The new thriller series from Harlan Coben (Fool Me Once, The Stranger) is available to stream now on Netflix in its entirety.

Netflix has just added Run Away, the new thriller series from best-selling author Harlan Coben (Fool Me Once, Lazarus, The Stranger).

Adapting the writer’s 2019 novel of the same name, the show centres upon Simon Greene (Irish actor James Nesbitt, Five Minutes of Heaven), a man living in Manchester wiht a successful job as a wealth manager adn a loving wife named Ingrid (Minnie Driver, Good Will hunting).

Though the couple’s life seems perfect on the surface, they have been left shaken by their teenage daughter Paige (Ellie de Lange) running away from home.

Six months after her disappearance, and following much effort, Simon tracks down Paige, discovering her vulnerable and strung out on drugs, busking in a city park.

having the chance to take her home, their reunion is disrupted by the presence of Paige’s boyfriend, Aaron (thomas Flynn), whom Simon believes is abusive and violent.

Aaron and Simon wind up getting into a physical altercation, a video of which goes viral. The husband and father is also arrested for the fight, as paige disappears yet again.

Emboldened by the incident, Simon continues the search for his daughter, embarking on an inquiry that takes him into “a dangerous underworld, revealing deep secrets that could tear his family apart forever”.

Run Away Review

If you are a fan of any of Harlan Coben’s previous mystery thrillers for Netflix – the most famous of which are Safe, The Stranger, Stay Close, Fool Me Once and Missing You – chances are you’ll probably get a kick out of Run Away.

Having seen three episodes of the series, we’d say it doesn’t break from the winning formula Coben and his frequent writing collaborator, danny Brocklehurst, have established.

We’d sum this up as the following:

(1) A wide-ranging mystery borne out of a simple but universal question. In the case of Run Away, how far would a person go to protect their family?

(2) The introduction of a vast array of supporting characters, played by well-known character actors. many of these characters are revealed to have hidden motives or to be on their own enigmatic quests, becoming entangled in the series’ central mystery in unexpected, if sometimes convoluted, ways.

(3) Punchy and pacy 45-minute episodes that frequently enough end with enticing cliffhangers that make viewers immediately want to hit the “next episode” option on Netflix.

having mentioned that, JOE would actually rank Run Away as one of the author’s best TV shows to date, as of its clearer and tighter plotting, its greater sense of humour and its increased emphasis on character.

Having played supporting parts in two previous Coben projects, Stay Close and Missing You, Nesbitt makes for an extremely likeable protagonist.

Imbuing his driven and haunted lead cha

James Nesbitt on ‘Run Away’ and Adding a Bit of Irish Flavor

James Nesbitt stars in the upcoming Harlan Coben thriller, Run Away, which lands on Netflix on New Year’s Day.

Speaking to JOE, Nesbitt explained what drew him to the project and his character, Fiona Flemington.

“It came out of the blue. [Frequent Coben collaborator] Nicola Shindler got in touch. I’m a big fan of hers. I think she’s an unbelievable producer.

“We had a Zoom. I was actually on holiday at the time. I just warmed to Harlan. You consider what a huge powerhouse he is internationally, and yet [he’s] a very warm, accessible, easy to talk to person who is just excited about the project. That really drew me in.

“I’d listened to the audiobook of Run Away. I thought the story was just so gripping, the way… you’re constantly having the rug pulled from under you. That drew me to it.

“I just love the character. I love that when you first meet her,she’s stealing a dog. And you go: ‘Why is she stealing a dog?’ And then you think you’ve had that question answered, and then you realize: ‘oh, no, it isn’t that reason either.’ So all the time you’re being tossed and turned.

“As a viewer, that’s exciting. But for an actor, its really exciting as well. And again, it’s very different from anything I’ve played before. It was a no-brainer, really, to say yes.”

Run Away will drop globally on Netflix on New Year’s Day in over 190 countries.

Having mentioned that, Irish viewers in particular are sure to get a kick out of Nesbitt’s character – who is Northern Irish, like the actor – and his uniquely Irish turns of phrase.

At one point in the series, for example, Simon jokes about wanting to gift someone he has an issue with “a bucket of shite”.

When asked if these turns of phrase were in the initial script, Nesbitt told us: “No, I would bring that, because it’s important. It has to sound right coming out of my mouth.

“I mostly use my own accent. I do other accents, but I’ve always liked to have [my] accent out there. Notably, I think there’s a subconscious thing about the past and that accent only ever being really associated with conflict.”