EXCLUSIVE! Author Harlan Coben Reveals Why We’re Obsessed with Netflix’s I Will Find You—And the Secret to the Perfect Plot Twist
Somewhere in Harlan Coben’s New Jersey home, you can find all 36 of his mega-popular thriller novels. They’re just not located where you think. “I usually have them piled haphazardly in my office,” he says. “I don’t think I would probably like myself if I displayed them, so they’re on the floor.” But while speaking to Reader’s Digest, he makes eye contact with one, in particular: a new paperback edition of his 2023 bestseller I Will Find You, featuring Sam Worthington on the cover. As he puts it, “It’s dominating.”
Oh, yes, it is. Since its June 18 launch on Netflix, the eight-episode series has become the TV smash of the summer, with more than 60 million viewers worldwide (and counting) hooked on the drama. Worthington stars as David Burroughs, a man languishing in prison for the murder of his young son. When David receives evidence that his boy may still be alive, he embarks on a prison break and goes on a quest to find him. No spoilers … except to say that the climactic reveal is a Reddit thread–worthy stunner.
“I’m your twists-and-turns guy,” says Coben, an executive producer on the show. “I love to play with your expectations and make you guess. But in many ways, it’s not necessarily about the cliff-hanger—it’s about the other side of that cliff-hanger, because we’ve seen all the shows where you can tell what’s going to happen next. I want you to trust me and see how it’s all going to work out.”
I Will Find You marks the author’s 13th project with Netflix since 2018. The list also includes Fool Me Once, Missing You, The Stranger and Run Away, while an adaptation chronicling his sports agent/investigator character Myron Bolitar recently started production in New York City. The appeal is no mystery: Coben’s twist-packed novels are usually built around ordinary people whose lives become upended because of a big secret. “Suspense is making you want to turn the page or click to the next episode,” he says. “I hope my books and shows deliver that.”
Coben, who’s currently working on his next novel, takes us down the dark and windy path of his writing process, what he loves in a book and why I Will Find You became the surprise hit of the summer. Read on to find out why we’re completely hooked.
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This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Reader’s Digest: Of all your book-to-screen adaptations, why do you think I Will Find You, in particular, has drawn such a huge and rabid audience?
Harlan Coben: It has the thrills that people want, especially the gasping twist at the end of Episode 7. But what separates this one is the heart—you’re really with Sam Worthington as he searches for his child. A lot of us empathize with his pain. What if we had this second chance? We all want to protect our children, and I think that resonates.
Reader’s Digest: What kind of feedback have you been receiving?
Harlan Coben: People are genuinely moved, and I’m thrilled by that. I’ve gotten a lot of messages that people were crying and really welling up happily with tears at the end. That makes me very happy.
Reader’s Digest: In general, what makes a Harlan Coben story work so well on the screen?
Harlan Coben: You have the twists and turns, but I do I think it’s the heart, because you end up caring about the people. It’s like I bought the most expensive car in the world, but if it doesn’t have gasoline in it or electricity powering it up, it’s not going anywhere. In I Will Find You, you really care about the characters that Sam and Britt [Lower] and even Milo [Ventimiglia] played.
Reader’s Digest: How hands-on are you as an executive producer? What are you doing behind the scenes?
Harlan Coben: I’m very heavily involved in all aspects of all the production. I was rewriting the scripts and worked with the casting director for I Will Find You. I had meetings with all the major cast members before they took their roles. But when I got to the set and saw this cast and crew, I just looked around and thought, Man, I had this little idea in my house in New Jersey, and now all these wonderful people are going to bring it to life and it’s going to be sent out to the world. That feeling never gets old, you know?
Reader’s Digest: Let’s talk about writing. What’s the biggest misconception about the process of writing a juicy nail-biter?
Harlan Coben: Literally, everything. My next book, which comes out in early September, is called Plot Twist: Life, Craft and the Messy First Draft. It’s a memoir on writing, life, craft and message. I take on all of the sacred cows of writing and say why it’s wrong to get caught up in these rules. I think most people have tremendous misconceptions of how it all works. Writing is messy, and things bleed. There’s no neat formula in the process of writing a story—and if there is one, I haven’t found it.
Reader’s Digest: How do you know when you’ve nailed the right twist?
Harlan Coben: Oh, you don’t. A lot of it is just trial and error. For I Will Find You, the first thing I came up with is the concept. I wanted to write a book that started in the darkest place imaginable. David is a nightmare scenario. He feels that he’s failed as a father but now has a chance at redemption. Then I have to know the answer to the last twist before I start. It takes a long time, but I know the ending before I start the first word.
Reader’s Digest: You know the end in advance for your other books too?
Harlan Coben: Yes, I always know the ending before I start a book. But sometimes I’ve changed the ending a little bit for Netflix, just to mess with the people who have read the book and think they know what’s going to happen.
Reader’s Digest: What’s the difference between a satisfying twist and a shocking one?
Harlan Coben: I’m aiming for both, usually. If I feel the emotional resonance, that’s usually the sign I’ve done it right. You want to surprise but also play with the emotion. Otherwise, the story isn’t going to work and people won’t be telling their friends about it.
Reader’s Digest: Which one of your books really stuck the landing? Do you have a favorite?
Harlan Coben: The answer always changes, because every day, I have love-hate relationships with my books. I really do think I Will Find You has one of the better twists and endings. Run Away also has a number of big twists that no one sees coming. Those are two of my favorites, but I could change my mind tomorrow.
Reader’s Digest: What books are on your nightstand right now?
Harlan Coben: I’m reading two right now, which is unusual for me. Usually, I like one at a time. Michael Connelly is a longtime friend and one of my favorite writers, and I have his new novel, Ironwood. I’m also reading Lena Dunham’s memoir, Famesick. My daughter told me I would like it, and when my kids recommend something, I almost always have to check it out.
Reader’s Digest: Why do thrillers make such great summer reads?
Harlan Coben: I don’t think they make good summer reads; they make good reads, in general. I don’t look at thriller or mystery as a genre because within the form, I can do anything. I Will Find You is a story about fathers and sons. I’ve done redemption, I’ve done loss, I’ve done love, I’ve done family. You still have to remember to tell a story. If you name your favorite five novels from the past 100 years, I guarantee at least four will have a crime in them. So I’m following in a rich tradition.
Reader’s Digest: Given your impressive writing speed, will you go back to your laptop as soon as you’re done with this interview?
Harlan Coben: Oh, man. I know this sounds crazy, but I always feel behind. Right now, I’m working on my next novel, which is going to be another stand-alone thriller. Hopefully I will start writing as soon as we’re done. I need to be further along on it!
I Will Find You
I Will Find You
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Source:
- Variety: “How Harlan Coben and Netflix Found Record-Breaking Success Together—and What Comes Next for Their Mystery-Thriller Universe”
The post EXCLUSIVE! Author Harlan Coben Reveals Why We’re Obsessed with Netflix’s <i>I Will Find You</i>—And the Secret to the Perfect Plot Twist appeared first on Reader's Digest.
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