Harlan Coben
{{Short description|American fiction writer (born 1962)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox writer
| name = Harlan Coben
| image = Harlan Coben.jpg
| alt =
| pseudonym =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1962|01|04}}
| birth_place = Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| occupation = Author
| citizenship =
| education =
| alma_mater = Amherst College
| period = 1990–present
| subject =
| movement =
| notableworks = Myron Bolitar series of novels
| spouse = Anne Helen Armstrong
| children = 4
| partner =
| relatives =
| awards = Anthony Award (1996),
Edgar Award and Shamus Award (1997)
| signature =
| signature_alt =
| website = {{URL|harlancoben.com}}
| portaldisp =
}}
Harlan Coben (born January 4, 1962{{Cite web |title=Coben, Harlan 1962– |url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/educational-magazines/coben-harlan-1962 |access-date=2025-03-12 |website=Encyclopedia.com}}) is an American writer of mystery novels and thrillers. The plots of his novels often involve the resurfacing of unresolved or misinterpreted events in the past, murders, or fatal accidents and have multiple twists. Twelve of his novels have been adapted for film and television.
Coben has won an Edgar Award, a Shamus Award, and an Anthony Award—the first author to receive all three.{{cite web|last=Khomami|first=Nadia|title=New thriller from master of twists and turns Harlan Coben comes to Netflix|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/jan/01/harlan-coben-crime-writer-netflix-fool-me-once|website=The Guardian|date=January 1, 2023|access-date=January 1, 2023}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.fantasticfiction.com/c/harlan-coben/|title=Harlan Coben|website=fantasticfiction.com}} His books have been translated into 46 languages and sold over 90 million copies.{{Cite podcast |author=Black |first=Michael Ian |title=How to be Amazing with Michael Ian Black |date=August 30, 2016 |url=http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/prx/how-to-be-amazing-with-michael-ian-black/e/39-harlan-coben-46135102 |publisher=Stitcher.com |access-date=September 21, 2016}}
Early life and education
Coben was born into a Jewish family in Newark, New Jersey, and was raised in Livingston,{{Cite news |last=Cowles |first=Gregory |date=March 29, 2013 |title=Inside the List |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/07/books/review/inside-the-list.html |access-date=March 27, 2022 |issn=0362-4331}} where he graduated from Livingston High School, with his childhood friend, future governor Chris Christie.{{cite web|last=Coben |first=Harlan |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/06/opinion/06coben.html |title=Chris Christie Confidential |work=The New York Times |date=November 5, 2009 |access-date=October 29, 2015}} His brother is the noted businessman Lawrence S. Coben.
He studied political science at Amherst College, where he was a member of the Psi Upsilon fraternity, along with Dan Brown.{{Cite web |date=September 13, 2019 |title=Harlan Coben Books in Order |url=https://booksreadingorder.com/harlan-coben/ |access-date=March 27, 2022 |website=Books Reading Order |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=March 24, 2020 |title=Authors |url=https://psiu.org/recognition/authors/ |access-date=March 27, 2022 |website=Psi Upsilon Fraternity |language=en-US}} Coben was in his senior year at college when he realized he wanted to write.
Career
After graduating in 1984, Coben worked in the travel industry, in a company owned by his grandfather.{{Cite web |last=Lochte |first=Dick |year=2004 |title=A Conversation With Harlan Coben |url=https://www.mysteryscenemag.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2531:a-conversation-with-harlan-coben&catid=38:profile&Itemid=191 |access-date=March 27, 2022 |website=mysteryscenemag.com}} It was during that time when he wrote his first book, romantic suspense thriller Play Dead, which was accepted for publication when he was 26 and released in 1990. It was followed by Miracle Cure in 1991. He then began writing a series of thrillers featuring a former basketball player turned sports agent, Myron Bolitar, who often finds himself investigating murders involving his clients.
Tell No One, his first stand-alone thriller since the creation of the Myron Bolitar series in 1995, was published in 2001. A French-language film adaptation based on the book was released in 2006.{{Cite web |date=March 1, 2022 |title=Ne le dis à personne (Thriller) : la critique Télérama |url=https://www.telerama.fr/cinema/films/ne-le-dis-a-personne,279906.php |access-date=March 27, 2022 |website=Télérama |language=fr}} Coben followed Tell No One with nine more stand-alone novels. His novel Hold Tight, published on April 15, 2008, was his first book to debut at number 1 on the New York Times Best Seller list.{{Cite news |last=Finn |first=Robin |date=April 2, 2009 |title=Local Writer, Worldwide Following |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/05/nyregion/new-jersey/05Rcoben.html |access-date=March 27, 2022 |issn=0362-4331}}
In 2003, Coben published a short story about his father, who had died of a heart attack at the age of 59 in 1988.{{Cite tweet |last=Coben |user=HarlanCoben |first=Harlan |date=June 21, 2020 |title=My dad died 32 years ago. I post this short story I wrote about him in 2003... |number=1274646585012600833 |access-date=March 27, 2022 |language=en}} Entitled "The Key to My Father," the story was published in The New York Times on Father's Day, June 15, 2003.{{Cite news |last=Coben |first=Harlan |date=June 15, 2003 |title=Opinion {{!}} A WORK OF FICTION; The Key To My Father |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/15/opinion/a-work-of-fiction-the-key-to-my-father.html |access-date=March 27, 2022 |issn=0362-4331}} Besides The New York Times, his essays and columns have appeared in Parade magazine and Bloomberg Views.{{Cite web |last=Coben |first=Harlan |title=Bio |url=https://www.harlancoben.com/bio/ |access-date=March 27, 2022 |website=harlancoben.com |language=en-US}}
Bibliography
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Series
! Year ! Title |
|---|
| rowspan=12| Myron Bolitar
| 1995 |
| rowspan=2| 1996 |
| Fade Away |
| 1997 |
| 1998 |
| 1999
| The Final Detail |
| 2000
| Darkest Fear |
| 2006 |
| 2009 |
| 2011 |
| 2016
| Home |
| 2024 |
| rowspan=3| Mickey Bolitar (1st Myron Bolitar spin-off series) | 2011 | Shelter |
| 2012
| Seconds Away |
| 2014
| Found |
| rowspan=2| Wilde
| 2020 | The Boy from the Woods |
| 2022
| The Match |
| Windsor Horne Lockwood III (2nd Myron Bolitar spin-off series) | 2021 | Win |
| rowspan="20" | Standalone novels
| 1990 |
| 1991 |
| 2001 |
| 2002 |
| 2003 |
| 2004 |
| 2005 |
| 2007
| The Woods |
| 2008 |
| 2010
| Caught |
| 2012 |
| 2013
| Six Years |
| 2014 |
| 2015 |
| rowspan=2| 2016
| The Magical Fantastical Fridge |
| Fool Me Once |
| 2017
| Don't Let Go |
| 2019
| Run Away |
| 2023
| I Will Find You |
| 2025
| Nobody's Fool |
Awards
Coben won the 1996 Anthony Award in the category "Best Paperback Original", for Deal Breaker, the first volume of the Myron Bolitar series; it was also nominated for an Edgar Award in the same category.{{cite web |url=http://www.bouchercon.info/nominees.html |title=Bouchercon World Mystery Convention : Anthony Awards Nominees |publisher=Bouchercon |access-date=April 20, 2012 |archive-date=February 7, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120207060829/http://www.bouchercon.info/nominees.html |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=http://www.mysterynet.com/edgars/previous/original/ |title=Best Paperback Original Mystery Novel Edgar Award Winners and Nominees – Complete Lists |publisher=Mystery Net |access-date=April 20, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121220075006/http://www.mysterynet.com/edgars/previous/original/ |archive-date=December 20, 2012 |url-status=dead }} Fade Away won the 1997 Shamus Award and the Edgar Award for "Best Paperback Original",{{cite web|url=http://www.thrillingdetective.com/trivia/triv72.html |title=The Private Eye Writers of America and The Shamus Awards |publisher=Thrilling Detective |access-date=April 20, 2012}} was nominated for the Anthony Award and the Barry Award in the same category,{{cite web |url=http://deadlypleasures.com/barry.html |title=Barry Awards |work=Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine |access-date=April 20, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120423032903/http://www.deadlypleasures.com/barry.html |archive-date=April 23, 2012 }} and was nominated for a Dilys Award.{{cite web |url=http://www.mysterybooksellers.com/dilys-award |title=The Dilys Award (IMBA) |publisher=Independent Mystery Booksellers Association |access-date=April 20, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100412150011/http://www.mysterybooksellers.com/dilys-award |archive-date=April 12, 2010 }} The following Myron Bolitar novel, Back Spin, won the 1998 Barry Award and was nominated for the Dilys Award and the Shamus Award. In 2002, Tell No One was nominated for the Anthony Award, the Macavity Award, the Edgar Award and the Barry Award.{{cite web|url=http://www.mysteryreaders.org/macavity.html |title=Macavity Awards |publisher=Mystery Readers International |access-date=April 20, 2012}}{{cite web|url=http://www.thrillingdetective.com/trivia/triv50.html |title=Edgar Award Winners and Nominees in the Private Eye Genre |publisher=Thrilling Detective |access-date=April 20, 2012}} In 2010, Live Wire won the crime fiction award, the RBA Prize for Crime Writing, worth €125,000.{{cite web |url=http://www.catalannewsagency.com/culture/item/harlan-coben-wins-the-4th-rba-international-prize-for-crime-writing-with-his-novel-live-wire |title=Harlan Coben wins the 4th RBA Prize for Crime Writing with his novel 'Live Wire'|work=Catalan News Wire |date=September 10, 2010 |access-date=September 13, 2013}}
In 2023, the Japanese edition of Win, translated by Toshiki Taguchi, was nominated for the Mystery Writers of Japan Award for Mystery Fiction in Translation.{{cite web|url= http://www.mystery.or.jp/en/|title= Mystery Writers of Japan is pleased to announce a new award for Mystery Fiction in Translation.|website=mystery.or.jp|publisher= Mystery Writers of Japan, Inc.|date=April 27, 2023|access-date=May 14, 2023}}{{cite web|url= http://www.mystery.or.jp/search/result?kwd=%E7%BF%BB%E8%A8%B3%E5%B0%8F%E8%AA%AC%E9%83%A8%E9%96%80|title= 第76回日本推理作家協会賞受賞作決定|website=mystery.or.jp|publisher= Mystery Writers of Japan, Inc.|date=May 11, 2023|access-date=May 14, 2023|language=ja}}
Adaptations
Coben's first book to be adapted for the screen was Tell No One. Director Guillaume Canet made a French-language film, based on the book, titled Ne le dis à personne, in 2006.
Coben's 2003 book No Second Chance became the basis for the 2015 French miniseries of the same name. Two years later the same happened to Just One Look.
Coben is the creator of the British crime drama television show The Five, which first aired in April 2016 on the Sky 1 channel in the United Kingdom.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/harlan-coben-on-the-five-for-sky-his-obsessive-nature-and-missing-his-friend-david-foster-wallace-a6917491.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220509/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/harlan-coben-on-the-five-for-sky-his-obsessive-nature-and-missing-his-friend-david-foster-wallace-a6917491.html |archive-date=May 9, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Harlan Coben on 'The Five' for Sky, his obsessive nature, and missing his friend David Foster Wallace|first=Sarah|last=Hughes|date=March 7, 2016|work=The Independent|access-date=May 9, 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://tvmag.lefigaro.fr/programme-tv/harlan-coben-the-five-est-ma-premiere-serie-originale-_0f96501e-06f8-11e6-9ffc-5c9890af9611/|title=Harlan Coben : "The Five est ma première série originale"|work=TVMag Le Figaro|date=April 21, 2016 |language=fr|access-date=May 9, 2016}}{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4370528/|title=The Five (TV Series 2016– )|first=Neil|last=Procter|publisher=IMDb|access-date=May 9, 2016}} Coben also created the French-British crime drama television show Safe, which premiered on Netflix in 190 countries on May 10, 2018.{{Cite news|url=https://deadline.com/2017/07/michael-c-hall-cast-safe-netflix-canal-plus-harlan-coben-1202126488/|title=Michael C Hall To Play It 'Safe' In Netflix, Canal+ Drama From Harlan Coben|last=Tartaglione|first=Nancy|date=July 11, 2017|work=Deadline|access-date=July 11, 2017|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2018/tv/reviews/safe-review-netflix-michael-c-hall-1202748330/|title=TV Review: Harlan Coben's 'Safe' on Netflix|last=Ryan|first=Maureen|date=April 11, 2018|work=Variety|access-date=April 12, 2018|language=en-US}}
Films and TV series
=TV contracts=
In 2022, Amazon Studios announced plans to produce a series based on the first Mickey Bolitar novel, Shelter.{{cite web|title='Harlan Coben's Shelter' YA Drama Starring Jaden Michael Picked Up To Series For Prime Video|url=https://deadline.com/2022/03/harlan-cobens-shelter-ya-drama-jaden-michael-star-series-prime-video-1234979079/|work=Deadline Hollywood|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|date=March 15, 2022|access-date=March 15, 2022}} Jaden Michael stars as Mickey, alongside Constance Zimmer, Adrian Greensmith, Abby Corrigan, and Sage Linder.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/harlan-coben-amazon-ya-pilot-shelter-jaden-michael-1235072808/|title=Harlan Coben Amazon Studios YA Pilot 'Shelter' Casts Jaden Michael in Lead Role (EXCLUSIVE)|website=Variety|first=Joe|last=Otterson|date=September 23, 2021|access-date=March 4, 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/constance-zimmer-shelter-pilot-amazon-1235081453/|title=Constance Zimmer Boards 'Shelter' YA Pilot at Amazon (EXCLUSIVE)|website=Variety|first=Joe|last=Otterson|date=October 5, 2021|access-date=March 4, 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/amazon-ya-pilot-shelter-cast-1235098855/|title=Amazon YA Pilot 'Shelter' Adds Three to Cast (EXCLUSIVE)|website=Variety|first=Joe|last=Otterson|date=October 27, 2021|access-date=March 4, 2022}} The series, Harlan Coben's Shelter, was released on August 18, 2023.{{cite news |last1=Barraclough |first1=Leo |title=Prime Video Reveals Premiere Date, Debuts First-Look Image for Thriller Series 'Harlan Coben's Shelter' |url=https://variety.com/2023/tv/global/prime-video-harlan-coben-shelter-1235644467/ |access-date=August 4, 2023 |work=Variety |date=June 15, 2023}}
In August 2018, Coben signed a multi-million-dollar, 5-year contract with Netflix. Under the deal, 14 of his novels would be developed into series or films, with him serving as executive producer on all of them.{{Cite web|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|date=August 27, 2018|title=Harlan Coben Inks Overall Deal With Netflix For TV Series & Movie Adaptations Of His Books|url=https://deadline.com/2018/08/harlan-coben-overall-deal-with-netflix-tv-series-movie-adaptations-books-1202452628/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119131155/https://deadline.com/2018/08/harlan-coben-overall-deal-with-netflix-tv-series-movie-adaptations-books-1202452628/|archive-date=January 19, 2021|access-date=March 7, 2021|website=Deadline}} The first one was The Stranger which premiered in January 2020.{{Cite web|last=Kanter|first=Jake|date=May 19, 2020|title=Netflix Lines Up 'Stay Close' As Its Next Harlan Coben Adaptation From 'The Stranger' Producer Red|url=https://deadline.com/2020/05/stay-close-harlan-coben-netflix-red-1202938083/|access-date=March 7, 2021|website=Deadline}} In October 2022, it was announced that Netflix had extended the deal for another 4 years, with the Myron Bolitar series now also available for adaptation.{{cite web|title=Myron Bolitar Series In Works At Netflix As Harlan Coben Extends Overall Deal At Streamer|url=https://deadline.com/2022/10/myron-bolitar-netflix-series-harlan-coben-deal-extended-1235132137/|work=Deadline Hollywood|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|date=October 3, 2022|access-date=October 4, 2022}} On February 20, 2023, Fool Me Once was announced as an upcoming adaptation in production for Netflix.{{Cite web|url=https://collider.com/fool-me-once-series-adaptation-cast-richard-armitage-michelle-keegan|title= Fool Me Once' Adaptation in the Works With Richard Armitage & Michelle Keegan to Star|website=Collider| date=February 20, 2023|access-date=February 21, 2023}}
| class="wikitable"
|+List of Netflix Original Series Under the Deal !No. ! colspan="2" |Title (English & LOTE) !Country of origin !Language !Episodes !Release date !{{Abbr|Ref|Reference}} |
| 1
|Safe |{{Small|(English: Safe)}} |8 |May 10, 2018 | |
| 2
|{{Small|(English: The Stranger)}} |8 |January 30, 2020 | |
| 3
|{{Small|(Polish: W głębi lasu)}} |6 |June 12, 2020 | |
| 4
|{{Small|(Spanish: El inocente)}} |8 |April 30, 2021 |{{Cite web|last=Scott|first=Sheena|date=March 5, 2021|title='The Innocent' Trailer: New Harlan Coben Adaptation From Spain On Netflix|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/sheenascott/2021/03/05/the-innocent-trailer-new-harlan-coben-adaptation-from-spain-on-netflix/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210307112238/https://www.forbes.com/sites/sheenascott/2021/03/05/the-innocent-trailer-new-harlan-coben-adaptation-from-spain-on-netflix/|archive-date=March 7, 2021|access-date=March 7, 2021|website=Forbes}} |
| 5
|{{Small|(French: Disparu à jamais)}} |5 |August 13, 2021 | |
| 6
|{{Small|(English: Stay Close)}} |8 |December 31, 2021 |
| 7
|{{Small|(Polish: Zachowaj spokój)}} |6 |April 22, 2022 |
| 8
|{{Small|(English: Fool Me Once)}} |8 |January 1, 2024 |
| 9
|{{Small|(English: Missing You)}} |5 |January 1, 2025 |
| 10
|{{Small|(Polish: Tylko jedno spojrzenie)}} |6 |March 5, 2025 | |
| 11
| Caught |{{Small|(Spanish: Atrapados)}} |6 |March 26, 2025 |
| 12
|{{Small|(English: I Will Find You)}} |8 | |
| 13
|{{Small|(English: Run Away)}} | | |
Personal life
Coben lives in Ridgewood, New Jersey, with his wife Anne Armstrong-Coben, a pediatrician, and their four children.{{cite magazine|url=http://www.mysteryscenemag.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2531:a-conversation-with-harlan-coben&catid=38:profile&Itemid=191|title=A Conversation With Harlan Coben|first=Dick|last=Lochte|magazine=mysteryscenemag.com|year=2004|access-date=May 9, 2016}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{wikiquote}}
{{Commons category|Harlan Coben}}
- {{Official website}}
- {{IMDb name|1454192}}
{{Harlan Coben}}
{{RBA Prize for Crime Writing}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coben, Harlan}}
Category:American thriller writers
Category:American mystery writers
Category:American male novelists
Category:Livingston High School (New Jersey) alumni
Category:Writers from Newark, New Jersey
Category:Writers from Ridgewood, New Jersey
Category:Amherst College alumni
Category:Jewish American novelists
Category:Anthony Award winners
Category:20th-century American novelists
Category:21st-century American novelists
Category:20th-century American male writers
Category:21st-century American male writers