It’s that time of the year again—Harlan Coben season! Kicking off each year with an adaptation of his work has almost become a tradition. Over the years, viewers have grown familiar with the hallmark traits of Coben’s suspenseful storytelling. Yet, Missing You manages to bring something fresh to the table.

Adapted from his 2014 bestseller, the series is set in the gritty landscape of Manchester, UK. It follows Detective Kat Donovan (played by Rosalind Eleazar) as she delves into the decades-old murder of her father. A conversation with a dying suspect reveals shocking hints that the true killer may still be at large, with links to her long-missing husband. Simultaneously, Kat takes on a missing persons case that gradually unravels unsettling connections to her father’s murder. As the layers peel away, Kat realizes she may know far less about the people closest to her than she thought.

The murky, rain-drenched atmosphere of Manchester provides the perfect backdrop, intensifying the chaotic, grim tone of the show. This time, the story revolves around a central theme: being cheated—in every sense of the word. While the first episode might seem like another tropey tale of a trauma-laden detective spiraling into paranoia, the subsequent episodes introduce a roster of new characters, each dropping bombshells that shake up the narrative. Every revelation seems to involve betrayal—someone cheating on or being cheated by another, all within the circle of characters we've already met. Each twist feels like a post of AITAH, creating a domino effect of deceit and betrayal.

These revelations skillfully pave the way for the ultimate truth—one that isn’t particularly satisfying but feels inevitable. By the end, you might find yourself saying, "Well, I figured as much." However, the journey to this conclusion is filled with gut-punching truths that leave you worried for Kat's emotional endurance. At times, you may even hope for the kind of unhinged narrative turn seen in Last Night in Soho, but by the fifth episode, both Kat and the audience have been through enough shocks—it’s time to take a breath.

5.2/10