Karen Pirie: BritBox Releases First-Look Photos from Season 2 of Hit Scottish Mystery Series

BritBox has released first-look photos from the second season of Karen Pirie, the hit Scottish whodunit series starring Lauren Lyle.

Man oh man! I can hardly wait for the new season of Karen Pirie! And if you’re one of the show’s legions of fans on both sides of the pond, then you’re probably anxious for the series’ return, too.

The first season, one of the UK’s most-watched dramas when it launched in 2022, was awesome — garnering raves from critics and viewers alike, and winning two BAFTA Scotland Awards for series star Lauren Lyle, including Best Actress – Television and Favorite Scot on Screen, as well as the Celtic Media Festival’s Best Drama Award.

Season 2 of the cold-case drama, which consists of three two-hour episodes, is based on A Darker Domain (#ad), the second title in award-winning author Val McDermid’s series of “Karen Pirie” novels, both a New York Times Notable Crime Book of the Year and a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize.

In addition to Lauren Lyle (Outlander, Broken, The Bombing of Pan Am 103, Toxic Town), returning cast members also include Chris Jenks (Sex Education, Vigil), Zach Wyatt (Timestalker, The Witcher: Blood Origin), Steve John Shepherd (EastEnders, Silent Witness), Emer Kenny (The Curse, Father Brown), and Rakhee Thakrar (I, Jack Wright, Wonka). Joining them are Saskia Ashdown (Annika), James Cosmo (Braveheart), Frances Tomelty (Unforgotten), and John Michie (Holby City).

After her bittersweet success (in Season 1), Karen (Lauren Lyle) was promoted to Detective Inspector, which seemingly gives her the authority she has long been fighting for. Just as she’s getting into the swing of her new role, she is assigned an infamous unsolved case that will put her under intense scrutiny from her boss, from the media, and from sinister forces that would rather the past stayed in the past.

This particular cold case has confounded investigators and intrigued the public like no other. Back in 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. The ransom notes that followed stirred up an uncontrollable press storm. But then 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 kidnapping. 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 kidnapping 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 that the past is far from dead.

The cast for the 1980s part of the story are Julia Brown (World on Fire), Mark Rowley (One Day), Kat Ronney (Dinosaur), Conor Berry (Dept. Q), Stuart Campbell (Rogue Heroes), Jamie Michie (Back to Life), Madeleine Worrall (We Were the Lucky Ones), Jack Stewart (Outlander), Thoren Ferguson (Rebus), and Helen Katamba (The Nest). New additions for the present-day storyline include James Fleet (I, Jack Wright), Tom Mannion (Traces), and Tommaso Basili (Ferrari).

Written by Emer Kenny, the series is directed by Gareth Bryn (35 Days), with Amanda Blue directing Episode 3, and produced by Marcus Wilson (Life on Mars). It is executive produced by Simon Heath and Emma Luffingham at World Productions, Emer Kenny, and Val McDermid. The series is produced in association with ITV Studios, which handles global distribution. Filming took place in Scotland and Malta.