The five best Netflix book-to-screen adaptations of the year so far
Do you like watching your favourite literary world come to life on screens, one adaptation at a time? Then, the 2026 Netflix original lineup must have been a revelatory experience for you so far.
From the very first day of the year, Netflix has been pulling strings to take the viewing experience to a whole new level, with literary adaptations serving a crucial role in the amalgamation of two important worlds of entertainment.
Since book-to-screen adaptations primarily cater to existing expectations, Netflix doesn’t take the sub-genre lightly.
But if you’re on the lookout for the retellings that stand out, here are the five best Netflix book-to-screen adaptations of the year so far.
The five best Netflix book adaptations of 2026
Run Away (Nimer Rashed and Isher Sahota, 2026)
Netflix knows how to start the new year with fireworks, and so it did with an unforgettable Harlan Coben adaptation, Run Away, on January 1st this year. The gripping mystery thriller follows devoted father Simon Greene, whose picture-perfect life unravels when his daughter, Paige, runs away, forcing him to embark on a desperate search for her as she descends into an increasingly dark, dangerous path.
Although Simon soon stumbles upon Paige in a city park, on discovering her somewhat disoriented and in the company of her troubled boyfriend, Aaron, a violent confrontation ensues. As Simon forces Paige to return home, the situation spirals out of control, with him once again losing his daughter. Run Away revolves around Simon’s subsequent investigation, uncovering the darker sides of his family and a deep-seated conspiracy.
Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole (Øystein Karlsen and Anna Zackrisson, 2026)
Based on Jo Nesbø’s critically acclaimed Harry Hole novels, Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole is a Norwegian crime drama centring on brilliant but troubled Oslo homicide detective Harry Hole. The nine-episode Netflix series adapts the ninth book, The Devil’s Star, weaving two primary storylines. The mystery thriller opens at a time when residents of Oslo are terrorised by a serial killer who leaves the victim’s missing finger and a small red diamond shaped like a pentagram at the crime scene.
Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole follows Harry as he investigates the case during an uncharacteristically hot summer, all while looking convinced that a seemingly respected detective from his department, named Tom Waaler, is deeply corrupt. The Netflix adaptation revolves around the tormented detective’s two-fold investigation, which, although they appear worlds apart, have more links than you can imagine.
The Chestnut Man: Hide and Seek (Roni Ezra and Milad Alami, 2021-Present)
Inspired by the second book of Søren Sveistrup’s The Chestnut Man novel series, the sophomore season of the hit Netflix crime drama, titled Hide and Seek, also deserves a place on the list. The second season of the Danish mystery thriller picks up two years after catching the Chestnut Man in its debut season, as detectives Nala Thulin and Mark Hess are forced to reunite for a new investigation following their breakup, which left them estranged until now.
The Chestnut Man: Hide and Seek follows Thulin and Hess as they investigate the mysterious disappearance of a single mother and divorcee, Zara Solak, who went missing after a bus ride home. When the investigation kicks off, her digital footprints reveal that she had been secretly stalked for months by a perpetrator who not only places his victims under surveillance but also sends them voyeuristic clips with sinister versions of children’s counting rhymes.
Remarkably Bright Creatures (Olivia Newman, 2026)
As one of the most-talked-about adaptations of the year, Remarkably Bright Creatures, based on Shelby Van Pelt’s novel, truly lives up to the hype. The mystery drama follows Tova Sullivan, a grieving widow working night shifts at a local aquarium in Sowell Bay, Washington, grappling with the long-buried pain of her husband’s death and the decade-old mysterious disappearance of her son. After an injury, Tova runs into Cameron, a new-in-town young man, who takes over her night shifts.
Cameron has come to town searching for his estranged father, but he and Tova have more in common than they realise. But somebody does see the connection, and it is Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus, whom Tova has befriended with ease. Remarkably Bright Creatures revolves around Marcellus’ attempts at uniting the two and uncovering a decades-old secret that brings unexpected hope and healing.
I Will Find You (Brad Anderson, Adam Davidson, Maggie Kiley, and Maja Vrvilo, 2026)
The final stop on Netflix’s top five book-to-screen adaptations of the years so far has to be I Will Find You, again based on Harlan Coben’s novel. The limited series follows David Burroughs, an innocent father wrongly convicted of murdering his own three-year-old son, Matthew, who receives evidence from his ex-sister-in-law, Rachel Mills, five years into his life sentence that shows his child could be alive after all this time.
As multiple attempts are made on his life right after the discovery, David is forced to break out of the prison and search for the truth. I Will Find You revolves around the desperate father’s dangerous journey to track down his presumably dead son, all while hiding from the police and navigating a deep-seated conspiracy, rooted right back in his past and those of his family members, current and former.