(Credits: Thibault Penin)

The thriller writer Harlan Coben has found considerable success over the past few years, not just through book sales but also because many of his novels have been adapted for television and film. A new adaptation based on one of his books, Missing You, has recently been announced, and first-look images of the characters have now emerged, courtesy of Netflix.

The series is the ninth adaptation of one of Coben’s novels as part of an extensive deal he made with Netflix back in 2018. He initially signed a deal for five years, but since many of his shows have become incredibly popular on the streaming service, Netflix extended it for another four years in 2022.

Missing You, which was published in 2014, will be making its way onto the streamer as a five-episode series early next year, although an official date has not yet been confirmed. Several acclaimed actors will be starring in the show, which Coben has executively-produced, too.

Rosalind Eleazar from the Gary Oldman series Slow Horses will lead the series by playing Detective Kat Donovan, while Richard Armitage, who previously starred in an adaptation of Coben’s Fool Me Once, will also have a prominent role. Inside No. 9 and The League of Gentlemen star Reece Shearsmith will appear too, alongside Ashley Walters from Top Boy, James Nesbitt, and Sir Lenny Henry.

According to an official synopsis, “Eleven years ago, Detective Kat Donovan’s fiancé Josh – the love of her life – disappeared and she’s never heard from him since. Now, swiping profiles on a dating app, she suddenly sees his face, and her world explodes all over again.”

As you can guess, this discovery causes plenty of drama, setting the events of the show in motion. “Josh’s reappearance will force her to dive back into the mystery surrounding her father’s murder and uncover long-buried secrets from her past.”

Discussing his excitement for the show with Digital Spy, Armitage explained, “I’m playing the detective chief inspector opposite an old friend of mine, who I did Uncle Vanya with, Rosalind Eleazar, who is the lead actress in this show. And she is brilliant, she’s absolutely brilliant.”

He also shared, “I genuinely love characters who turn out to be somebody that you didn’t think they were or that will reveal something about themselves that they’ve been hiding. I also like how technology is incorporated into that, in terms of Harlan Coben’s writing.”