First look photography released for Karen Pirie II

ITV and World Productions have revealed the first look at the return of cold-case drama Karen Pirie…

Lauren Lyle reprises her role as Detective Inspector Karen Pirie, with a new case to solve. The three-part second series, based on author Val McDermid’s A Darker Domain and adapted by Emer Kenny will return to ITV, STV, ITVX and STV Player in July and on BritBox in the U.S. and Canada in October.

The first look pictures offer a glimpse into the thrilling series, hailed as ‘a refreshing take on the detective-genre’.

After her bittersweet success in series one, Karen has been promoted to Detective Inspector and seemingly given the authority she has long been fighting for. Just as she’s getting into the swing of her powerful new role, she is assigned an infamous unsolved case that will put her under intense scrutiny; from her boss, from the media, and ultimately, from sinister forces that would rather the past stayed in the past.

The 1984 case of Catriona and Adam Grant has confounded investigators and intrigued the public like no other. Catriona, the charming young heiress to a vast oil fortune, and her two year old son Adam, were brutally kidnapped at gunpoint outside a fish and chip shop in Fife. The ransom notes that followed stirred up an uncontrollable press storm, but when the culprits fell silent, the police faltered, and Catriona and Adam were never seen again.

Now, a man’s body has been discovered, with indisputable links to the original kidnap. With the first piece of evidence in decades, Karen must assemble an unbeatable team alongside her sincere and lovable sidekick DC Jason ‘Mint’ Murray (Chris Jenks) and the brilliant – but romantically complicated – DS Phil Parhatka (Zach Wyatt).

With the international renown of the kidnap and the constant pressure from Catriona’s father, Sir Broderick Grant (James Cosmo), the team take on the biggest challenge of their careers to date. As Karen delves deeper into what happened in the autumn of 1984, political grudges and painful secrets reveal themselves, and it soon becomes clear… the past is far from dead.

Lauren appears alongside series one regulars Chris Jenks, Zach Wyatt, Steve John Shepherd, Emer Kenny and Rakhee Thakrar. Joining the returning cast are Saskia Ashdown, James Cosmo, Frances Tomelty and John Michie.

Bringing the 1980s to life are previously announced cast members Julia Brown, Mark Rowley, Kat Ronney, Conor Berry, Stuart Campbell, Jamie Michie, Madeleine Worrall, Jack Stewart, Thoren Ferguson, and Helen Katamba. New additions to the present-day storyline include James Fleet, Tom Mannion and Tommaso Basili.

“As one of ITV’s most-watched new dramas of 2022, the first series premiered with 6.6 million viewers, and averaged 5.9m across each episode. Praised for its compelling twists and humour, the star-making turn saw the series win both Best Actress Television and the Audience Award for Favourite Scot on Screen at BAFTA Scotland for Lauren Lyle, Best Drama at the Celtic Media Festival and a Best Mini-Series nomination at the British Press Guild Awards.” – ITV

© ITV/World Productions/Photographer: Mark Mainz