This Underrated Harlan Coben Mystery Series Should Have Never Been Canceled By Prime Video

Harlan Coben has mastered the art of reeling readers in with mysteries that thrive on audacious twists. The bestselling author has even pulled off the twist-within-a-twist approach in several stories, including Netflix's "Fool Me Once," the Harlan Coben thriller that had viewers hooked as soon as it landed on the streaming platform. While Coben's fast-paced mysteries have a decent success rate of being turned into buzzy adaptations, most of his work lacks polish or depth and relies on ludicrous logic. Once you accept that these elements are crucial to his style of mystery-building, every Netflix TV series based on a Harlan Coben book feels less like a baffling hodge-podge. In some cases, these stories can be a lot of fun.

These adaptations tend to do rather well, such as Prime Video's "Lazarus," the Coben series led by "Hunger Games" star Sam Claflin. While "Lazarus" is too self-serious for its own good, there's another Coben show that mimics a similar tone but ends up being unintentionally hilarious. I'm talking about "Shelter," the 2023 mystery drama, which was canceled by Prime Video after one season. This young-adult focused tale begins four months after a tragic accident, which traumatizes Mickey (Jaden Michael), who is living with his estranged aunt after his father's death. We expect trouble from the get-go, but Mickey is able to forge a new connection in Kasselton, New Jersey. Just when we think Ashley (Samantha Bugliaro) and Mickey can work through their pain together, she vanishes without a trace.

Mickey isn't alone in his search for Ashley, however, as he quickly befriends a few like-minded kids, who band together to help. Underneath the show's conspiracy-centered premise lies a sweet, charming adventure (not unlike "The Goonies") that contributes to the merits of "Shelter." It deserved at least one more season.

"Shelter" does a good job of mixing coming-of-age themes with those of a gritty conspiracy thriller, but there's some tonal whiplash awaiting you in case this is your first Coben mystery. In comparison, the novel uses this tonal dissonance to its advantage, as Coben's evocative prose expertly flits between the lighthearted nature of teen hangouts and the unthinkable horrors of living in a world that preys on those without support systems. The novel stays true to Coben's principle of introducing convoluted twists and plot points only when they're warranted, which he explains in an interview with Writer's Digest:

"I want it to be compulsive reading. So on every page, every paragraph, every sentence, every word, I ask myself, 'Is this compelling? Is this gripping? Is this moving the story forward?' And if it's not, I have to find a way to change it. It doesn't mean you can't have the larger issues, or setting or descriptions, but even those have to be done in a way that is compelling. No word should be wasted."

It's a shame that Prime Video's "Shelter" wastes too many words, which manifest as asinine dialogue that adds little to the story or its progression. This, combined with a frustratingly slow approach to the show's puzzle-box mystery, makes "Shelter" a middling Coben thriller. That said, a lot of fun can be had with its unintended humor. "The man who attacked my husband had a tattoo on his face ... of an octopus!" a woman exclaims with straight-edged seriousness, trying her best to create a somber atmosphere. She fails, but that's definitely for the best.

"Shelter" is pretty under-the-radar, and is absolutely worth checking if you're into moody adventures that are delightfully outlandish.