ITV’s Karen Pirie delivers its second series with deliberate care, unfolding the latest cold case at a measured pace. Screenwriter Emer Kenny adapts Val McDermid’s bestselling Scottish crime novels into a thoughtful detective drama designed to keep audiences both puzzled and engaged. When the first series aired in 2022, critics hailed it as one of the best police dramas in years. Now, with Lauren Lyle returning as the titular detective, the show faces the challenge of living up to—and building upon—remarkable early promise.
Reopening the Shadows
This new run of Karen Pirie takes inspiration from McDermid’s novel A Darker Domain, placing a decades-old kidnapping at the centre of its story. In 1984, heiress Catriona Grant and her toddler son Adam were snatched at gunpoint. Despite a frenzied investigation and relentless press attention, both mother and child vanished without trace. Now, forty years later, a new body surfaces. Detective Inspector Karen Pirie, freshly promoted and possessing more authority than ever, is tasked with reopening this infamous case under mounting media scrutiny and political pressure.
The show lingers on the tension between past and present. Scottish society in 1984, marked by miners’ strikes and sharp class divides, forms a rich backdrop to Pirie’s investigation. These historic fissures reverberate through the mystery, highlighting how personal and political histories intertwine in crime and its aftermath.
Lauren Lyle’s Performance
Lauren Lyle’s portrayal of Karen Pirie stands out as neither the typical grizzled detective nor the clichéd troubled genius. Instead, viewers are treated to a young, sharp, and unflinchingly honest investigator, who refuses to fit the mould of her genre. Where other crime dramas rely on detectives with traumatic backstories, addiction issues, or emotional volatility, Karen Pirie brings warmth, wit, and emotional range. She is relatable, ambitious, and comfortable being the youngest voice in rooms packed with sceptical men—a refreshing change in British television.
Lyle’s nuanced depiction has already garnered two BAFTA Scotland awards, cementing her status as a new leading light in UK drama. Critics and audiences have praised her ability to bring both vulnerability and steel to the role, managing to look both experienced and refreshingly normal at the same time.
Social Commentary beyond the Mystery
Karen Pirie’s writing goes well beyond procedural mechanics. Series two digs keenly into how media, wealth, and legacy can contaminate justice and truth. The press in this season are depicted not merely as observers but as active players—bending narratives, leaking information, and chasing headlines, sometimes to the detriment of those seeking resolution. These industry dynamics resonate with current debates about the role of the media in shaping public understanding of crime in Britain.
The juxtaposition of lavish, glass-walled modern homes against fading, stately manors serves as apt commentary on class, aspiration, and the enduring weight of the past. It is no less than a visual metaphor for how families—in particular those in the spotlight—try, and often fail, to outrun inherited scandals.
A Distinct Scottish Setting
The setting of Karen Pirie remains one of its most distinctive assets. Filmed and set in St Andrews and surrounding coastal villages, the show immerses audiences in authentic Scottish landscapes—wind-battered cliffs, shadowy streets, and stately architecture. This sense of place infuses the narrative with atmosphere and amplifies the series’ themes of haunting and memory.
The drama’s connection to tartan noir, the Scottish variant of the crime fiction genre defined by grit and regional detail, is evident throughout. Series creator Val McDermid is often called the “queen of crime,” whose novels have long explored the complexities of policing in modern Scotland. ITV’s adaptation honours those roots by offering intricate mysteries and sharp social commentary.
An Engaging, Intimate Approach
While Karen Pirie works at its own pace, often taking time to develop minor characters and linger on investigative details, this patience rewards viewers with richer emotional nuance and deeper satisfaction. The series explores friendship, loyalty, and the ways in which ambition can both fuel and complicate the search for justice. The writing offers sly humour and moments of dry Scottish wit, offsetting the gravity of the cold cases at its heart.
For UK audiences accustomed to formulaic whodunits, Karen Pirie’s slower tempo and refusal to deliver flashy, simplistic resolutions may initially come as a surprise. Yet, as critics have noted, this precision—and the show’s respect for its audience’s intelligence—is precisely what makes it so compelling.
Reception and Impact
Since its return, Karen Pirie has been met with warm reviews across the major UK outlets. Critics compliment the show for its immersive storytelling and the layered complexity of its central mystery. While some have noted that the pacing is unhurried, the payoff comes from thoughtful characterisation and timely explorations of media, power, and gender in modern Scotland.
A growing fanbase continues to fuel speculation about the show’s sustainability and scope. There is every reason to hope Karen Pirie will become a fixture of British television, with the second series firmly establishing it as must-see crime drama and a singular voice among its competitors.
