Harlan Cobain is the king of crime. He has sold more than 80 million books, his television work has been successful around the world and he has production companies calling on him to come up with more ideas. Interestingly, he’s not a fan of killing people. Even when people die in his thrillers, they don’t always stay dead.
In Safe, his first Netflix drama, he focused on a missing teen who turns up alive. His latest book I Will Find You follows a father whose son – who was convicted of murder – may not be dead after all, while the next Netflix drama Fool Me Once is about a husband who is supposed to die but reappears on a child. a screen.
“I find disappearance more interesting than killing because there is hope,” says Harlan, 61, who was born in New Jersey. Hope can take your heart, put wings on it and let it fly away, or it can crush your heart like an eggshell. . This is the dynamic I like.
He began filming earlier this year in Manchester on Fool Me Once – his latest show to take an American story into a British setting.
The show was done with It’s A Sin producer Nikola Schindler, who first convinced him that his stories could be retold here. Their first project together, The Five in 2016, was set in North West Britain and was a success.
Harlan Coben (pictured) has sold more than 80 million books. His TV plays are international hits and he has production companies clamoring for him to come up with more ideas
The new show stars Joanna Lumley, Michelle Keegan and Richard Armitage, who have become fan favorites in Cobain’s world. This will be his third appearance in a drama after Stay Close and The Stranger.
Joanna plays Michelle’s mother-in-law and Richard’s husband, who is presumed dead.
“Because each of Richard’s roles is different, it pays to have him back,” says Harlan. We have a relationship that I value. And I think Joanna would be surprised in this role, it’s such a different role for her. It’s a great.
Harlan’s TV drama is strikingly different from other crime stories.
Hope can put wings on your heart – or crush it like an eggshell. This is the dynamic I like
It’s often set in walled mansions and with an aspirational aesthetic that feels more American than British, but he insists it doesn’t make it any less authentic.
“One of the funniest things is when people say to me, ‘No one lives in houses like that,’ and I say, ‘Well, these houses aren’t empty; people live in it.
Harlan loves working with a team he can trust – along with Nicola, he co-writes with Brasic Danny Brocklehorst, but this time he’ll be without a key team member – his daughter Charlotte.
“She wrote an episode of Fool Me Once but it became so in demand that she went on to write her own series,” he sighs. “As a father, I am happy, but I am also saddened by her loss.”
The new show stars Joanna Lumley, Michelle Keegan and Richard Armitage, who have become fan favorites in Cobain’s world. This will be his third appearance in a drama after Stay Close (pictured) and The Stranger
Harlan’s hit series Gone For Good, based on his book, has been adapted into a five-part drama set in France.
His other works with Netflix include The Stranger, starring Jennifer Saunders, right, and The Woods, starring Hubert Milkowski, left.
Harlan co-wrote and produced his show and was scheduled last month in England, combining it with a tour for his new book, I’ll Find You.
In that story, a father was jailed for killing his young son, after a neighbor claimed to have seen him bury the murder weapon. Although he has a history of sleepwalking, he is convinced he did not.
Harlan has four adult children with his wife, Ann.
He became a literary sensation with his 2001 book Tell Nobody and Changed His Life.
His fortune is now estimated at £20 million, but he still publishes about one book a year.
In Safe (pictured), his first Netflix drama, he focused on a missing teen who turns up alive
His main TV home is Netflix, with whom he has a 14-project deal, but he also has an unnamed project with Apple TV+. Pictured is a stock image of a typewriter
I grew up with a good work ethic. It’s like being a plumber, I wouldn’t suddenly decide, ‘I can’t do pipes anymore. ”
His main TV home is Netflix, with which he has a 14-project deal, but he also has an unnamed project with Apple TV+, and a show working with Amazon Prime Video called Shelter, in which the head of the school learns his father may not die.
“I think part of the reason I didn’t kill my loved ones was because I lost my parents at a fairly young age – they both died by the time they were my age,” he says.
If someone dies they won’t come back, they won’t be a part of your life again. So I think the return of a dead person is a great security investigation; Hope is a powerful thing.
I Will Find You by Harlan Coben is now available in hardcover and eBook.