ITV has released a first look at the second season of critically-acclaimed crime drama, Karen Pirie.
The cold case drama, based on author Val McDermid's A Darker Domain and adapted by Emer Kenny (The Curse, Save Me Too), stars Lauren Lyle as the eponymous DI Karen Pirie, who is tasked with a "riveting" new case to solve in the upcoming series.
Keep reading to catch a glimpse of season two in the first-look photos.
© Mark Mainz / ITVWhat to expect from Karen Pirie season 2
In the new episodes, Karen has been promoted to Detective Inspector and is just getting into the swing of things when she's assigned to an infamous unsolved case that puts her under intense scrutiny from not just her boss and the media, but from "sinister forces that would rather the past stayed in the past".
© Mark Mainz / ITVIn 1984, 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. What followed were ransom notes that caused an "uncontrollable press storm", but when the culprits fell silent, the police faltered, and the two victims were never seen again.
The synopsis continues: "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).
© Mark Mainz / ITV"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."
5 top ITV drama series
© ITV1. The Bay
Set in Morecambe Bay, Lancashire. Investigator Lisa Armstrong is assigned to support and talk to the families of missing persons. When she discovers a personal connection to a case she's working on, her emotional involvement may cause her to overlook crucial clues.
2. A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story
A dark love story about Ruth Ellis (Lucy Boynton), the last woman to be executed in the UK in the 1950s. The historical crime drama follows her turbulent life as a nightclub manager and her violent relationship with the man she eventually murders.
3. Unforgotten
Detectives Cassie Stuart and Sunil Khan are on the top of their game to solve a series of cold cases including murders and strange disappearances. But are there consequences to digging up crimes and secrets from the past?
4. Out There
Nathan Williams (Martin Clunes), plays a farmer who risks everything to protect his son after he becomes involved with a drug gang. The dark world of county lines drug cartels begins to seep into the family's rural life.
5. Playing Nice
James Norton stars in this nightmare thriller about what happens when two sets of parents realise their sons may not be their biological children.
Who stars in Karen Pirie season two?
Lauren Lyle, known for her roles in Outlander and The Outrun, reprises her starring role alongside series one regulars Chris Jenks (Beyond Paradise, Vigil), Zach Wyatt (Timestalker, The Witcher: Blood Origin), Steve John Shepherd (Harry Potter), Emer Kenny (The Curse), and Rakhee Thakrar (Wonka).
Joining the returning cast are Saskia Ashdown (Six Four), James Cosmo (Braveheart), Frances Tomelty (Unforgotten), and John Michie (Holby City), alongside James Fleet (Bridgerton), Tom Mannion (Mr Selfridge), and Tommaso Basili (Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints).
© Mark Mainz / ITVA number of new faces bring the 1980s to life in the second season, including Julia Brown (World on Fire), Mark Rowley (One Day), Kat Ronney (Dinosaur), Conor Berry (Schemers), Stuart Campbell (The Winter King), Jamie Michie (Back to Life), Madeleine Worrall (The Legend of Tarzan), Jack Stewart (Outlander), Thoren Ferguson (Rebus), and Helen Katamba (The Nest).
Karen Pirie season 2 release date
The new series comes to ITV, STV, ITVX and STV Player in July and on BritBox in the U.S. and Canada in October.
