The second season of Karen Pirie will land on ITV and ITVX later this month as the titular heroine investigate another high-profile cold case.
Written by Emer Kenny, the series is based on the Inspector Karen Pirie novels from Val McDermid. In 2022's first season, DS Pirie (played by Outlander's Lauren Lyle) was put in a charge of a cold case from 25 years prior.
In the second season of the "gripping" drama, set to air on ITV and stream on ITVX from 20 July, Karen has been promoted to the DI rank after the previous chapter's bittersweet ending.
Now finally having the authority she'd been fighting for, Karen is assigned to an "infamous" cold case from 1984, which saw an oil heiress and her two-year-old son vanish following a kidnapping and subsequent ransom situation.
The case comes back to light after the body of a man, who was linked to the original abduction, is discovered. With pressure from the victims' family, the police reopen the case and discover deadly secrets.
Related: Best streaming services
What to Read Next
For the latest instance of crime-solving, Karen will be joined by sidekick DC Jason 'Mint' Murray (Chris Jenks) and the brilliant - but "romantically complicated" - DS Phil Parhatka (Zach Wyatt).
As Karen and the team delve deeper into what happened forty years ago, they uncover political and personal "grudges" that somebody wants to keep buried, meaning the past is "far from dead".
Related: Karen Pirie's Emer Kenny explains mistake made by other detective shows like Line of Duty
"The 1984 case of Catriona and Adam Grant has confounded investigators and intrigued the public like no other," reads the logline. "With the international renown of the kidnap and the constant pressure from Catriona’s father, the team take on the biggest challenge of their careers to date."
In addition to the aforementioned stars, the returning cast members include Steve John Shepherd and Rakhee Thakrar, while Julia Brown, James Cosmo, Saskia Ashdown, Frances Tomelty, John Michie, Mark Rowley and James Fleet have all joined as newcomers.
Season 2 of Karen Pirie airs on ITV and streams on ITVX on 20 July. Season 1 is available on the same platform.
Digital Spy's new print issue is here! Buy Oasis - Live in '25 in newsagents or online, now priced at just £8.99.
Reporter, Digital Spy
Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy.
Her beats are horror films and period dramas, especially if fronted by queer women. She can argue why Scream is the best slasher in four languages (and a half).
