The mystery around Paige’s disappearance stands at the center of this story, yet it is only one component of the tale. Shocking revelations, horrifying cruelty and complex lies engulf the narrative itself, even when it leans toward the preposterous. Still, the stellar cast, taut pacing and inventive storylines keep the show engaging, even when it could’ve very well fallen apart.

There are many good performances, but I was especially fond of Jones (co-creator and co-star, with James Corden, of the much-loved “Gavin & Stacey”), whose no-nonsense shamus could support a show of her own, and Gledhill, as the only character allowed to display any sort of cheeriness — a necessary leavening agent over eight dark episodes.

It’s not a groundbreaking role for Nesbitt but it does remind you that few do the tormented Everyman better than he does. And, just as deeply pleasingly, it has the always-magnificent Tracy-Ann Oberman. .... The plot moves in increasingly convoluted but well-oiled grooves towards its resolution over the course of eight episodes.

It's kind of bonkers and likely to engage viewers, but one can't help but be left wanting a little more.

here are lazy shortcuts to characterisation, with several players reduced to little more than narrative cogs. But as disposable entertainment goes, Run Away is effective hokum. And sometimes, particularly on New Year’s Day, that’s precisely what the patient requires.

For those still nursing holiday hangovers, the hull may hold through the eight episodes of this admittedly never-boring thriller. Others may find themselves hoping that next year’s Coben anchors itself just a bit more slightly to things like logic and reality.

For all its twists, turns, red herrings and fishy dialogue, Run Away (Netflix) gives the viewer exactly what it expects. We came here to binge, not watch. It’s the TV drama equivalent of mindlessly scrolling your phone.