Harlan Coben is a highly acclaimed American author, best known for his mystery and thriller novels. He was born in Newark, New Jersey, on January 4, 1962, to a Jewish family. After graduating from Amherst College with a major in political science, Coben worked in the travel industry before finding success as a writer. He is currently married to Anne Armstrong-Coben, a pediatrician, and they have four children together.
Coben has written over 50 million books, which have been published in 40 languages worldwide. His works are renowned for their plot twists and keeping readers guessing, making them unsuitable for bedtime reading. In addition to his adult novels, Coben also writes the Myron Bolitar series for adults and the Mickey Bolitar series for young adults.
Coben has achieved significant commercial success, with over 70 million books in print worldwide and 45 languages of publication. He has received numerous accolades for his work, including the Edgar, Shamus, and Anthony Awards. His novels have been adapted into Netflix Original Drama series, including The Stranger, The Innocent, Gone for Good, The Woods, Stay Close, and Safe. Coben serves as the creator and executive producer for these adaptations.
In addition to his work as a novelist, Coben has written essays and columns for various publications, including the New York Times, Parade Magazine, and Bloomberg Views. He has received a variety of honors from around the world, including the Vermeil Medal of Honor for contributions to culture and society by the Mayor of Paris, the El Premio del Novela Negra RBA in Spain, the Grand Prix de Lectrices in France, and the CWA/ITV3 Bestseller Dagger for favorite crime novelist in England. Coben was also inducted into the Little League Baseball Hall of Excellence in 2013 and is a member of the New England Basketball Hall of Fame.