Harlan Coben on Michelle Keegan’s role in new Netflix thriller

Writer Harlan Coben has spoken about actress Michelle Keegan's role in Netflix's adaptation of his novel, Fool Me Once.

The eight-part series, based on Coben's best-selling 2016 novel, sees Keegan play Maya Stern, a mother who is left grief-stricken following the murder of her husband Joe (Richard Armitage).

Her mourning turns to confusion, however, when she sees a man resembling her husband enters her house. Meanwhile, Maya's niece and nephew are trying to find the truth about their mother's murder, examining the possibility that the two cases are connected.

Coben, who has already had his novels Stay Close and The Stranger adapted by Netflix, spoke about the latest series based on his work, with the novelist divulging more information on Keegan's performance in the series.

"She's terrific. She's also just a great person, but to have her as your number one and be able to bring, every day, something positive to the set, everyone loved her," he told Radio Times. "She's exactly what you think she's going to be. She's really great.

"I knew a bit about her beforehand, but obviously I don't know her as well as my British counterparts. I took a deep dive when we were discussing who to play the role, and she really delivered - she works so hard and she's also just a delight on set."

Coben added that Keegan's character was conceived following his tours as a member of the United Service Organizations, with the author's experiences with soldiers affected by PTSD serving as inspiration for Maya.

"When I was [at a military base in the UK], I met one of the first women combat helicopter pilots that had served in the Gulf War," he revealed. "She was a big reader and we'd talk for hours on end, and I thought, 'I need to create a character like this.'

"I'm always looking for a character I hadn't done before - and almost the entire book is written from her perspective. [I wanted to write about] that person trying to come back into the real world - [about] the distance and disconnect that they sometimes will feel."

Fool Me Once will stream on Netflix in 2024.