“Fool Me Once” is a story of two seemingly unconnected murders, although I think it may be safe to assume that the two subsequent murder investigations eventually intersect in a sinister way. Michelle Keegan from “Coronation Street” plays Maya, a woman who, while watching security camera footage of her own home, sees her presumed-murdered husband (Richard Armitage) mysteriously returning. Maya’s niece and nephew, meanwhile, begin investigating the murder of their own mother. Intrigue abounds. Lest you think you know where this is going, Coben has other plans. In an article by The Guardian, Coben noted that he likes to stay multiple steps ahead of his readers and takes pride in his ability to pull out strange and implausible twists. He was quoted as saying:
“If you don’t like twists and turns, I’m not your guy. […] For every twist that ends up in my stories, I probably thought of 10 others that I cut out. I really enjoy playing with your expectations, and I think you’ll see a lot of bombs and twists dropping at the end of this new series too. The last one is a real gut punch.”
The events of Coben’s original “Fool Me Once” novel, published in 2016, take place in the United States. The new series is set in England and, to Coben’s surprise, allowed the incorporation of a class struggle that he didn’t initially write. He noted that there is a conflict between Maya and Joe’s mother, played by celebrated British actor Joanna Lumley (“Absolutely Fabulous”).
For those seeking a pulpy, perhaps ridiculous but intriguing and thrilling outlet to arrange a viewing schedule around, it would seem Coben has once again provided. “Fool Me Once” is currently streaming on Netflix.