Netflix’s 8-Part Harlan Coben Miniseries Is Still an Undisputed Classic

While Fool Me Once is certainly Harlan Coben‘s most-watched TV show, even grasping Netflix’s Top 10 most-watched TV shows of all-time list at one point, there are a few of his series that have remained under the radar. Among them is Stay Close, a 2021 eight-episode drama series on Netflix that’s full of twists and turns, and has scored an impressive 92% on Rotten Tomatoes.

The series, which has Coben’s signature style with mind-bending mystery, is the perfect weekend binge for anyone looking to be gripped from beginning to end. The story is all about how the past can come back to haunt you, even if you’re doing everything you can to move past it and reinvent yourself. But time has a way of playing tricks on you, as so does Coben.

What Is ‘Stay Close’ About?

Adapted by Danny Brocklehurst, Stay Close starts off with bride-to-be Megan Pierce (Cush Jumbo) as she enjoys her bachelorette party ahead of her seemingly picture-perfect wedding. But right when things are as happy as they can be, she gets a mysterious note on her doorstep that knocks her into place. The note is addressed to “Cassie,” her past self who she’s worked hard to keep buried. Right then, the suburban mother of three realizes she can’t escape her past, including her shady days as an exotic dancer at the strip club Vixens. As the series goes on, Megan tries to protect her family and confine her former life to the shadows, but new and old mysteries make it hard to keep everything under wraps.

Also essential to the series is Ray (Richard Armitage), a former documentary photographer who’s posing as a paparazzo, and Lorraine (Sarah Parish), an old acquaintance of Megan’s who comes back into her life unannounced. In Coben’s signature style, the series also follows an interconnected police investigation, this time led by the unrelenting DS Michael Broome (James Nesbitt), who becomes obsessed with solving a missing-person cold case. Their stories kick off when a man connected to their shared past disappears, 17 years to the night from another mystery, pulling them all into a web of lies, guilt, and unfinished business.

‘Stay Close’ Is An Underseen Mystery Modern Classic

While Stay Close didn’t receive the same attention as Fool Me Once or the latest Run Away when it was released, it was nonetheless loved by critics. Among the highlights, in addition to Jumbo’s solid lead performance, is the powerful cast of actors, including Coben’s often used actors Nesbitt and Armitage. Together, they built the outer layers of the story, all while adding to Megan/Cassie’s central drama. Plus, like many of Coben’s shows, the mystery is carefully and deliberately constructed and revealed throughout the series, making each episode a puzzle piece of the story. One review called the series a “particularly bonkers, lightning-fast, highly binge-able thriller.

With that said, while Harlan Coben has been known as a master of mysteries on the page, his TV shows have continued to make for enthralling and gripping TV. 2021’s Stay Close does just that, delivering a forbidden romance, a string of unsolved murders, medical scares, and a delicious finale that will have viewers satisfied and even craving for more.