‘Harlan Coben’s Final Twist’ to Examine Betsy Faria Case in Season 2 Premiere

Amanda Bell September 1, 2026, 4:38 pm

“Betsy Faria” – When church-going mother Betsy Faria is found stabbed to death in her quiet Missouri home, police initially suspect suicide … she’d tried it before. But multiple stab wounds and the surrounding evidence point to her husband. It seems like an open-and-shut case: trial, conviction, done. But then, more dead bodies and strange twists lead back to Betsy’s murder … unraveling a story everyone thought they understood. The second season of HARLAN COBEN’S FINAL TWIST premieres Monday, Oct. 5 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on-demand for Paramount+ Premium plan subscribers, or on-demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the episode airs)*. Pictured: Harlan Coben Photo: Credit: CBS ©2023 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Highest quality screengrab available. — CBS

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What To Know

Premiere details for Harlan Coben’s Final Twist Season 2 have been revealed.
Next, the author’s network show recounts the murder of Betsy Faria.

Harlan Coben‘s venture into true crime continues when Harlan Coben’s Final Twist Season 2 premieres on Monday, October 5.

CBS has now revealed details about what to expect when the acclaimed author’s network show returns with new episodes.

The premiere, which airs at the 10/9c Monday night slot, centers on the case of Betsy Faria, a woman whose murder in Missouri was initially written off as a death by suicide … until the truth came out, and things got even more twisted.

The official description for the Season 2 premiere episode reads, “When church-going mother Betsy Faria is found stabbed to death in her quiet Missouri home, police initially suspect suicide … she’d tried it before. But multiple stab wounds and the surrounding evidence point to her husband. It seems like an open-and-shut case: trial, conviction, done. But then, more dead bodies and strange twists lead back to Betsy’s murder … unraveling a story everyone thought they understood.”

“Shot in the Dark” Tuesday, Feb. 3 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) - At dawn, Melissa Oxley wakes up for work and finds herself in a nightmare: her husband, 36-year-old Ben Oxley – a native Hawaiian and accomplished water sports athlete – has been shot in the head while sleeping beside her. Melissa claims she never heard the gunshot. How could she not have heard the murder that happened inches away? Investigators found Melissa’s teenage brother, Craig, and Ben’s six-year-old daughter from a previous marriage, Alyssa, sound asleep. Investigators find a case built on silence, suspicion and a truth still buried. Pictured: Harlan Coben. Photo: CBS ©2026 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Highest quality screengrab available.

CBS

For those unfamiliar with the case, Faria, who was already terminally ill, was found dead on December 27, 2011, when her husband, Russ, ostensibly came home from a “game night” with friends and found her dead with multiple stab wounds. He was charged and convicted in 2013, thanks in part to testimony by Betsy’s friend, Pam Hupp. In a 2015 retrial, though, he was acquitted, as his attorney argued that Hupp was the real perpetrator and stood to benefit the most from her slaying, thanks to an insurance policy.

Harlan Coben Explains How 'Final Twist’ Turns Real Events Into Compelling & Compassionate TV (VIDEO)

Hupp was later suspected of a separate murder that took place in 2016 and was officially charged with the Faria murder in 2021. Meanwhile, a former sheriff’s deputy who testified at the 2013 trial was charged with perjury. Though Hupp is currently in prison for the separate homicide, her trial for Faria’s death reportedly will not take place until 2028.

The story of Betsy Faria’s murder was later dramatized in the 2022 drama The Thing About Pam, starring Katy Mixon and Renee Zellweger.

Harlan Coben’s Final Twist, Season 2 Premiere, October 5, 10/9c, CBS