The man behind Netflix's most talked about series: how American mystery writer Harlan Coben ran his own travel company before writing his first book at 26 and then becoming 'master of the suburban thriller' with more than 80 million books in print

For over twenty years he has been one of the most celebrated crime writers in the world.

American Harlan Coben, who published his first novel in 1990 at the age of 26, has sold more than 80 million books and is now an on-screen phenomenon thanks to his mega-money deal with Netflix.

The latest iteration of that collaboration is Fool Me Once, which debuted early this year and has viewers hooked.

It follows British adaptations of his novels Safe, The Stranger and Stay Close, as well as versions made for Polish (The Woods) and Spanish (The Innocent) viewers.

Before turning to writing novels, the 62-year-old “master of the suburban thriller” – as he is called by publishers – ran a travel agency founded by his mother and grandfather.

He previously said he “didn't like his duties” such as “getting up every morning and going to the office” and being responsible for “grumpy vacationers.”

The writer said he quickly learned that “I wasn't supposed to hold down a real job.”

His first novel, the suspense thriller Play Dead, was released in 1990. It was followed by Miracle Cure in 1991.

Throughout the remainder of the 1990s, he published several of his Myron Bolitar novels, kicking off in 1995 with Deal Breaker.

But it was in 2001, with the publication of Tell No One, that he became an international sensation.

He has four children with his wife Anne Armstrong, with whom he lives in New Jersey.

His daughter Charlotte has followed in her father's footsteps and is one of the writers of the adaptation of Fool Me Once.

He told Daily Mail's Weekend magazine earlier this year: 'She wrote one of the episodes of Fool Me Once but she has become so in demand that she has started writing her own series.

“As a father I am happy, but I am also a bit sad to lose her.”

He added on Good Morning America that Charlotte is “a lot funnier than me, and makes younger people better.”

Coben also considers fellow publishing sensation Stephen King – who is 15 years his senior – his “idol.”

This was the term he chose when he wished the author of The Shining and dozens of other novels a happy birthday last September, in a message that included a photo of them together.

Fool Me Once is just the latest of a total of 14 of Coben's books that have been or will be adapted for film audiences in countries such as Britain, Spain and Poland.

The American revealed in a previous interview that he “sells more internationally than I do in the US” – a possible reason for European audiences being the focus of the Netflix adaptations.

He told Deadline in 2021: 'They want to do a lot of international things and my books sell well abroad.

'I sell more internationally than in the US.

“I thought it would be a cool opportunity to do a Netflix Spain show, Netflix France show, Netflix UK show, Netflix US show. It appealed to me.'

Coben was first convinced that his stories could be adapted for a foreign audience by producer Nicola Schindler, who made hit drama It's A Sin.

The pair's first project, The Five, was released in 2016 and was set in the North West of Britain.

In 2018, Coben signed a five-year mega deal with Netflix. The project allowed the streaming giant to adapt fourteen of its novels into English and foreign-language series.

Fool Me Once is the fourth English-language production, after Safe (2018), The Stranger (2020) and Stay Close, which was released in 2022.

Polish shows The Woods and Hold Tight premiered on Netflix in 2020 and 2022 respectively, while Spanish production The Innocent arrived in 2021.

The French show Gone for Good, again based on Coben's novel of the same name, also appeared in 2021.

They are all based on Coben's novels, but the characters and locations have been changed to place them in the countries where they were broadcast.

The Netflix version of Fool Me Once, like the three previous English-language adaptations, is set in the northwest of England, rather than New York as in the original novels.

Critics are divided over the series, while some viewers have labeled it 'far-fetched'.

The production is currently topping the viewing charts following its release on New Year's Day.

Brit Richard Armitage – who previously starred in The Stranger and Stay Close – plays murdered husband Joe Burkett.

The series also stars Michelle Keegan and Joanna Lumley.

In addition to his Netflix deal, Coben has partnerships with Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime Video.

The latter led to the production of the drama Shelter, which was released last year.

Netflix is ​​also about to adapt Coben's 11-book Myron Bolitar series.

This time, the American setting of the novels will be retained and the show will be the first American-produced adaptation of Coben's works.

The author told Deadline last year that he would also like to make Netflix shows for audiences in Germany, Italy, Brazil, Argentina and Mexico.

Asked how he stays informed when shows are made in languages ​​he doesn't speak, he said, “I'll talk to actors, I'll talk to people who speak the language. For the most part, I have to trust my team.

“There are local things I don't quite understand, which makes it more interesting to me in some ways.”