The town with SECRETS

Rising star JADEN MICHAEL on his lead role in a new thriller from Harlan Coben

-  JUDY EWENS.

HARLAN COBEN’S SHELTER

FROM FRI 18 AUG, PRIME VIDEO THRILLER (FIRST THREE EPS FROM 18 AUG, THEN WEEKLY)

Acclaimed US crime writer Harlan Coben is a master of mystery, hooking readers into a story before piling on unexpected plot turns. His 2011 young adult thriller Shelter is no exception, and this week sees the novel brought to life in a much-anticipated adaptation on Prime Video.

The eight-part series sees Jaden Michael (Colin in Black and White) play high-school teen Mickey Bolitar. After surviving the car crash that kills his father, and with his mother in rehab, the youngster goes to live with his estranged aunt, Shira (House of Cards star Constance Zimmer), in the quiet suburban town of Kasselton, New Jersey.

Struggling with grief, Mickey is quickly drawn to another pupil, Ashley Kent (Samantha Bugliaro), but when she vanishes before their first date, he is determined to find out what’s happened to her.

With the help of fellow students Ema (Abby Corrigan) and Spoon (Adrian Greensmith), Mickey starts to uncover the dark secrets beneath the sleepy facade of the town and their link to his own complex family history.

His search for answers draws him to a sinister-looking mansion occupied by a strange, reclusive old woman, nicknamed Bat Lady (