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Michelle Keegan as Maya Stern and Richard Armitage as Joe Burkett© Matt Squire/Netflix

Michelle Keegan and Richard Armitage’s new Netflix Harlan Coben show looks seriously good – details

Joanna Lumley and Adeel Akhtar also star in the upcoming Netflix drama

Emmy Griffiths
TV & Film Editor
Updated: November 3, 2023
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Richard Armitage and Harlan Coben adaptations are like salt and pepper, they just go together! The actor, who is best known for his roles in The Hobbit and North and South, is set to star opposite Michelle Keegan in a new Netflix adaptation from the bestselling author – and we’re so excited.

So what is Fool Me Once all about? The synopsis reads: “Fool Me Once follows Maya Stern who is trying to come to terms with the brutal murder of her husband, Joe. But when Maya installs a nanny-cam to keep an eye on her young daughter, she is shocked to see a man she recognises in her house.

WATCH: Richard Armitage stars in the thrilling new trailer for his audiobook Geneva

“Her husband, who she thought was dead… Detective Sergeant Sami Kierce leads the homicide investigation into Joe's death while grappling with secrets of his own.

“Meanwhile, Maya's niece and nephew, Abby and Daniel, are trying to find the truth about their mother's murder, several months earlier. Are the two cases connected? Fool Me Once follows these characters on a thrilling hunt for the truth that will reveal shocking secrets and change their lives forever.”

The cast also sees Sherwood star Adeel Akhtar as Sami Kierce, and Joanna Lumley as Joe’s mother. Judith.

Fool Me Once starring Michelle Keegan and Richard Armitage
Fool Me Once starring Michelle Keegan and Richard Armitage

This is Richard’s third outing in a Harlan Coben adaptation, as the actor previously starred in the hugely popular shows The Stranger and Stay Close. He also caused a stir in the risqué drama Obsession, where he told The Standard: “I was like, ‘Thank God I never have to take my shirt off again.’ Then I was sent this script and I’m like, ‘Oh, you want all of it off now. Okay.’” He added: “Their nerves [about nudity] were making me nervous. But when I read it, I was like, ‘OK, it’s essential to the story.’”

Michelle Keegan as Maya Stern in Fool Me Once© Vishal Sharma/Netflix

The actor is having a very busy time at the moment, as he released a new novel, Geneva. The story follows a scientist named Sarah Collier, who begins to suffer from Alzheimer’s symptoms before discovering that an enigmatic scientist, Mauritz Schiller, has developed a lifechanging cure that could save for – but it is the sort of technology that people would do anything for. The synopsis reads: “But technology so valuable attracts all kinds of interest. Wealthy investors are circling, controversial blogger Terri Landau is all over the story, and someone close to Schiller seems bent on taking advantage of the situation for themselves.

“Sarah feels threatened and does not know who to trust--including herself. Far from being her lifeline Schiller's technology may be her undoing. As events spiral out of control, Sarah and Daniel are faced with the ultimate question: how far would you go for someone you love?” 

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