Karen Pirie creator Emer Kenny has shared an exciting update on the Scotland-based detective drama's second season.
The ITV show, which has been described as "solid" and "smart" in IMDb reviews, is based on acclaimed crime writer Val McDermid's novels and focuses on the titular detective sergeant, played by Outlander's Lauren Lyle.
It's been a long wait for fans after season one debuted back in 2022, but Kenny, who wrote and also has a supporting role in the show, has now finally given the new season a release window.
"My show, Karen Pirie, season two of that is coming out this summer, which is really exciting because it's been a while since we've finished shooting it," she confirmed during a new interview with RadioTimes.
"So I'm just really pumped for it to be out in the world on ITV on Sunday nights. This time it's about a kidnap of a billionaire heiress, so it's a little bit more epic, a little bit bigger, and I'm just really excited for people to see."
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Season two will focus on the re-investigation of a 1984 case where oil heiress Catriona Grant was kidnapped with her young son at gunpoint, with the motivation assumed to be political.
"The huge investigation creates an uncontrollable press storm… but when the culprits unexpectedly fall silent, the case runs cold. Cat and Adam are never seen again," the synopsis reads.
However, when a man's body is discovered four decades later, Karen Pirie is assigned to "reopen the case in complete secrecy".
Related: Karen Pirie's Emer Kenny explains mistake made by other detective shows like Line of Duty
The new season will also introduce a number of new characters, played by World on Fire's Julia Brown, Game of Thrones' James Cosmo, Unforgotten's Frances Tomelty, Holby City's John Michie and One Day's Mark Rowley.
Also on board are Six Four's Saskia Ashdown as DC Isla Stark, Rebus' Thoren Ferguson as DI Anderson and Helen Katamba as DC Laurel Blair.
Karen Pirie airs on ITV1 and ITVX.
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Social Executive, Entertainment Portfolio After completing her joint honours degree in Journalism and English Literature at Cardiff University, Iona joined Digital Spy as a Content Production Intern in 2022, where she wrote across both news and features, specialising in TV and movies. Following her internship, Iona continued contributing to the site as a freelance reporter, becoming social executive for the Hearst UK entertainment portfolio in summer 2025. Iona now leads the DS social channels, covering red carpets with stars such as Paul Mescal, Austin Butler, and more.
