's been a while since we've seen a new project from Coben, so naturally, we were eager to dive in. And were we disappointed? Not at all!
Coben is best known for his fast-paced mystery and thriller novels. He has an ongoing deal with Netflix, under which many of his books have been adapted into hit series, including The Stranger, Stay Close, The Innocent and Fool Me Once. However, he usually sits back and acts as executive producer rather than helping write the scripts. But with Lazarus, he's the co-creator and executive producer alongside Danny Brocklehurst. Both also penned the show's scripts.
With so many of Coben’s books being turned into series, it’s natural to assume Lazarus might also be an adaptation. But is that the case? We've answered this burning question right below!
No, Lazarus is not based on a Harlan Coben book
This might come as a surprise, but it's the truth. Lazarus is not based on any of Coben’s novels. It’s an original story that Coben and Brocklehurst came up with in their brilliant minds. That means there’s no book to compare it to and no spoilers lurking in the pages. It's a brand-new mystery designed to keep viewers on the edge of their seats.
For those who are diehard Coben fans and have watched all of his shows on Netflix, you might not be that surprised that Lazarus isn't an adaptation of any of his novels. For example, his British Netflix series, Safe, isn't based on any of his books either. It tells an original story about a widowed father whose life is turned upside down when his teenage daughter goes missing.
It looks like Coben is starting to branch out more into original storytelling for television. This is great for fans because his books are being turned into shows left and right, and there won’t be any left to adapt soon. But by creating original series like Lazarus, he’s giving audiences entirely new stories to get hooked on.
Lazarus revolves around Joel “Laz” Lazarus, a forensic psychiatrist who returns to his family home following the mysterious suicide of his father, Dr. Jonathan Lazarus. Once he’s home, he starts experiencing strange, unsettling things that don’t have a clear explanation. While dealing with these disturbing experiences, he also becomes involved in investigating a series of unsolved murders, including the decades-old killing of his twin sister, Sutton.
Sam Claflin stars as the main character, Laz. The rest of the cast is made up of Bill Nighy, Alexandra Roach, Ewan Horrocks, David Fynn, Karla Crome, Kate Ashfield, Curtis Tennant, Lloyd Lai, and Roisin Gallagher.