As 2026 starts, Netflix is kicking the year off with a brand new thriller from the pen of Harlan Coben – one of the service’s top, most well-known authors. The series, called Run Away, is actually an adaptation of the 2019 novel with the same name & from all accounts it’s really taking off.
Located in the UK, Run Away looks to deliver the full package of suspense, twists and a plot that’s basically begging to be binge-watched. We meet the Greene household, a family who appear to have it all sewn up: Simon, a top-flight financier, wife Ingrid, a loving & bubbly kids’ doctor, and their 3 kids. But life is never that simple, and the balance of the household gets seriously upset when their eldest, Paige, just vanishes on them. Six months are spent desperately searching for her without any luck, before Simon stumbles upon her. She’s been living on the streets, playing the guitar on street corners & has clearly changed.
The discovery, though, doesn’t exactly mark the start of a heart-warming family reunion – Paige has no intention of going back home, and Simon gets into a real confrontation with her new partner, a young troublemaker with a drug problem. Before we know it, the partner is found dead & Simon suddenly finds himself the prime suspect. From there on out, a whole lot more of the story unfolds, drawing in police investigations, private investigators & a second & rather creepy storyline about two young killers who don’t seem to have any connection to the rest of the plot.
Coben’s style is all about family secrets, hidden identities, and a never-ending series of twists – & Run Away plays this game with all of the cards on the table. But sometimes it’s all a bit too fast, with a few critics saying that the pace is so breakneck that it’s hard to take it all in. Some people are loving the constant tension & the cast’s performances, while others are saying the plot is a bit too over-ambitious, & piles up too many events & characters without giving you enough time to catch your breath.
Despite having some decidedly mixed reviews, Run Away appears to be doing allright for itself. & in fairness, that’s not really surprising given the success of other titles like the 2016 hit “Fool Me Once”. Run Away ticks all of the right boxes for Netflix viewers – short episodes, a mystery that just keeps escalating, and a conclusion that tries to put all the pieces together. No surprise that it’s getting a lot of love from its audience – it’s the perfect sort of show for anyone who loves a good twist, a final revelation that you just can’t see coming, and a whole lot of high-intensity entertainment that you can easily devour in a few short days.
