It is the Kindle generation hitting 'Next Episode' instead of turning the page, and the suspense still hits just as hard. There was a time when best-selling novels lived only on bookshelves. Today, they live again, this time through play buttons and late-night binges. Harlan Coben’s work, in particular, has become synonymous with this shift, blurring the line between reading a thriller and watching one unfold.

And if you have just finished Run Away and are craving more of those tangled plots and slow-burn climaxes, there is one title you should not skip: Stay Close. Here is why it deserves a spot on your watchlist.

Within Netflix's roster, Stay Close stands out for how it synthesizes the elements that have made Harlan Coben’s Netflix catalog so compelling. It has intersecting lives, secrets that claw their way back into the light, and a central mystery that tightens like a noose. Released in December 2021, Stay Close quickly became one of the better-reviewed adaptations, earning strong audience scores and acclaim for its layered plotting. 

Netflix’s ongoing collaboration with Harlan Coben reads like a curated suspense marathon. The streamer’s first Coben adaptation was Safe, which debuted in May 2018 and introduced audiences to the author’s knack for threading emotional depth through mystery. Since then, Netflix has released at least nine series based on his novels, including The Stranger (2020), The Woods (2020), The Innocent (2021), Gone For Good (2021), Stay Close (2021), Hold Tight (2022), Fool Me Once (2024), Missing You (2025) and several international adaptations. 

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 If you have just immersed yourself in Coben’s latest mystery, Stay Close offers a rewarding continuation of his signature blend of domestic drama and genre suspense.

One of Harlan Coben’s defining narrative strengths, both in print and on screen, is his ability to engineer twists that feel organic yet surprising. In Run Away, the shock of an unraveling family drama propels the story forward. Stay Close applies that same mechanism on its own terms. The three disparate characters with buried pasts suddenly find their lives linked through disappearance, deception, and lies that refuse to stay buried. 

Stay Close does not simply replicate the twist-driven mechanics you loved in Run Away; it deepens them. Across its eight episodes, every discovery by Detective Broome or hesitation by Ray and Megan is framed in a way that nudges viewers to question what they think they know about a character’s motivations and history.

Of course, twists only work when the people at their center feel real, and Stay Close gets that balance right.

A mystery is only as compelling as the people at its center, and Stay Close is anchored by an ensemble that gives weight to every secret and hesitation. Cush Jumbo leads as Megan Pierce, a working mother whose carefully ordered life begins to fracture when elements of her past resurface.

Richard Armitage, returning to the Harlan Coben universe after The Stranger, portrays Ray Levine, a troubled photographer carrying emotional scars and fragmented memories, while James Nesbitt brings weary obsession to DS Michael Broome, a detective unable to let go of an unresolved disappearance that has shaped his career.

Supporting performances further enrich the series’ emotional texture. Sarah Parish adds unease as Lorraine, a familiar face whose presence signals disruption,. Meanwhile Jo Joyner grounds the procedural side of the story as Erin Cartwright, Broome’s colleague and ex-wife. Eddie Izzard appears as Harry Sutton, a morally conflicted lawyer whose role underscores the show’s recurring theme of blurred ethics. 

If you are looking for your next obsession after Run Away, Stay Close combines everything that makes a Harlan Coben Netflix adaptation addictive. Do your research, start the series, and prepare for a compelling journey through secrets, lies, and unexpected connections.

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Have you watched Stay Close yet? Dive in on Netflix and tell us which twist or character stayed with you long after the credits rolled.