Harlan Coben Books in Order
Harlan Coben is a New York Times bestselling thriller and mystery author best known for the Myron Bolitar series and the standalone psychological thrillers, many of which have been adapted for Netflix. He was the first author to win the Edgar, Shamus, and Anthony Awards, which is a distinction he earned in the mid-1990s for his first two Myron Bolitar novels. His books have since sold over 100 million copies and been translated into 46 languages.
Beyond the Myron Bolitar series, which now includes twelve novels, Harlan Coben has written two spin-off series, Win and the young adult Mickey Bolitar trilogy, the Wilde series and the Detective Kierce series, as well as a long list of standalone thrillers. In 2025 he co-authored Gone Before Goodbye with Reese Witherspoon, his first collaboration with another writer. His partnership with Netflix was launched in 2018, with more than a dozen adaptations in several countries, including British, French, Spanish, Polish, and Argentinian productions.
This page lists all Harlan Coben books in order, including the Myron Bolitar series, the Mickey Bolitar YA spin-off, the Win book, the Wilde books, the Detective Kierce books, standalone thrillers, picture books, non-fiction, and screen adaptations.
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Latest Harlan Coben Books
Where to Start with Harlan Coben?
→ New to Harlan Coben? Start with Tell No One. It is the standalone novel most often recommended as a first Coben book, and it shows the kind of story he became known for, with a past tragedy, a missing person, and one discovery that changes everything.
→ Want his most popular series? Start with Deal Breaker (Myron Bolitar #1). It introduces Myron and his world and the people around him.
→ Coming from Netflix? Try the book behind the adaptation you watched first: The Stranger, Fool Me Once, Missing You, Run Away, I Will Find You, or Stay Close. Most of these are standalones, so you can start there without needing a series.
→ Want the whole Bolitar universe in the best reading order? Read the Myron books first. The Mickey Bolitar trilogy can stand on its own, but it fits better after Live Wire and before Home if you are reading the whole connected family thread.
→ Wilde, Mickey Bolitar, and the standalones are all independent of each other and of the Myron series, so you don’t need to have read them before picking them up.
How the Series Connect
Harlan Coben’s most connected books are the Myron Bolitar, Mickey Bolitar, and Win books. Myron Bolitar is the main character of that world. Mickey is Myron’s nephew, and Win is Myron’s closest friend and most dangerous ally. You can read each series separately, but the family history and character relationships land better if you read the Myron books first.
The Mickey Bolitar trilogy follows Mickey during his high school years. It is written for a YA audience and can be read on its own, but it also fills in background that matters later in the Myron books, especially before Home.
Win gives Windsor Horne Lockwood III his own main role after years as Myron’s partner. It is best treated as a Myron spin-off rather than a separate starting point.
Myron Bolitar Series (Books in Order)
The Myron Bolitar series follows sports agent Myron Bolitar, a former Duke basketball player whose NBA career ended before it started. He becomes a sports agent, but his work keeps pulling him into cases involving clients, missing people, blackmail, murder, and trouble inside the polished world of professional sports. Set mainly in New Jersey, the series is known for its fast dialogue, sharp humor, and genuine emotions, particularly in Myron’s relationships with his parents, his partner Win, and his on-and-off love interest Jessica. Windsor Horne Lockwood III (Win), Myron’s lethal and morally complicated best friend, is one of the most memorable recurring characters in the genre and becomes increasingly more important as the series goes on.
The early books are lighter in tone and closer to traditional PI mystery. From Promise Me onward, the series becomes much darker and heavier.
- Deal Breaker, 1995
- Drop Shot, 1996
- Fade Away, 1996
- Back Spin, 1997
- One False Move, 1998
- The Final Detail, 1999
- Darkest Fear, 2000
- Promise Me, 2006
- Long Lost, 2009
- Live Wire, 2011
- Home, 2016
- Think Twice, 2024
Mickey Bolitar Series (Books in Order)
The Mickey Bolitar series is a young adult spin-off following Myron’s teenage nephew Mickey Bolitar, whose life is turned upside down when his father is apparently killed and his mother enters rehab. After moving in with Myron and adjusting to a new town, Mickey starts at a new school and begins uncovering a conspiracy that connects to his father’s past.
The YA trilogy was written alongside the main Myron series and has the same New Jersey setting and some of the same supporting characters. Myron appears as well and the trilogy gives more background information about the whole family. It can be read on its own, but if you are reading all the Bolitar books, it fits best after Live Wire and before Home.
- Shelter, 2011
- Seconds Away, 2012
- Found, 2014
Detective Kierce Series (Books in Order)
The Detective Kierce series follows NYPD Detective Sami Kierce who initially appeared as a minor character in Fool Me Once, back then under the name Roger Kierce. He was a detective in May Stern’s story who got just a few lines in the book. He became much more important in the Netflix mini-series Fool Me Once, where his name was changed from Roger to Sami. Later on, in Nobody’s Fool, Harlan Coben changed this character to be more in line with the TV series and gave him a new entry in which he is now a former cop working as a private investigator. He is a married man, a new dad living in New York City, where he is teaching a night course on investigation at a local college.
- Fool Me Once, 2015
- Nobody’s Fool, 2025
Windsor Horne Lockwood III Series (Books in Order)
The Win series follows Windsor Horne Lockwood III, wealthy, aristocratic, and extremely dangerous best friend from the Myron Bolitar books, who now features in his own book. Win has been part of the Myron books from the beginning, usually stepping in when a situation calls for money, connections, stealth, or force that Myron would rather not use. Where Myron keeps the series grounded in morality, Win seems to have none of it, which makes for a much darker and more violent reading experience. The cases deal with high-level corruption, missing persons, and violence that go back to the past.
Win can technically be read on its own, but it works much better after you already know him from the Myron Bolitar series.
- Win, 2021
Wilde Series (Books in Order)
The Wilde series follows Wilde, a man who was found as a young child living a rather feral life in the New Jersey woods. He has no memory of his origins or family. Now he is working as an off-the-grid security consultant, and he uses his survival skills and instincts he developed as a child to solve cases involving missing people, online threats, wealthy families, and Wilde’s own search for answers about his childhood.
- The Boy From the Woods, 2020
- The Match, 2022
Standalone Novels
- Play Dead, 1990
- Miracle Cure, 1991
- Tell No One, 2001
- Gone for Good, 2002
- No Second Chance, 2003
- Just One Look, 2004
- The Innocent, 2005
- The Woods, 2007
- Hold Tight, 2008
- Caught, 2010
- Stay Close, 2012
- Six Years, 2013
- Missing You, 2014
- The Stranger, 2015
- Don’t Let Go, 2017
- Run Away, 2019
- I Will Find You, 2023
- Gone Before Goodbye, 2025 (with Reese Witherspoon)
Short Stories and Anthologies
- Malice Domestic 7, 1998
- Opening Shots, Vol. II, 2001
- Mystery Writers of America Presents Death Do Us Part: New Stories About Love, Lust, and Murder, 2006
- Pulp Fiction: The Crimefighters, 2006
- The Best American Mystery Stories 2011, 2011
- Suspense Magazine April 2012, 2012
- Crime Writers: A Decade of Crime, 2013, with Mark Billingham, Val McDermid
- The Best American Mystery Stories 2017, 2017
- Birds of Prey: The Harlan Coben Challenge, 2022, with Ace Atkins, C J Box, Allison Brennan, Robert Dugoni, Tess Gerritsen, Heather Graham, Gregg Hurwitz, Kathy Reichs
Picture Books
- The Magical Fantastical Fridge, 2016 (also titled Walden and the Magic Refrigerator)
Non-Fiction Books
- Plot Twist, 2026
Harlan Coben Biography
Harlan Coben is a New York Times bestselling author of suspense and crime thrillers who has published over 35 novels since his debut in 1990.
Official website: harlancoben.com
He was born on January 4, 1962, in Newark, New Jersey, and grew up in Livingston, where he attended Livingston High School with his childhood friend and future New Jersey governor Chris Christie. He studied political science at Amherst College, graduating in 1984. Later he worked for several years in the travel industry at a company his grandfather owned. This was an experience that, by his own account, gave him plenty of time to start writing.
His first two novels, Play Dead (1990) and Miracle Cure (1991), were standalone thrillers that Harlan Coben has since taken out of print, as he said they were the work of a writer still finding his feet. His career really took of with Deal Breaker in 1995, the first Myron Bolitar novel. The next two books in the series, Drop Shot and Fade Away, earned him the Anthony, Edgar, and Shamus Awards in quick succession, making him the first writer in history to win all three of mystery fiction’s major awards.
With Tell No One in 2001, Harlan Coben began writing standalone psychological thrillers and found an even wider audience. The book became a major bestseller and was adapted into a critically acclaimed French film in 2006, directed by Guillaume Canet, which won the Lumière Award for best picture and won four César Awards, including best actor, best director, and best music. It remains one of the most decorated foreign-language thrillers of its era.
In 2018, he signed a deal with Netflix to adapt 14 of his novels for TV. On every production, he is present, serving as executive producer. The deal was renewed in 2022 and has since produced over a dozen series in multiple languages, including British, French, Spanish, Polish, and Argentinian adaptations among them. Fool Me Once (2024) debuted at number one on Netflix’s English-language charts in its first week. In 2026, Netflix announced a Myron Bolitar series, produced by Emmy winner David E. Kelley, extending the partnership further.
In addition to his solo work, Harlan Coben co-authored Gone Before Goodbye (2025) with Reese Witherspoon. This was his first ever collaboration with another writer. 2026 is the year of publishing his first non-fiction book, Plot Twist, a memoir as a guide to writing stories, sharing his craft, ideas, tips, and insights. He has also written essays and fiction for the New York Times and received the Vermeil Medal of Honor from the Mayor of Paris. He lives in New Jersey with his wife and four children.
Harlan Coben Book Adaptations and Film/TV Work
Harlan Coben’s work has been adapted for film and television in several countries, including France, the UK, Spain, Poland, Argentina, and the United States. Some shows are direct book adaptations, while others are original screen projects created by or built around Harlan Coben.
Book Adaptations
- Tell No One – adapted into the French feature film Tell No One / Ne le dis à personne (2006)
- No Second Chance – adapted into the French television miniseries No Second Chance / Une chance de trop (2015)
- Just One Look – adapted into the French television miniseries Just One Look / Juste un regard (2017)
- The Stranger – adapted into the Netflix limited series The Stranger (2020)
- The Woods – adapted into the Polish Netflix limited series The Woods / W głębi lasu (2020)
- The Innocent – adapted into the Spanish Netflix limited series The Innocent / El inocente (2021)
- Gone for Good – adapted into the French Netflix limited series Gone for Good (2021)
- Stay Close – adapted into the Netflix limited series Stay Close (2021)
- Hold Tight – adapted into the Polish Netflix limited series Hold Tight (2022)
- Shelter – adapted into the Prime Video series Harlan Coben’s Shelter (2023)
- Fool Me Once – adapted into the Netflix limited series Fool Me Once (2024)
- Missing You – adapted into the Netflix limited series Missing You (2025)
- Just One Look – adapted into the Polish Netflix limited series Just One Look (2025)
- Caught – adapted into the Argentinian Netflix limited series Caught (2025)
- Run Away – adapted into the Netflix limited series Run Away (2026)
- I Will Find You – adapted into the Netflix limited series I Will Find You (2026)
- The Woods – announced as a new UK Netflix limited series adaptation, currently in production
- Myron Bolitar series – announced as a Netflix drama series in development
Original and Non-Book TV Work
- The Five – British television crime drama created by Harlan Coben (2016)
- Safe – Netflix thriller series created by Harlan Coben (2018)
- Lazarus – Prime Video thriller series based on an original story by Harlan Coben and Danny Brocklehurst (2025)
- Harlan Coben’s Final Twist – CBS true-crime documentary series hosted by Harlan Coben (2026)
Harlan Coben Awards and Honors
Harlan Coben is the first author to receive nominations for the Edgar, Anthony, Shamus, Dilys, and Barry Awards for his novels.
Awards
- Deal Breaker – Anthony Award for Best Paperback Original (1996)
- Fade Away – Shamus Award for Best Original PI Paperback (1997); Edgar Award for Best Paperback Original (1997)
- Back Spin – Barry Award for Best Paperback Original (1998)
Nominations and Shortlists
- Deal Breaker – Edgar Award nomination for Best Paperback Original (1996)
- Fade Away – Dilys Award, Barry Award, and Anthony Award nominations (1997)
- Back Spin – Shamus Award and Dilys Award nominations (1998)
- A Simple Philosophy – Macavity, Anthony, and Agatha Award nominations for Best Short Story (1999)
- Tell No One – Edgar, Macavity, Barry, and Anthony Award nominations for Best Novel (2002)
- The Woods – Shortlisted for the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger (2007)
- Hold Tight – ITW Award and CrimeFest: Sounds of Crime Award nominations (2009)
- Long Lost – ITW Award nomination for Best Hardcover Novel (2010)
- Caught – Edgar Award nomination for Best Novel (2011)
- Shelter – Edgar Award and Agatha Award nominations for Young Adult Fiction (2012)
- Seconds Away – Agatha Award nomination for Best Children/Young Adult Fiction (2013)
- Found – Agatha Award nomination for Best Children/Young Adult Fiction (2015)
- The Stranger – CrimeFest: Sounds of Crime Award nomination (2016)
- The Boy from the Woods – Barry Award nomination for Best Novel (2021)
I loved every book that I have read by you, I have seen a couple of yours books that were made into movies and was NOT impressed.
Well I just finished listening to all of your books. Please write another one or ten soon! My very favorite author.
Totally loved the British mini series based on “Missing You”, so awesome, and the music was very well chosen! Kudos!
I am a fan of all your books and have todate introduced your writing to all who I find looking at books at Costco, library etc. Some people actually wanted to know where to buy them locally. As a great library donar and reader I have insisted that our library buy all of your books. Our library cards are free thanks to enterprising businesses in town.
One of the items in my bucket list is to make sure that I say “Thank You and let them know how appreciated they are. So Harlan, “Thank you for your imagination and hard work that let me lose time of day while reading your great novels” sincerely C. Hicks (82)
Been a fan from the get go have all your books could not get enough and always waiting for your next offering, I really love the characterWin and the relationship between Myron and him. keep upm the good work
I would love to have HONEYMOON in English. I’ve had this novel for years but never sent it back for an exchange. I see it in the closet IN the wrapping. Could I please get a switch to one in English?
I have read most of his collection, but found “Win” my favorite. Though, I enjoy all his characters, I hope it is the first of other books based on this intriguing character.
Mr. Coben should devote evry waking minute to writing more books. Forget everything else…just write. I am addicted and the only cure is his next book! In all seriousness, his books are unmatched and I look forward to each new one. Thank you for sharing your talent. Write on!
Is there a book between Live Wire and Home that I missed? Myron’s brother is thought dead in one but then referred to as alive in the next…. what happened?
Reading Win now. Feels like I’m sitting down with old friends! Can someone help me remember which book introduces Win’s biological daughter? I must have missed that one. Thought I’d read them all! Loved every one I’ve read.
I read 8 books thus far and I am at the end of “The boy from the woods.” Compelling, insightful and full of suspense! Keep them coming Harlan Coben
I started late on Harlan’s books. I am a huge John Grisham, Lee Child, James Patterson and Vince Flynn fan, and thoroughly enjoy suspenseful, thriller type novels. I happened to stumble across “The Stranger” on Netflix and ended up purchasing the book (which I like much more than the series), and instantly became hooked. I’ve managed to acquire “Run Away” and “Promise Me” since then and am sure he is my new favorite author. I can’t wait t0 buy more and add to my collection. This guy is single handedly getting me through the pandemic by keeping me enthralled while we’re stuck in the house.
Like so many others, I am totally hooked on Harlan Coben’s novels. But it seems that he has a split personality as it’s hard to believe the same person has written both the stand alone books and the Myron Bolitaire series. What I enjoy most in the former is the emotional and psycological depth portrayed in the characters rather than the off-beat humour shown in Myron and his co-workers. But am thrilled that he’s still busy writing – can’t wait to get my hands on some of the books listed on your website that are still waiting for me!
Have read everyone of his books. Always looked forward to his next one and he never disappointa. “Win” is next on my list for 2021.
I can’t remember who helped Matt Hunter, was it Kat Donovan? It’s been a while since I read that book and I’m trying to figure out the whole “private eye” thing.
I’m hooked! Here’s how it started. I am a David Baldacci and John Grisham fan. Stumbled upon The Five and Safe on Netflix and just had to know about this Harlan Coben. Then I found Don’t Let Go at a Costco and picked it up! Hooked for sure. Decided to start at the beginning with his standalones. Just now starting No Second Chance. Really appreciate his work!
By coincidence, I read Tell No One and Caught back to back…. And found several crossovers! In Tell No One, Beck meets a homeless man who shouts Himmler likes tuna steaks! Turns out to be Kelvin Tilfer from Caught. Win does research for Wendy Tynes. Ed Grayson from Caught has a friend who helps Dan Mercer … Terese Collins of the Bolitar series. And indomitable attorney Hester Crimsten is in both as well! I love when characters appear in shared stories.
How did Brad Boiltar return from the dead? I just finished Home and Brad was killed in a car crash in live wire.
Just want to say that I have read 25 Harlan Coben novels and have enjoyed every one!
Harlan Coben is getting me through these trying times with his stories on Netflix …Thank you so much
I just finished Found from the Mickey Bolitar series, I loved the series. However, I kind of With there was more. Like maybe a second series. I want to see what Happens to spoon, and More adventures. I want to see in Ema and Mickey get together, if the move, how it’s goes for Mickey when he tells coach about Troy, and even who Ema’s Dad is (personally think it’s Brad Bolitar). I want to see Kitty’s reaction to her husband being alive. I want to see if she gets better, if the family moves or if they stay. I want to see Luther come to justice, and Lizzie’s reaction to him being alive. Or if we ever see Ashley again! If Mickey gets married, and too who? Yet at the same time I’m so satisfied with the ending of the series, and I don’t want to see Mickey in more pain. Yeah that was just a little rant. I loved the series. It ended greatly loved it.
THANK YOU for writing such wonderful novels. Have not read all but am working on it. Have not read one I did not like and that is rare these days for an author. They are very exciting and thrilling. Just finished Fool Me Once was not expecting the ending but it was great and made me cry. When you can laugh and cry in the same book it is a keeper. Thanks again.
Harlan Coben is always the way to go when it comes to thrillers…