Fool Me Once: Michelle Keegan to lead the cast of new Harlan Coben book adaptation for Netflix

Michelle Keegan will lead the cast of Fool Me Once for Netflix, a new drama based on Harlan Coben’s No.1 New York Times bestselling novel.

In keeping with previous Harlan Coben adaptations, Fool Me Once will relocate the story from the US to the UK, with filming kicking off in Manchester in early 2023. 

Here, we reveal everything we know so far about the release of Fool Me Once on Netflix.

What is the Fool Me Once plot?

Harlan Coben’s Fool Me Once follows Maya Stern (Michelle Keegan) who is trying to come to terms with the brutal murder of her husband, Joe (Richard Armitage). 

But when Maya installs a nanny-cam to keep an eye on her young daughter, she is shocked to see a man she recognises in her house: her dead husband...

Detective Sergeant Sami Kierce (Adeel Akhtar) leads the homicide investigation into Joe's death while grappling with secrets of his own. 

Meanwhile, Maya's niece and nephew, Abby and Daniel, are trying to find the truth about their mother's murder, several months earlier. Are the two cases connected? 

Fool Me Once follows these characters on a thrilling hunt for the truth that will reveal shocking secrets and change their lives forever. 

When is the Fool Me Once release date on Netflix?

A release date for Fool Me Once has not been confirmed by Netflix.

Filming has now started in Manchester and the Northwest of England, so we expect it to land on the streamer in late 2023 or early 2024. We’ll update this article when we have more information.

Fool Me Once will consist of eight, 60-minute episodes. 

Who’s in the Fool Me Once cast?

• Michelle Keegan (Brassic, Our Girl) - Maya Stern 

• Adeel Akhtar (Sweet Tooth, Ali & Ava) - Detective Sergeant Sami Kierce

• Richard Armitage (Stay Close, The Stranger) - Joe Burkett

• Joanna Lumley (Absolutely Fabulous, Finding Alice) - Judith Burkett, Joe’s protective mother

• Emmett J. Scanlan (Kin, Peaky Blinders) - Shane Tessier 

• Dino Fetscher (Years and Years, Foundation) - Marty McGreggor

Marcus Garvey, Hattie Morahan, James Northcote, Dänya Griver, Daniel Burt, Adelle Leonce, Natalia Kostrzewa, and Laura Gibbons make up the rest of the cast.

Who created Fool Me Once?

Fool Me Once is created by the team who have brought previous adaptations of Harlan Coben’s books to Netflix.

• Creator: Harlan Coben

• Executive Producers: Harlan Coben, Danny Brocklehurst, Nicola Shindler, Richard Fee

• Lead Writer: Danny Brocklehurst (Brassic, Come Home)

• Writers: Charlotte Coben, Yemi Oyefuwa, Nina Metivier and Tom Farrelly

• Director: David Moore (Outlander, The Last Kingdom) (lead director, blocks 1 and 3), Nimer Rashed (block 2)

• Producer: Jessica Taylor (Happy Valley)

• Production Company: Quay Street Productions

Is there a Fool Me Once trailer?

No, there’s not currently a trailer for Fool Me Once as it’s not been filmed. We’ll update this article when it is released.

What other Harlan Coben adaptations are on Netflix?

Netflix and Harlan Coben signed a multi-million-dollar deal to bring 14 of his books to the small screen. As well as English language adaptations, series have been produced in Polish, Spanish and French but all share the classic elements of a Coben mystery. 

The three English-language adaptations to date are:

• Stay Close (2021)

• The Stranger (2020)

• Safe (2018)

Best Harlan Coben TV shows to stream now

A release date for Fool Me Once has yet to be confirmed by Netflix.