Netflix's new Harlan Coben thriller adds surprise pop star to cast

 Bestselling Novelist, writer, Executive Producer, Harlan Coben against a red background wearing a light suit and blue glasses
Harlan Coben's new Netflix show has announced further cast. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Netflix has announced further cast for the much-anticipated Harlan Coben thriller, Missing You

Following on from the success of previous adaptations such as Fool Me Once, Stay Close and Safe, Missing You will be another amazingly tense thriller that sees the book's story relocated from the US to the UK, with filming taking place around Manchester and the North West of England this year.

Earlier this year Netflix announced the show was going into production with an all-star cast already lined up including former EastEnders star Jessica Plummer, Sir Lenny Henry, Rosalind Eleazar, Steve Pemberton, Mary Malone and Red Eye's Richard Armitage.

It has now been revealed that there are even more cast members joining the show, making what was already a stellar lineup even better, with Ashley Walters (Top Boy, Bulletproof), James Nesbitt (Stay Close, Bloodlands) and Busted pop star Matt Jay-Willis (Wolves of War, Love is Blind) signing up. 

Emma Willis and Matt Willis pose for Love Is Blind UK.

Matt presents Love Is Blind UK with his wife, Emma.  (Image credit: Netflix)

While Matt Willis might be best known as the co-founder, bassist and co-vocalist of pop band Busted, he has also carved himself a very successful TV career, appearing alongside his TV presenter wife Emma Willis. 

The pair already host Love Is Blind UK, a show coming to Netflix in August that sees singletons chatting and getting engaged to someone before they have met in person. 

Matt has also started in the 2022 war movie Wolves of War and played Luke Riley in EastEnders

Missing You is set to be a five-part thriller and will be the 9th Harlan Coben novel that has been adapted for TV. The story follows Detective Kat Donovan whose fiancé Josh - the love of her life - disappeared eleven years ago and she's never heard from him since. 

Now, swiping profiles on a dating app, she suddenly sees his face and her world explodes all over again. Josh's reappearance will force her to dive back into the mystery surrounding her father’s murder and uncover long-buried secrets from her past.

Claire Crick
Assistant Managing Editor at What To Watch

Claire is Assistant Managing Editor at What To Watch and has been a journalist for over 15 years, writing about everything from soaps and TV to beauty, entertainment, and even the Royal Family. After starting her career at a soap magazine, she ended up staying for 13 years, and over that time she’s pulled pints in the Rovers Return, sung karaoke in the Emmerdale village hall, taken a stroll around Albert Square, and visited Summer Bay Surf Club in sunny Australia. 

After learning some tricks of the trade at websites Digital Spy, Entertainment Daily, and Woman & Home, Claire landed a role at What’s On TV and whattowatch.com writing about all things TV and film, with a particular love for Aussie soaps, Strictly Come Dancing and Bake Off

She’s interviewed everyone from June Brown — AKA Dot Cotton — to Michelle Keegan, swapped cooking tips with baking legend Mary Berry backstage at the NTAs, and danced the night away with soap stars at countless awards bashes. There’s not a lot she doesn’t know about soaps and TV and can be very handy when a soapy question comes up in a pub quiz! 

As well as all things soap-related, Claire also loves running, spa breaks, days out with her kids, and getting lost in a good book.