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'Karen Pirie': ITV's 'Binge-Worthy' Crime Thriller Returns And Is A Must-Watch For 'Dept Q' Fans
'Karen Pirie': ITV's 'Binge-Worthy' Crime Thriller Returns And Is A Must-Watch For 'Dept Q' Fans

Elle

time18 hours ago

  • Entertainment
  • Elle

'Karen Pirie': ITV's 'Binge-Worthy' Crime Thriller Returns And Is A Must-Watch For 'Dept Q' Fans

There's nothing quite like a good series making its way back to our screens after years of waiting for a new season to drop. And for those that are deep in the crime thriller genre, you'll know that such was the case on July 20 when ITV released the second season of Karen Pirie. Once again, Pirie's (Lauren Lyle) back on the scene, and this season has got everything that we want in a murder mystery - a strong female lead, a complex cold case that isn't quite what it seems, and like fan-favourite Dept. Q, all the drama which is set against Scotland's rugged and eerie landscapes that only intensify the depth of the chilling story set to unfold. Following the first season which say Karen being tasked with the responsibility of solving a historic murder which was at the centre of a crime podcast, the fearless detective is now turning her focus to a new case, after being promoted to Detective Inspector. ITV's official logline for the series is as follows: '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.' 'The 1984 case of Catriona (Julia Brown) and Adam Grant has confounded investigators and intrigued the public like no other. 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. A huge investigation sparks an uncontrollable press storm, but after the arrival of two ransom notes, the culprits unexpectedly fall silent, the case runs cold, and Catriona and Adam are never seen again.' Ye, you can watch the trailer here. The second season of Karen Pirie was released on July 20 and will follow on subsequent Sundays, with all three episodes (each being two hours long) available to stream on ITVX ELLE Collective is a new community of fashion, beauty and culture lovers. For access to exclusive content, events, inspiring advice from our Editors and industry experts, as well the opportunity to meet designers, thought-leaders and stylists, become a member today HERE.

If you love Karen Pirie, this is exactly what happens to her in the next 6 books the show is based on
If you love Karen Pirie, this is exactly what happens to her in the next 6 books the show is based on

Cosmopolitan

time21 hours ago

  • Entertainment
  • Cosmopolitan

If you love Karen Pirie, this is exactly what happens to her in the next 6 books the show is based on

In case you missed it Karen Pirie is officially back on our screens for series two, three years after we were introduced to the Scottish detective series in 2022. The second series kicked off on 20 July and sees Lauren Lyle back in action as the titular detective Karen Pirie as she investigates the decades old disappearance of oil heiress Catriona Grant. After a dead body is discovered in a bog, it blows the once highly publicised case wide open, giving fresh hope to Catriona's parents their child and grandchild may still be alive. And another thing you may not have realised is the ITV series is in fact based on a series of books by Scottish author Val McDermid. McDermid has sold over 19 million copies of her novels worldwide across the Karen Pirie series, the Dr Tony Hill series and her many other projects. So far two of the books from the Karen Pirie novel series have been adapted into two seasons of show, but there's actually six more books in the series with plenty more cases for Karen and the team to solve. Curious to know what else is in store for Karen? Here's everything you need to know about all eight books in the Karen Pirie series. The first book in the series follows Karen as she investigates the 25-year-old murder case of Rosie, a young woman who was found raped, stabbed and dead in a graveyard. Four young students found her and were quickly put high up the suspect list. However, in the present timeline when two of these students end up dead it seems someone is carrying out their own form of justice and it's a race against the clock to make sure the other two don't end up dead, as well as finding Rosie's killer. Five years after the original novel was published Val McDermid returned with the second book in Karen's story. This is the book the second ITV series is based on and follows a similar plot line. In the second book, Karen investigating the kidnapping of Catriona Grant and her young son, who went missing 25 years ago, amid political unrest and the miners' strike of 1984. Karen is put onto the case of identifying the remains of a skeleton discovered in a crumbling Edinburgh building. As she delves further into the mystery person's identity, she finds herself in a world of intrigue, betrayal and someone else is taking the law into their own hands. A teenager's car accident that ends in a coma is the catalyst that kicks off an investigation into a 20 year old cold case. The teen's DNA causes two historic investigations to be blown wide open, that of a rape and murder in 1996 and a plane crash in 1994. Meanwhile things are not going well in Karen's personal life, as she deals with the death of a loved one. But it's not all doom and gloom as Karen makes it her mission to help the Syrian refugees. This time around Karen is called to investigate a body and unknown inheritance that are discovered in the Scottish Highlands. As Karen delves deeper into the case, it seems to bring up more questions than answers, with nothing being as it seems. She also finds herself dealing with another case simultaneously that she thought she had already prevented. Still Life sees Karen once again have to balance two cases at once. The first is that of a dead body pulled out of the sea. The victim was the prime suspect in a decades long case in which a civil servant disappeared one day without a trace. Meanwhile she's also investigating a skeleton that has been found in a campervan and Karen believes all the clues hint towards a killer who is still very much at large. In the seventh novel of the series it's not a body that kicks off a cold case investigation. No it's an author's manuscript. The manuscript is eerily similar to the case of Lara Hardie, a Edinburgh University student who disappeared years ago. The manuscript may be the key to solving the case, however its author never finished it. The next book in the Karen Pirie series is due to be released later this year in October and follows Karen as she investigates another cold case. This time around a landslide on a motorway causes the discovery of a body that has been dead for 11 years. The body belongs to journalist Sam Nimmo who was the prime suspect in the murder of his fiancee, however, with them now both dead, who wanted Sam buried? And back in Edinburgh there's another case to solve as the accidental death of a hotel manager is starting to look a more like murder. With a web of lies to untangle will Karen be able to find the answers? Karen Pirie season two is available on ITV1 and ITVX

Is ITV drama Karen Pirie season two based on a true story?
Is ITV drama Karen Pirie season two based on a true story?

Daily Record

timea day ago

  • Entertainment
  • Daily Record

Is ITV drama Karen Pirie season two based on a true story?

Karen Pirie is back on our screens for a second season, with Outlander's Lauren Lyle in the leading role. Karen Pirie has made her comeback for an electrifying second series, with Outlander star Lauren Lyle tackling a fresh cold case mystery as the fearless Scottish detective. The much-loved ITV detective programme initially premiered in 2022, adapting Val McDermid's Inspector Karen Pirie book series for television. ‌ The debut series followed the intrepid young Scottish detective as she delved into a quarter-century-old case, exposing the killing of a barmaid amongst a tangled web of sinister secrets, deception, and potential suspects. ‌ This second series, drawing from McDermid's novel A Darker Domain, explores the 1984 abduction of an enchanting oil fortune heiress, Catriona Grant, alongside her two-year-old son Adam. ‌ The pair were snatched at gunpoint outside a chip shop in Fife, vanishing without trace despite a frenzied media frenzy. The investigation resurfaces when a man's corpse is discovered, bearing connections to the original abduction, reports the Mirror. ‌ The official description hints: "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." ‌ Is Karen Pirie series two inspired by real events? Whilst the investigation does appear plausible enough to have actually occurred, A Darker Domain remains entirely fictitious. The novel draws its inspiration from the UK Miners' Strike of 1984-1985 in Fife, when with the fictional crime of Catriona's kidnap and the setting where McDermid grew up. However, despite the central case of the series being a work of fiction, actress Lauren discovered some elements of truth in her character. She shared her intriguing experience during filming: "It was really interesting when we were filming, we started at St Andrews Cathedral and one night we had police escorts with us," she said prior to the first series broadcast. ‌ "One of them was a 20-something blonde woman, and it turns out she was a detective from Methil, the same tiny town Karen is from! To me, she was the real Karen Pirie. "So we exchanged numbers and we stayed in touch, it was like looking into a mirror for Karen." ‌ Emer Kenny, the writer, also recently emphasised the significance of maintaining the original timeline of the book, even though the first season is set in the 1990s while the initial book, The Distant Echo, takes place in the 1970s. Speaking to Radio Times, she explained: "This time it felt really important for it to be 1984, which is what it is in the book, because the background is the miners' strike, which, in the east of Scotland, was a massive thing in that area. ‌ "And quite a few of our characters are living in those areas, and some of the miners, so it felt really important that we keep it there. Also, I really love that era. I think it's interesting politically, and I like the music and the style." She added: "Also, it's quite important to Val because she's from that area, she lived through that." Lauren, reflecting on the filming process, shared with the publication that they frequently visited Val's hometown. She explained: "We'd put up some of our sets, you would see the old mounts, the pit heads, and we would use all that. And they've never been taken away, because they can't, they were just sort of abandoned. It's quite haunting and intense to be around that. It really puts into perspective how real some of that was." Karen Pirie is available to watch on ITVX.

ITV Karen Pirie fans only just realising where they've seen River Wilde actress before
ITV Karen Pirie fans only just realising where they've seen River Wilde actress before

Daily Mirror

timea day ago

  • Entertainment
  • Daily Mirror

ITV Karen Pirie fans only just realising where they've seen River Wilde actress before

ITV's Karen Pirie has been a huge hit with viewers, but many are only just realising where they've seen one of the main characters before Fans of the gripping ITV drama Karen Pirie are quickly realising where they've previously seen the actress who plays River Wilde. ‌ The brand new series of the hit show kicked off at the weekend, three years after it debuted on screens. Based on the Inspector Karen Pirie series of novels by Val McDermid, the programme follows officer Karen Pirie played by Lauren Lyle. ‌ In the new series, Karen has found herself promoted to detective inspector - and it doesn't take her long to get involved in some drama ‌ Soon enough, Karen is assigned to crack another cold case to do with an infamous unsolved case from over 30 years ago, that saw the kidnapping of heiress Catriona Grant (Julia Brown) and her young son. ‌ However, a man's body has now been found with indisputable links to the original kidnapping. As a result, Karen makes it her mission to find out the truth - with her and her team taking on the biggest challenge of their careers to date. Several cast members from series one have returned for the new show, including actress Emer Kenny, who plays River Wilde, Karen's best pal and a professor of forensic anthropology and archaeology. ‌ As well as Karen Pirie, which she has also written, Emer has appeared in the likes of Pramface and Father Brown. However, it's her role in EastEnders back in 2010 that has got plenty of fans talking. 'Emer Kenny who played Zsa Zsa Carter is in the new ITV show Karen Pirie,' said one person on an EastEnders Facebook fan page. Other people shared their shock: 'I thought it was her!' Another agreed: 'Same here I recognised her from somewhere.' ‌ Emer made her debut on EastEnders in 2010 as Zsa Zsa Carter, the daughter of Tina Carter (Luisa Bradshaw-White). She departed the show that same year after dumping her cheating boyfriend Leon and leaving for France. Meanwhile talking about the new series of Karen Pirie, Emer recently admitted she felt pressure coming up with the second series. 'I was daunted because it was my first time lead writing a show and it was Lauren's first time as the lead, so there was this kind of mad, magic excitement that we had and we both really gave it everything we had, and I put a lot of my personal feelings about how it felt to be doing that for the first time in the story,' she told Yahoo UK recently.

Is Karen Pirie season two based on a true story as ITV detective drama returns
Is Karen Pirie season two based on a true story as ITV detective drama returns

Daily Mirror

timea day ago

  • Entertainment
  • Daily Mirror

Is Karen Pirie season two based on a true story as ITV detective drama returns

Outlander actress Lauren Lyle has returned as detective Karen Pirie to uncover a new cold case. Karen Pirie has returned for a thrilling second season, with Outlander actress Lauren Lyle opening up a new cold case to solve. The beloved ITV detective drama first aired in 2022, bringing Val McDermid's Inspector Karen Pirie novels to screens. ‌ Season one saw young, fearless Scottish investigator Karen take on a 25-year-old case and uncover the murder of a barmaid amid a web of dark secrets, lies, and possible motives. ‌ The second season, based on McDermid's novel A Darker Domain, reveals the 1984 kidnap of a charming heiress to a vast oil fortune, Catriona Grant, and her two-year-old son Adam. ‌ They were kidnapped at gunpoint outside a fish and chip shop in Fife, and were never seen again, despite an uncontrollable press storm. The case returns to the spotlight when a man's body is uncovered, with links to the original kidnap. ‌ The synopsis teases: '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.' ‌ Is Karen Pirie season two based on a true story? Though the case does sound like something that could have really happened, A Darker Domain is fictional. The novel takes inspiration from the UK Miners' Strike of 1984-1985 in Fife, when the fictional crime of Catriona's kidnap took place, and where McDermid was raised. But although the case at the centre of the series is fictional, actress Lauren did find some truth to her character. ‌ 'It was really interesting when we were filming, we started at St Andrews Cathedral and one night we had police escorts with us,' she said ahead of the first series airing. 'One of them was a 20-something blonde woman, and it turns out she was a detective from Methil, the same tiny town Karen is from! To me, she was the real Karen Pirie. ‌ 'So we exchanged numbers and we stayed in touch, it was like looking into a mirror for Karen.' Writer Emer Kenny also recently revealed the importance of having the series stay true to when the book was set, despite season one being set in the 1990s while the first book, The Distant Echo, was set in the 1970s. She told Radio Times: "This time it felt really important for it to be 1984, which is what it is in the book, because the background is the miners' strike, which, in the east of Scotland, was a massive thing in that area. ‌ "And quite a few of our characters are living in those areas, and some of the miners, so it felt really important that we keep it there. Also, I really love that era. I think it's interesting politically, and I like the music and the style." She added: 'Also, it's quite important to Val because she's from that area, she lived through that." Reflecting on filming, Lauren revealed to the publication that where they were located, they 'often would go to where Val is from'. She said: 'We'd put up some of our sets, you would see the old mounts, the pit heads, and we would use all that. And they've never been taken away, because they can't, they were just sort of abandoned. It's quite haunting and intense to be around that. It really puts into perspective how real some of that was." Karen Pirie is available to watch on ITVX.

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