Better than Run Away? Netflix Fool Me Once Review: A Thriller with a Satisfying Ending

Why We Chose Fool Me Once as Our Next Harlan Coben Series

My husband and I are huge fans of mystery and thriller shows. We really enjoyed Run Away on Netflix before, and we wanted to try more of Harlan Coben's work. It turns out many shows we already watched were actually based on his books! This time, we picked Fool Me Once. It came out about two years ago, but it is still very gripping and hard to stop watching.

Overview: Netflix Series Based on a Bestselling Book

• Release Date: 1 January 2024

• Episodes: 8 (Great for binge-watching)

• Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Crime, Drama

• Features: It is based on the 2016 novel. Once you start the first episode, you just want to keep going.

Main Cast

• Michelle Keegan as Maya Stern: The protagonist and a former soldier who is searching for the truth after losing her sister and husband.

• Adeel Akhtar as DS Sami Kierce: The lead detective who is struggling with a mysterious illness while investigating Joe’s murder.

• Richard Armitage as Joe Burkett: Maya’s husband who was killed in a robbery but suddenly appears on the nanny cam, triggering the mystery.

• Joanna Lumley as Judith Burkett: Maya’s mother-in-law and a powerful businesswoman who hides many family secrets.

• Dino Fetscher as DC Marty McGregor: A rookie police officer who works alongside Sami on the case.

• Emmett J. Scanlan as Shane Tessier: Maya’s military friend who always provides help and support whenever she needs it.

Plot: My Dead Husband is on the Nanny Cam? (No Spoilers)

Image by 99mimimi from Pixabay

Maya is having a very hard time. She lost her sister in a robbery, and then her husband Joe was shot in front of her. She also suffers from PTSD from her time in the army. One day, she checks the nanny cam and sees Joe playing with their daughter Lily. Maya is shocked and asks the nanny about it, but the nanny sprays her with pepper spray and steals the SD card. At the same time, Detective Sami finds out that Maya’s sister and husband were killed with the same gun.

Ending and Twist: The Ugly Truth (🚫 Spoilers below)

Image by JanWedema from Pixabay

▼ Spoilers Below ▼

❗This review does not reveal who killed Joe, but it contains major spoilers about the plot twists and the ending

As the story goes on, we find out Joe was not a good person at all. Maya’s sister was actually killed by Joe because she found out about the family's dirty business. Joe was a sociopath who killed people in the past, and his mother, Judith, used money to hide everything. 

In the end, the person who killed Joe is revealed, and they confess to it. The bad people tried to trick Maya with deepfake videos, but she used a live stream to show their confession to the world. Maya dies at the end, which was shocking, but it felt good to see the corrupt family finally fall.

Final Review and Conclusion: A Logical Ending with No Loose Ends

Image by Jacques GAIMARD from Pixabay

Just like the title Fool Me Once, everyone in this show lies to each other. The mother-in-law, the nanny, and even Maya’s friend Shane all look suspicious. To be honest, I felt a bit uncomfortable with Maya’s attitude sometimes because she was quite bossy to people even when asking for favours.

But there was a reason why Maya was so obsessed with Joe’s past instead of looking for the robbers. It’s because she already knew who the killer was from the start. At the very end, all the questions are answered, and everything makes sense. 

I liked the ending of this show more than Run Away (2026). Run Away was exciting too, but the way the story unfolded towards the end felt a bit flat. If you want to see how the two endings are different, check out my other post below!

👉 [Related Post] Review of Harlan Coben’s Run Away: Why the build-up to the ending felt a bit flat

*This review is based on my personal experience, and results may vary for others. Please take it as a friendly reference.