Harlan Coben has long been known for turning his bestselling thriller novels into successful screen adaptations, particularly through his partnership with Netflix. However, his latest series, I Will Find You, represents a significant shift in his adaptation history, as it becomes the first of his Netflix projects to be set primarily in the United States.

This marks a notable change from the previous dozen or so adaptations of his work, many of which were relocated and produced in the United Kingdom. Over the years, Coben has built a strong creative relationship with British production teams, resulting in a series of popular shows that reinterpret his American-set novels through a distinctly British lens.

Among these U.K.-based adaptations are series such as The Stranger and Stay Close, both of which found success on Netflix and helped establish Coben as a major name in international streaming television. These projects were developed in collaboration with producer Nicola Schindler, executive Richard Fee of Red Production Company, and writer Danny Brocklehurst, who has worked closely with Coben on multiple series, including Harlan Coben’s Run Away.

Coben has previously spoken about why this British collaboration worked so well for his stories. In an earlier interview on CBS Mornings, he explained that part of the appeal came from the strength of his U.K. creative team and the unique tone they brought to his material.

According to Coben, working with British producers and writers added a different sensibility to his American stories. He described how the combination of U.S.-based narratives with U.K. production style created a kind of hybrid tone that enhanced the storytelling. He even pointed out that certain visual and cultural elements—such as distinctive British homes and environments reminiscent of period dramas like Downton Abbey—gave the series a richer and more atmospheric quality.

In his view, this blending of American plot structures with British stylistic choices helped elevate the adaptations, giving them a unique identity compared to standard U.S. thrillers. He also noted that setting stories abroad allowed for more creative flexibility, suggesting that working outside the United States sometimes made it easier to introduce mystery elements without strict expectations about realism or procedural accuracy.

However, with I Will Find You, Coben and his team decided to bring the story back to its original American setting. The series was developed by showrunner Robert Hull, and the production ultimately chose to stay closer to the geographical and cultural roots of the narrative.

Coben has acknowledged that this change brought its own set of differences in tone and storytelling approach. Speaking humorously about the contrast between U.K. and U.S. production environments in an interview with TV Insider, he joked about receiving frequent notes on British productions pointing out that “not everyone has a gun in the U.K.” He added that there is generally far less gun violence depicted in British-set stories, which naturally influences how action and suspense are portrayed.

This shift to an American setting for I Will Find You allowed the creative team to embrace a more familiar environment for the story’s themes and events. According to Coben, one of the advantages of returning to the U.S. was the freedom to use locations and narrative elements that aligned exactly with how the book was originally written.

He explained that while part of the fun of adaptation is sometimes changing settings and reimagining stories in new cultural contexts, in this case the team was able to remain faithful to the intended locations. This made the process feel more direct and, in his words, especially enjoyable, as the visual world of the series matched the one he had originally imagined while writing the novel.

Coben also shared how the idea for adapting I Will Find You into a series developed in parallel with the writing of the book itself. At the time, he and showrunner Robert Hull were exploring potential new projects together. When Coben mentioned that he was currently working on a new novel, he pitched the core concept to Hull, who immediately responded with strong enthusiasm.

According to Coben, Hull’s reaction was immediate and highly positive, with the showrunner expressing that this was exactly the kind of story he wanted to adapt. The idea was quickly taken forward, and discussions began with Netflix even before the novel had been completed. At that stage, the manuscript was still in progress, but the creative team already had confidence in its potential as a screen adaptation.

Coben humorously recalled that when Netflix first heard about the project, they asked whether it was based on a finished novel. His response was that it was not yet complete, but assured them that it would be finished in time. Despite this, development on the series began almost immediately, with Robert Hull already working on adaptation planning while Coben was still finishing the book.

This unusual overlap between writing and adaptation made I Will Find You a particularly unique project in Coben’s career. Unlike most adaptations, which typically begin after a novel has been published and established success, this series evolved in parallel with its source material. As a result, both the book and the show influenced each other during development.

Coben described this process as especially interesting, as it allowed for a more collaborative and dynamic approach between author and screenwriter. The close working relationship between him and Hull helped shape both versions of the story in real time, rather than treating the adaptation as a separate, later-stage project.

Ultimately, the decision to set I Will Find You in the United States aligned with the story’s original identity. The series is primarily set in Boston and follows David Burroughs, played by Sam Worthington, a man wrongfully convicted of murdering his own son. After years in prison, David’s life takes a dramatic turn when he sees evidence suggesting that his son may still be alive. This discovery leads him to escape custody and begin a desperate search for the truth.

The narrative blends emotional drama with suspense and mystery, as David attempts to uncover what really happened while being pursued by law enforcement and haunted by a conviction that defined his life.

For Coben, the return to an American setting allowed the story to unfold in the environment he originally envisioned. At the same time, the experience of working with international teams on previous adaptations continues to influence his broader creative approach.

As I Will Find You reaches audiences on Netflix, it represents both a continuation of Coben’s successful adaptation legacy and a new chapter that reconnects his storytelling with its original geographic roots. The shift from U.K. reinterpretations back to a U.S.-based production highlights the flexibility of his work—and the global appeal that has made his novels a consistent source of streaming success.