I remember reading somewhere, that Harlan Coben has a deal with Netflix, and 14 of 31 novels will be adapted into series for the streaming platform. As someone who thrives on psychological thrillers, this can only be good news for me. One of the adaptations was released last year, The Stranger. Which had so many plot twists that it made your head spin. Continuing the trend, today Netflix released another adaptation, Stay Close. Lives of people are intertwined, entangled all culminating into a nightmare for each one of them. Meg is getting married to her partner of long 16 years. She is preparing for a pre-wedding bash with her girlfriends. And in a warning for something more sinister to come, her friend says " Everyone is getting divorced, but you two keep getting stronger". Cue life-altering next scene. Meg walks home to find a note with a bottle of champagne. The note was addressed to Cassie. Cassie is an old version of Meg that she left behind. Talk about a blast from the past. In another part of town is a photographer Ray, who is living a largely unsatisfying life. But he too, like Meg, harbors secrets. Photographs that can change everyone's lives. And another protagonist is Jack. A police officer is still unable to get over the remorse of having one case that he could not solve. A disappearance that caused Meg to run and change herself, photos that Ryan took of the same fateful night, and the officer still living in guilt. But the dead sometimes does not stay dead. They come in form of messages, photos, and reopened investigations. And what is even more troubling, is the disappearance of another person. The series is filled with cliffhangers. Albeit slightly predictable cliffhangers. Harlan Coben worked closely with the script and has made changes more appropriate for the show. But even with decent actors and a thrilling plot, Stay Close just doesn't intrigue you enough to want to finish the entire series. You are left looking at the time more often than not. The loose story just doesn't give you enough to be invested in Meg's life. After some time, you don't even care what happens to her. But if you want a mindless, cliched thriller, Stay Close is the one for you. By SB
