I wanted to make this one a little funnier than some of the others...

As his latest thriller hits the bookshops, writer Harlan Coben tells HANNAH STEPHENSON about working with actress Reese Witherspoon on his next novel

- HANNAH STEPHENSON

HARLAN Coben never wanted to collaborate with anyone else on a book - until Hollywood star Reese Witherspoon changed his mind.

The writer, whose hit novels include The Boy from the Woods, Run Away, and Fool Me Once, as well as the award-winning Myron Bolitar series, had previously rejected approaches from other budding authors to join forces to write thrillers, he reveals, speaking from New York.

"I know Reese a little bit and she contacted me a while ago asking to meet and said she had an idea. It's kind of funny. I don't collaborate - it's not what I do. I've always written my books. No one else could help me.

"I don’t normally like other people’s ideas. It's not that they're not good ideas, but unfortunately if it’s not an idea that I've originated it’s just never worked for me," says the writer, whose string of Netflix hits includes Missing You, Stay Close, Safe, The Innocent, and The Stranger, and who acts as executive producer and is involved in writing, casting and watching rough cuts of scenes.

"So when she came I thought, 'How do I nicely tell Reese Witherspoon...?' and then she pitched me the idea and I was like, 'Huh, that's really interesting! We went back and forth and the next thing I know, we decided to write it as a novel together.

"I love Reese. She's a wonderful, creative force, a very giving partner, so smart, knows so much about story and is a pleasure and just fun to hang out with."

She had read his books, he had admired her films, both as an actor and producer. Soon they became friends. The storyline and title of the book, due to be published this autumn, are currently under wraps.

“We text or talk almost every day. We'll sit here when she’s in New York either in person, or do it by phone call or Zoom. We've outlined a lot of it. I'll probably do the majority of the actual physical writing. It's been a wonderful collaboration. I don’t know if I'd be able to do it with anybody else.”