Harlan Coben facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Harlan Coben
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| Born | c. 1962 (age 62–63) Newark, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Occupation | Author |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Amherst College |
| Period | 1990–present |
| Genre | Mystery, thriller |
| Notable works | Myron Bolitar series of novels |
| Notable awards | Anthony Award (1996), Edgar Award and Shamus Award (1997) |
| Spouse | Anne Helen Armstrong |
| Children | 4 |
Harlan Coben (born around 1962) is an American author. He writes exciting mystery novels and thrillers. His stories often involve secrets from the past. They are full of unexpected twists and turns, keeping readers guessing.
Many of his books, twelve so far, have been made into movies and TV shows. Harlan Coben has won several big awards for his writing. These include the Edgar Award, Shamus Award, and Anthony Award. He was the first writer to win all three! His books are super popular! They've been translated into 43 languages and sold over 60 million copies worldwide.
Contents
Growing Up and School
Harlan Coben was born in Newark, New Jersey. He grew up in Livingston. He went to Livingston High School. A childhood friend from school was Chris Christie, who later became a governor.
Coben studied political science at Amherst College. He was part of a group called Psi Upsilon. While in his last year of college, he realized he wanted to be a writer.
Becoming a Writer
After college in 1984, Coben worked in the travel business. This was a company owned by his grandfather. During this time, he wrote his first book. It was a romantic thriller called Play Dead.
He was 26 when the book was accepted for publishing. It came out in 1990. His second book, Miracle Cure, followed in 1991. After that, he started a popular series of thrillers.
The Myron Bolitar Series
This series features a character named Myron Bolitar. Myron used to play basketball. Then he became a sports agent. He often ends up solving murders that involve his clients. The first book in this series came out in 1995.
Stand-Alone Novels
In 2001, Coben published Tell No One. This was his first stand-alone thriller since starting the Myron Bolitar series. A French movie based on this book was released in 2006.
Coben wrote nine more stand-alone novels after Tell No One. His book Hold Tight came out in 2008. It was his first book to reach number one on the New York Times Best Seller list.
Coben has also written short stories and essays. One story about his father was in The New York Times. His writings have also appeared in Parade magazine.
Awards for His Books
Harlan Coben has won many awards for his mystery and thriller novels.
- In 1996, he won the Anthony Award for Deal Breaker. This was the first book in his Myron Bolitar series.
- His book Fade Away won the Shamus Award and the Edgar Award in 1997.
- Another Myron Bolitar novel, Back Spin, won the Barry Award in 1998.
- In 2010, Live Wire won the RBA Prize for Crime Writing. This is a big award for crime fiction.
Books Made into Movies and TV Shows
Many of Harlan Coben's books have been turned into films and TV series.
French Adaptations
The first book to be adapted was Tell No One. A French director, Guillaume Canet, made it into a movie in 2006. The movie was called Ne le dis à personne.
His book No Second Chance became a French TV miniseries in 2015. Two years later, Just One Look also became a French TV series.
Original TV Series
Coben also creates original TV shows. He created the British crime drama The Five. It first aired in the UK in 2016. He also created Safe, a French-British crime drama. It premiered on Netflix in 2018.
Netflix Deal
In 2018, Harlan Coben signed a big deal with Netflix. This deal means that 14 of his novels would be made into TV series or movies. He would help produce all of them.
The first show from this deal was The Stranger, which came out in 2020. In 2022, Netflix extended the deal. Now, even the Myron Bolitar series can be adapted.
List of Netflix Original Series
| No. | Title (English & Original Language) | Country of origin | Language | Episodes | Release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Safe | (English: Safe) | United Kingdom | English | 8 | May 10, 2018 |
| 1 | The Stranger | (English: The Stranger) | United Kingdom | English | 8 | January 30, 2020 |
| 2 | The Woods | (Polish: W głębi lasu) | Poland | Polish | 6 | June 12, 2020 |
| 3 | The Innocent | (Spanish: El inocente) | Spain | Spanish | 8 | April 30, 2021 |
| 4 | Gone for Good | (French: Disparu à jamais) | France | French | 5 | August 13, 2021 |
| 5 | Stay Close | (English: Stay Close) | United Kingdom | English | 8 | December 31, 2021 |
| 6 | Hold Tight | (Polish: Zachowaj spokój) | Poland | Polish | 6 | April 22, 2022 |
| 7 | Fool Me Once | (English: Fool Me Once) | United Kingdom | English | 8 | January 1, 2024 |
| 8 | Missing You | (English: Missing You) | United Kingdom | English | 5 | January 1, 2025 |
| 9 | Caught | (Spanish: Atrapados) | Argentina | Spanish | 6 | |
| 10 | I Will Find You | (English: I Will Find You) | United States | English | 8 | |
| 11 | Run Away | (English: Run Away) | United Kingdom | English | ||
Amazon Series
In 2022, Amazon Studios announced a new series. It is based on Coben's first Mickey Bolitar novel, Shelter. Jaden Michael plays Mickey in the series.
The show, called Harlan Coben's Shelter, was released on August 18, 2023.
Family Life
Harlan Coben lives in Ridgewood, New Jersey. He lives there with his wife, Anne Armstrong-Coben. She is a doctor who treats children. They have four children together.
See also
In Spanish: Harlan Coben para niños
