Karen Pirie, ITV's new crime drama, has received rave reviews from audiences who tuned into the two-hour episode on Sunday evening.
The new detective drama follows DS Karen Pirie reopening the case of a murdered barmaid after a true-crime podcaster starts digging into the case. Pirie's investigation uncovers a series of mistakes in the original case back in the 1990s.
The show stars Outlander's Lauren Lyle as Pirie while Gemma McElhinney, Sex Education's Rakhee Thakrar, and Game of Thrones' Daniel Portman also star. The series is based on Val McDermid's 2003 novel The Distant Echo, which is the first of six novels in McDermid's Karen Pirie series. The most recent one, Still Life, was released in 2020.
Related: What Karen Pirie gets right that so many police thrillers get wrong
Viewers have praised the TV series as an excellent, gripping adaptation of McDermid's novel, with many saying it is one of the best detective shows out there.
One viewer tweeted: "#KarenPirie episode one was excellent. Great natural feeling mixture of light and shade running through. Lovely swirling narrative. Nothing felt shoe-horned in nor contrived. Great performances. Looking forward to next week!"
What to Read Next
Another user wrote: "First episode of #KarenPirie and it’s a cracker. Loved the books, and this really does them justice. Another @valmcdermid treasure!"
In particular, the writing from Emer Kenney was given praise. Viewers called her writing "sharp clever detectiving" and "tight, concise writing on point."
Another fan wrote: "I've been disappointed by a few of the dramas on recently, but really gripped by #KarenPirie tonight. Looking forward to the next episode."
Related: Outlander star reveals why she avoids social media
One fan even compared the show to another iconic female-led detective thriller: The Silence of the Lambs.
The viewer wrote: "Enjoyed new drama Karen Pirie tonight on ITV. Love the fact it takes place in St Andrews, a favourite place of ours. I like the scene where KP gets into the lift with other taller men cops just like Jodie Foster did in Silence of the Lambs."
Karen Pirie will run for three episodes in total, with episode two set to air next Sunday at 8pm. However, all three episodes are available to watch on the ITV Hub right now if you can't wait a week to find out what happens in this cliché-busting detective series.
Best Entertainment and Tech Deals
Coronation Street X Joanie - Gilroy Retro Newton And Ridley Sweatshirt
Reporter, Digital Spy
Jacob is a freelance writer who specialises in narrative TV and film.
He graduated from the University of Roehampton with an MA in Journalism and has written for several publications since, including Gold Derby, Insider, and Screen Daily.
Jacob has covered major events in the world of film and TV, including numerous BAFTA ceremonies and the Cannes Film Festival, while he's also been an awards expert for several publications, including Korea's Arirang. His particular areas of interest include Star Wars, the MCU, the Oscars, and Hugh Grant.
