Cast of Karen Pirie (2022–2025): Actors & Characters

There’s something about a detective who doesn’t care for convention, and that’s exactly the hook with Karen Pirie. The ITV series, based on Val McDermid’s novels, brings a scruffy, brilliant detective to the screen—complete with a bumbag that tells its own story.

Episodes in Season 1: 3 ·
Episodes in Season 2: 6 ·
Lead Actress: Lauren Lyle ·
Source Material Author: Val McDermid ·
Series Premiere Year: 2022

Key facts about Karen Pirie

Six key details, one pattern: the series stays remarkably faithful to its source material while building a distinct visual identity through casting and costume. Here’s the breakdown.

The takeaway: Season 2 doubles the episode count from 3 to 6, allowing more room for character development and the complex cold-case narratives McDermid’s novels are known for.

Who stars in Karen Pirie series 2?

Season 2 brings back the core team and adds several new faces. Here’s the full list of confirmed cast members, drawn from production databases and editorial coverage.

Lauren Lyle as DI Karen Pirie

• Lauren Lyle reprises her role as the lead detective in Season 2 (Rotten Tomatoes, TV series database).
• Lyle has described the character as driven by a sense of “female rage” and a desire for justice that doesn’t follow the rulebook (Cosmopolitan, entertainment magazine).

Chris Jenks as DC Jason ‘Mint’ Murray

• Chris Jenks returns as DC Jason ‘Mint’ Murray, Karen’s loyal and often long-suffering colleague (Rotten Tomatoes).
• His character provides the grounded counterpoint to Karen’s more impulsive style.

Zach Wyatt as DS Phil Parhatka

• Zach Wyatt continues as DS Phil Parhatka, another key member of the Cold Case Unit (Rotten Tomatoes).
• Parhatka often finds himself caught between Karen’s methods and official procedures.

Emer Kenny as River Wilde

• Emer Kenny plays River Wilde in Season 2 and is also credited as writer and executive producer (Rotten Tomatoes, production credits).
• Her dual role as cast member and producer is a notable development for the series’ creative direction.

New cast additions in Season 2

• Amy Conachan joins as River Wilde, a new character who uses a wheelchair (Cosmopolitan, casting announcement). Conachan, a disabled actress, was cast in the role—a move praised by disability advocates.
• Rakhee Thakrar plays Bel Richmond, a new character connected to the cold case at the heart of Season 2 (Rotten Tomatoes).
• Julia Brown plays Cat Grant, with the character rendered as Catriona ‘Cat’ Grant in some sources (IMDb, cast listing).
• James Cosmo plays Broderick Grant Snr (Rotten Tomatoes).
• Jamie Michie plays Brodie Grant Jnr, while Wikipedia lists the character as Young Broderick Grant (Rotten Tomatoes).
• Frances Tomelty plays Mary Grant Snr, while Wikipedia and IMDb list the character as Lady Mary Grant (Wikipedia).
• John Michie plays Fergus Sinclair Snr (Rotten Tomatoes).
• Saskia Ashdown plays DC Isla Stark, a new detective in the unit (Rotten Tomatoes).
• Mark Rowley plays Mick Prentice in the 1984 timeline (IMDb).
• Stuart Campbell plays Kevin Campbell (Rotten Tomatoes).
• Tommaso Basili is credited as Gabriel and Adam, indicating dual or time-shifted character attribution (Rotten Tomatoes).
• Craig McGinlay plays Glen Gibson (Rotten Tomatoes).
• Helen Katamba plays WDC Laurel Blair (Rotten Tomatoes).
• Jack Stewart plays Fergus Jnr (Rotten Tomatoes).
• Conor Berry plays Andy Kerr, with younger versions appearing in flashback timelines (IMDb).
• Emma Cameron is credited as News Presenter (Rotten Tomatoes).
• Steve John Shepherd plays DCS Lees, while IMDb lists the continuing character as DI Simon Lees—a discrepancy between sources (Rotten Tomatoes).

What this means: The ensemble has more than doubled for Season 2, creating a richer web of suspects, witnesses, and colleagues. For viewers, that means more character-driven storytelling alongside the procedural investigation.

Why does Karen Pirie wear a bumbag?

One of the most talked-about details of the series is Detective Karen Pirie’s distinctive bumbag. It’s not just a random accessory—it’s a deliberate costume choice that tells you everything about how this detective works.

The bumbag as a character signature

• The bumbag is a deliberate costume choice, not a random accessory (Cosmopolitan, cast interview).
• It visually communicates that Karen Pirie does not care about traditional police presentation or fashion norms.

Practicality vs. fashion in character design

• Lauren Lyle described the bumbag as a “practical” item for a detective on the move who needs her hands free and essentials close (Cosmopolitan interview).
• The accessory functions as a visual shorthand: this detective is always working, always ready to move, and never concerned with how she looks while doing it.

Lauren Lyle’s explanation from interviews

• In interviews, Lyle explained that the bumbag shows Karen “doesn’t have time for fashion” or looking polished in the traditional sense (Cosmopolitan).
• The costume designer chose the bumbag to signal Karen’s defiance of the “glamorous detective” archetype seen in many procedural dramas.

The trade-off: The bumbag has become a signature for the character, but it also risks becoming a caricature. So far, Lyle and the costume team have kept it grounded in character logic—it works because it feels earned, not branded.

Where did they film Karen Pirie?

The series is firmly rooted in Scotland, and the locations play a crucial role in establishing the atmosphere of the cold-case investigations. Here’s where the production team set up shop.

Primary filming locations in Scotland

• The series is filmed primarily in and around Edinburgh and St. Andrews, Scotland (Wikipedia, production details).
• Edinburgh stands in for the fictional town of St. Andrews in the series, with key scenes shot in the city’s historic streets and surrounding areas.
• The production database Scotland on Air confirms Scottish locations as the primary filming sites (Wikipedia, production notes).

The use of St. Andrews as a setting

• The Old Course Hotel in St. Andrews was used as a specific filming location, appearing in key scenes (Wikipedia, location notes).
• The university town’s mix of historic architecture and coastal scenery provides the atmospheric backdrop for the cold cases.

Hotels and landmarks used in the series

• Beyond the Old Course Hotel, several other Scottish landmarks appear in establishing shots and specific scenes.
• The production team made a deliberate choice to film on location rather than on studio sets, giving the series a distinct sense of place.

The pattern: Scottish crime dramas (think Shetland, Rebus) lean heavily on location as character. Karen Pirie follows suit—the cold, dramatic landscapes mirror the old, buried cases the team investigates.

How many episodes are in Karen Pirie?

Episode counts vary significantly between the two seasons, reflecting the show’s evolution from a limited series to a fuller run. Here’s the breakdown.

Season 1 episode count (3 episodes)

• Season 1 consists of 3 episodes, adapting Val McDermid’s novel The Distant Echo (Wikipedia, episode list).
• The first season was structured as a tight, self-contained mystery story.

Season 2 episode count (6 episodes)

• Season 2 consists of 6 episodes, premiering on June 13, 2025 (Rotten Tomatoes, season listing).
• Doubling the episode count allowed for a larger cast and more complex narrative spanning multiple timelines.

Total episode count and future seasons

• As of July 2025, there are 9 episodes total across two seasons.
• There is no confirmed official word on a Season 3, but given the available source material (multiple Karen Pirie novels by McDermid), a renewal is considered possible by industry watchers (Wikipedia, no official announcement).

Why this matters: The jump from 3 to 6 episodes signals ITV’s confidence in the series. A third season would likely follow a similar 6-episode format, giving the writers room to adapt one of McDermid’s longer novels in full.

Timeline: Karen Pirie from page to screen

The journey from Val McDermid’s novels to the ITV series spans decades. Here are the key dates.

• September 2022: Karen Pirie Season 1 premieres on ITV, starring Lauren Lyle as the lead detective (Wikipedia, premiere date).
• 2023–2024: Series is renewed for Season 2; production begins in Scotland (Rotten Tomatoes).
• June 2025: Karen Pirie Season 2 premieres with new cast member Amy Conachan (Rotten Tomatoes).
• Late 2025: Speculation and public discussion about a potential Season 3 (Wikipedia, no official renewal).

The pattern: The timeline shows steady growth for the series, from a 3-episode debut to a full 6-episode second season.

Confirmed facts and what’s still uncertain

Here’s a clear breakdown of what we know for sure and what remains unconfirmed about the series.

Confirmed facts

• Lauren Lyle plays the title role of DI Karen Pirie (Rotten Tomatoes).
• Filming locations are in Scotland, primarily Edinburgh and St. Andrews (Wikipedia).
• Season 2 has 6 episodes (Rotten Tomatoes).

What’s unclear

• Whether there will be a Season 3 is unconfirmed by ITV (Wikipedia, no official announcement).
• The specific reasons for the bumbag’s inclusion in the costume design are based on actor interviews, not official studio press releases (Cosmopolitan interview).
• Some character names (e.g., DCS Lees vs. DI Simon Lees) vary between Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb, creating minor discrepancies (Rotten Tomatoes).
• Amy Conachan joins as River Wilde, a new character who uses a wheelchair, with her casting reported by entertainment outlets (Cosmopolitan, casting announcement).
• Emer Kenny serves as both cast member and executive producer in Season 2 (Rotten Tomatoes, production credits).

The takeaway: While many details are confirmed, the lack of an official Season 3 announcement leaves the future uncertain.

Quotes from the cast

The actors themselves have provided insight into the characters and the show’s approach.

“She’s driven by this sort of female rage. She wants things to be fair, and she wants justice. She doesn’t have time for the bullshit.”

— Lauren Lyle, on her character DS Karen Pirie (Cosmopolitan interview)

Lauren Lyle described the bumbag as a practical item for a detective who doesn’t have time for fashion, needing her hands free and her things close. It tells you everything about how she works (Cosmopolitan interview).

The takeaway: Lauren Lyle’s comments reveal the deliberate thought behind the character’s look and attitude.

For fans of character-driven crime drama, the Karen Pirie cast delivers something rare: a detective who looks and acts like no one else on television. The deliberate costume design—that bumbag, those practical jackets—is not a gimmick. It’s a storytelling choice that tells you, in one glance, that this detective plays by her own rules. For viewers looking for a crime series with genuine character depth and Scottish atmosphere, the choice is clear: start with Season 1, then move straight into Season 2’s expanded world of cold cases and new faces. The only question now for Lauren Lyle and the cast is whether ITV will give us a Season 3.