Get ready, armchair detectives - Karen Pirie has returned to ITV for a second season. Expect unsolved crimes, brooding Scottish landscapes, and a strong female lead...
Karen Pirie was a hit when it initially premiered in 2022, featuring Lauren Lyle as Scottish detective Karen. Drawing inspiration from Val McDermid's second Inspector Karen Pirie novel, A Darker Domain, the series will focus on the 1984 abduction of wealthy oil heiress Catriona Grant and her two-year-old son Adam, who vanished outside a Fife chip shop after being snatched at gunpoint. When the first breakthrough arrives in decades, Karen and her colleagues find themselves facing their most daunting investigation yet.
A synopsis reads, 'After her bittersweet success in series one, Karen has been promoted to Detective Inspector and seemingly given the authority she has long been fighting for. Just as she's getting into the swing of her powerful new role, she is assigned an infamous unsolved case that will put her under intense scrutiny; from her boss, from the media, and ultimately, from sinister forces that would rather the past stayed in the past.'
'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.'
Plenty of familiar faces will be returning, along with some new ones. Here's everything to know about the cast of Karen Pirie season 2.
Who is on the cast of Karen Pirie season 2?
Lauren Lyle as Karen Pirie
Opening up about returning for series 2, Lauren said, 'I'm thrilled that we will continue the life of our fearless young detective Karen Pirie, and of course, her bumbag.' Outside of Karen Pirie, Lauren is best known for playing the character of Marsali MacKimmie Fraser in Outlander.
Chris Jenks as DC Jason 'Mint' Murray
Chris will return as DC Jason 'Mint' Murray, a member of Karen's team. He is best known for playing Steve Morley in Sex Education, as well as Callum Barker in Vigil.
Zach Wyatt as DS Phil Parhatka
Zach - who is best known for his roles in Timestalker and The Witcher: Blood Origin - stars as DS Parhatka, a driven detective who shares a secret connection with Karen.
Steve John Shepherd as DCS Lees
Best known for playing Michael Moon in EastEnders, Steve has revived his role as DCS Lees - Karen's boss, who struggles to trust her.
Emer Kenny as River Wilde
Adapting the series from Val McDermid's novels, Emer will appear in the series as River Wilde - Karen's best friend, and a professor of forensic anthropology and archeology. Emer is best known for her roles as Zsa Zsa Carter in EastEnders, and Penelope 'Bunty' Windermere in Father Brown.
Rakhee Thakrar as Bel Richmond
Rakhee appears in series 2 of Karen Pirie as Bel, a former podcast turned documentarian who first met Karen during season one. Rakhee has previously appeared as Shabnam Masood in EastEnders and Emily Sands in Sex Education.
Saskia Ashdown as DC Isla Stark
Newcomer Saskia will join the cast as Isla, an 'ambitious newcomer' who is planted by DCS Lees to spy on Karen. She has previously starred in series including Trust Me, Six Four, and The Rig.
James Cosmo as Sir Broderick 'Brodie' Grant
You may recognise James for his roles as Angus MacLeod in Highlander, Campbell in Braveheart, and as Father Christmas in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. He will join the cast of Karen Pirie as Sir Broderick 'Brodie' Grant, the billionaire oil tycoon father of missing woman Catriona.
Jamie Michie as young Lord Brodie
A younger version of Lord Brodie is also played by Jamie Michie (Skins, Game of Thrones, Baby Reindeer)
Frances Tomelty as Mary Grant
Frances will star in Karen Pirie as Lady Mary Grant - the mother of Catriona and the ex-wife of Sir Brodie. The Belfast-born actress has starred in several TV shows, including Inspector Morse, Cracker, and Silent Witness.
Madeleine Worrall as young Mary Grant
Lady Mary is also played by Madeleine, who has starred in shows such as Call the Midwife and We Were the Lucky Ones, as well as films including Paddington and The Legend of Tarzan.
John Michie as Fergus Sinclair
Fergus Sinclair, the father of Catriona's missing son Adam, will be played by Scottish actor John. His TV credits include Taggart as DI Robbie Ross, Coronation Street as Karl Munro, and appearances in both Casualty and Holby City.
Jack Stewart as young Fergus Sinclair
Jack will appear as a young Fergus Sinclair. His previous acting roles including Outlander, Payback, and A Scottish Love Scheme.
Julia Brown as Catriona Grant
Julia will appear as Catriona 'Cat' Grant, the woman at the centre of this season's cold-case. Fans may recognise Julia from starring as Lois Bennett in BBC's World on Fire, as well as appearing in crime drama Shetland and CBBC's M.I High.
Mark Rowley as Mick Prentice
Mark will star as Mick, a man who had a secret relationship with Cat before her kidnap. You my recognise him from his role in The Last Kingdom, as well as appearances in Luther, SAS Rogue Heroes, and The Spanish Princess.
Kat Ronney as Bonnie
Kat (Casualty, Dinosaur) stars in Karen Pirie as Bonnie - Cat's best friend, who witnessed her kidnap.
Conor Berry as Andy
Conor (Schemers, Dept. Q) appears as Andy, who is a friend of Mick's.
Where can I watch Karen Pirie season 2?
The first episode of Karen Pirie season 2 aired on Sunday July 20th, premiering at 8pm on ITV1. All episodes are available on ITVX.
Charlotte Roberts is a news and entertainment writer at Grazia UK. She spends her days covering everything celebrity, culture, and entertainment.