Karen Pirie


Karen Pirie is a British crime drama television series based on the Inspector Karen Pirie series of novels by Val McDermid. The first series was screened on ITV in September–October 2022, and the second series in July–August 2025.

Plot

In the first series, a young detective sergeant, Karen Pirie, is put in charge of a twenty-five year-old cold case, the unsolved murder of a barmaid. A popular podcast series focuses on the case and Pirie is tasked with re-examining it.

Cast

Overview

Series 1 (2022)

Series 2 (2025)

Production

Series 1

Series one is based on the first novel in a series by Val McDermid, The Distant Echo. Emer Kenny wrote the adaptation for television. In May 2021, it was announced that Lauren Lyle would star as the title character. The producers are the same as for the series Line of Duty and Bodyguard. Series one was directed by Gareth Bryn.

Series 2

Series two is based on the second novel in McDermid's series, A Darker Domain, and is co-written by Emer Kenny and Gillian Roger Park. It consists of three 90-minute episodes. It was filmed in Scotland and Malta.

Release

The first series began on ITV on 25 September 2022 and concluded on 9 October 2022. On 21 February 2023, it was announced the series had been commissioned for a second series. The second series started filming in early 2024, and began to be aired on 20 July 2025.

Reception

Ratings

Series one averaged 4.82 million viewers.

Critical response

Series 1

On Rotten Tomatoes, the series has an approval rating of 91% based on 11 reviews, with an average rating of 8.6/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Clever and twisty, Karen Pirie refreshingly revamps the traditional grizzled detective procedural by putting a young woman on the case."
Writing in The Guardian, Lucy Mangan praised the show for its humour, confidence, and charm, as well as its suspenseful plot that keeps the viewer guessing until the very end. Mangan gave the show 4 out of 5 stars. Sean O'Grady also gave the show 4 out of 5 stars in The Independent, writing that the "tartan noir drama lifts itself above the usual run of these cold case thrillers because the story is told in a refreshingly cohesive way." O'Grady especially praises the work of Lyle saying that she "is excellent as the undervalued, underestimated officer who succeeds where the men have failed." Abha Shah is less enthusiastic, giving the show 3 out of 5 stars in the London Evening Standard. Shah writes: "It’s a decent enough plot but the execution is as bungled as the police work Pirie finds herself uncovering. There’s an element of finesse that’s missing, a shame considering the production team’s CV."

Awards

For writing the first episode, Emer Kenny was nominated for the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Episode in a TV Series.
At the BAFTA Scotland Awards in November 2023, Lyle was awarded Best Actress Television for Karen Pirie and the Audience Award for Favourite Scot on Screen.