Netflix’s 6-Part Smash Hit Mystery Thriller Beats Harlan Coben at His Own Game

Binge-watching is, thankfully, a year-round activity, but January is a particularly good time to settle down on the couch and check out a new thriller. In January 2026, I watched a six-part series on Netflix about small towns, tough marriages, and pain and loss. Not only is it a standout series in its own right thanks to its careful plotting and cliffhangers at the end of episodes, but it reminds me of Harlan Coben’s storytelling. Given how popular the author’s work is, both on the page and on the small screen, that can only be a good thing.

His & Hers can be praised for a lot of reasons. Maybe you’re most excited by a show with only six episodes. Maybe you enjoy the performances of the two main stars (who have impressive backgrounds and great chemistry here, too). Or maybe you’ve seen most of Coben’s TV adaptations and want to watch something that covers the same ground. Either way, it’s hard to think that anyone would be disappointed after watching this compelling show.

‘His & Hers’ Is an Exciting Story That Explores Important Themes

From trauma that never goes away to the terrifying and dark challenges that families face, His & Hers has a lot in common with Harlan Coben’s Netflix thrillers. You could watch His & Hers and think that it was based on one of his bestselling novels. The premise sounds like it: husband and wife Jack Harper (Jon Bernthal) and Anna Andrews (Tessa Thompson) are grieving when a woman in their town is murdered, which leads to them both investigating what happened.

Many of Coben’s shows play with tropes, from the smart detective who has an “aha” moment when they figure it all out to spouses who are stunned by what they discover about one another. They also feature small towns that are nice on the surface but where residents feel trapped or where terrible things seem to happen too often. Those elements are present here, too. The show’s setting of Dahlonega, Georgia, is a place where people grow up and don’t leave, leading to tangled relationships and negative emotions that are frustrating for the characters but endlessly fascinating to watch.

Like the Netflix series The Beast in Me, His & Hers explores the harrowing subject of loss, which is something that is also present in much of Coben’s work. These characters all feel uniquely compelling because they’re trying to solve a murder or disappearance while coping with trauma and figuring out how to find strength to move on (and if that’s even possible).

‘His & Hers’ Has Noteworthy Plot Twists

Of course, we can’t talk about Harlan Coben’s storytelling without mentioning his impressive plot twists. That’s something else that His & Hers has in common with his work. I wrote about rewatching His & Hers for the twist ending, but there are several huge moments before then, too.

At the end of Episode 1, Anna finds out a big truth about Jack’s connection to Rachel. Another reveal happens in the final moments of Episode 2. Perhaps the most exciting moment occurs in the last scene of Episode 5. It’s so haunting and arresting that Anna swears, and it’s hard to forget the stunned expression on her face.

Coben is so good at crafting reveals that this talent was even factored into the title of his memoir. Plot Twist: Life, Craft, and the Messy First Draft: A Memoir on Writing was published on Sept. 8, 2026. He has shared more about his process of writing twists in interviews. His perspective can be applied to His & Hers nicely. In 2010, he told Writer’s Digest:

“And I love the twist. I love to fool you once, I love to fool you twice, and on the very last page, quite often—very last paragraph sometimes—I like to just play with your perception one more time in a way that makes everything that came before just a little bit different. I love when that happens to me as a reader, so I love to do it as a writer.”

Coben could be describing exactly what happens when you watch His & Hers. Each twist suggests Anna and Jack aren’t who they appear to be, or that they are hiding something they don’t want to admit, even to themselves. These moments play with your emotions. As is often the case when watching The Stranger or the story of David Burroughs (Sam Worthington) in I Will Find You, it’s easy to feel empathy for a character in one scene and then wonder if they’re really a villain in another.

You won’t go wrong with most shows adapted from Coben’s work, and if you want a TV marathon this weekend, check out His & Hers along with one of Coben’s miniseries.