Michelle Keegan reunites with Harlan Coben for a second Netflix thriller after Fool Me Once became one of the streaming service’s biggest ever hits

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Michelle Keegan is teaming up with Harlan Coben again for another Netflix thriller, following the massive success of their first collaboration, Fool Me Once.

The 38-year-old actress appeared alongside Joanna Lumley, Richard Armitage, and Adeel Akhtar in the series Fool Me Once, which first aired in 2022.

The actor, who previously starred in Coronation Street, is working on another film adaptation of a book by the American author.

Michelle joins The Love Hypothesis’ Tom Bateman in The Woods, adapted from Coben’s 2020 novel.

Joining the cast are James Buckley, known for his role in The Inbetweeners, and comedian Tom Allen. Mandeep Dhillon from After Life and Pearce Quigley of Small Prophets will also appear.

The film also features performances by Tracy-Ann Oberman, Rade Sherbedgia, Christopher Harper, Dean Fagan, Charlotte Beaumont, Roger Barclay, and a number of other talented actors.

The story begins twenty years after Paul Copeland’s sister, Camille, disappeared from a summer camp. Her vanishing deeply affected his family and left them brokenhearted.

Now a successful lawyer and a dedicated single father to his ten-year-old daughter, Cami, Cope seems to have moved on with his life. However, the discovery of a body – a man believed to have died twenty years ago at the same time as Camille – leads Cope to believe his sister might still be alive.

Driven to find out what really happened, Cope reconnects with his former love, Lucy Silverfield, and together they start investigating. Their search reveals a history of deception, hidden truths, and family secrets that could shatter Cope’s life.

In a recent statement, Harlan Coben described his novel, ‘The Woods,’ as a deeply personal and atmospheric story. He promises the usual suspense and surprises his readers enjoy, but emphasizes that at its heart, it’s a tale of enduring love and longing.

The show features a fantastic cast including Tom Bateman, Michelle Keegan, Mandeep Dhillon, Pearce Quigley, James Buckley, and Tom Allen – it’s a truly talented group of actors!

Furthermore, Danny Brocklehurst is adapting the book into an eight-part series for the streamer. 

Netflix is adding a 14th series based on Harlan Coben’s work, called The Woods, following previous adaptations like Missing You and Gone For Good.

Netflix released another Harlan Coben adaptation, Run Away, earlier in the year, and it received very positive reviews, earning a high score on Rotten Tomatoes.

The new murder mystery thriller, featuring Ruth Jones and James Nesbitt, premiered on the streaming service on New Year’s Day.

Following a marathon viewing session, viewers flooded the internet with enthusiastic reviews, with many stating they were immediately captivated.

This series is adapted from Harlan Coben’s 2019 novel and centers on Simon, a father whose life is disrupted when his daughter, Paige, disappears.

Over on Rotten Tomatoes, fans have shared their praise at the new series.

Someone commented that this was the first Harlan Coben series they truly enjoyed watching.

Someone else commented that the show is definitely wild and will probably grab people’s attention, but it ultimately feels a bit unsatisfying.

A third penned: ‘If you’ve enjoyed previous Harlan Coben adaptations, you should love this one.’

Someone else predicted the show will be full of dramatic, unresolved moments and unexpected twists that will constantly challenge your understanding of the story and characters.

One viewer described the show as a thrilling and twisty ride, full of intense violence – typical of Harlan Coben’s stories. They said it was captivating from beginning to end.

In a review for the Daily Mail, TV critic Christopher Stevens described the show as dramatically overblown, like a soap opera on steroids. He noted it requires actors who aren’t afraid to be very expressive, and an audience willing to accept its unbelievable storylines.

James Nesbitt excels at playing characters caught up in intense, dramatic situations. He previously starred in the New Year’s Day thriller ‘Missing You,’ and he brings even more energy to ‘Run Away’ – his performance is full of fiery emotion, even in seemingly ordinary moments like misplacing his car keys.

Actor Callum Keith Rennie plays Simon, a pretentious man who always flaunts his expensive watch. However, beneath the surface, he and his wife, Ingrid (Minnie Driver), are incredibly tense and controlled. Their daughter, Paige (Ellie de Lange), struggles with heroin addiction and is living on the streets.

Simon sees Paige performing music in a park and tries to convince her to come home with him. However, when Paige’s boyfriend, Aaron, steps in, Simon becomes violent.

Simon’s troubles don’t end with his arrest. To make things worse, someone filmed the altercation and shared it online, labeling him as a wealthy man attacking a homeless person.

‘All that happens within the first five minutes. Coben’s thrillers don’t hang around.’

Things move so fast that it’s pointless to try and figure out what’s going on or predict what will happen next. Just let it unfold.

Two criminals, reminiscent of Bonnie and Clyde, are driving in a car and having a quirky, meandering conversation that playfully imitates the unique style of Elmore Leonard.

Just then, Ruth Jones appears in the park and makes off with someone’s dog, then manages to get a free meal from the owner. It’s revealed she’s actually a private investigator named Elena, and she’s working on a case that doesn’t seem related to Simon’s arrest.

Elena gets angry when Lou, her partner and a computer hacker (played by Annette Badland), asks for the night off. She sarcastically replies that she’d rather be in Bali with Idris Elba, making sure to emphasize he’s ‘Sir Idris’.

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2026-04-29 17:39