Harlan Coben and me (right) at a book signing for Stay Close in March 2012.

Those who know me well are aware of my love for Harlan Coben’s work. He’s won numerous awards and sold millions of books, but most importantly, he’s a damn good author. While The Innocent is my favorite book of his, maybe because it was my first, Tell No One is arguably his most famous; published in 2001, it was Coben’s first book to appear on The New York Times Bestseller list. In 2006, Tell No One was turned into a hit French film, and Ben Affleck is going to direct the remake for American audiences.

According to the description on Harlan Coben’s website:

“TELL NO ONE is a story of loss and redemption. It begins innocently enough. Dr. David Beck and his beloved wife, Elizabeth, are celebrating the anniversary of their first kiss in the quiet of Lake Charmaine. They grew up together, first kissed at age twelve, and now, twenty-five years old and married less than a year, they return for an idyllic weekend away.

Tragedy shatters their solitude. Elizabeth is abducted and murdered, her body found in a ditch. Her killer is caught and brought to justice. But for David Beck, there can be no closure. Eight years pass. He never gets over Elizabeth’s murder. He loses himself in his work as an inner city pediatrician.

But everything changes on the eighth anniversary of Elizabeth’s death. Two unidentified bodies are found at Lake Charmaine, unearthed years after their deaths. But even more disturbing, Beck gets a bizarre email that mentions a specific phrase – a phrase known only to him and Elizabeth. The email also tells him to click a hyperlink the next day at a specific hour – “kiss time” – 6:15PM.”

Unlike most film adaptations, the movie did a fantastic job of bringing the story to life on the big screen while still remaining faithful to the book. Will Ben Affleck’s version be just as good? Who knows. We’ll have to wait and see. In the meantime, check out the trailer below for the French film and pick up the book. Both are excellent and worth your time.