ITV's Scottish detective drama will return for another "brilliant" season, it's been confirmed

If you're a fan of Scottish detective dramas, then you're in luck, as Karen Pirie has been renewed for a third season by ITV. With the announcement coming over a year after the second season aired, we hopefully don't have a three-year wait like last time.

Gillian Roger Park is set to adapt Val McDermid's 2014 novel The Skeleton Road, with Lauren Lyle reprising her role as titular detective. This time around, judging by the synopsis for the book, Karen has an incredibly complex case on her hands.

As per the logline for the eagerly awaited season, the story begins in Edinburgh when the remains of a man are discovered in the roof of a derelict building, with the body being well hidden for a period of time.

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"DI Karen Pirie learns that the victim fled the Balkans conflict of the 1990s for the safety of Scotland to marry a now famous author, whose identity stirs up a hornets' nest of publicity," continues the logline.

"As the investigation develops, Karen unearths dangerous secrets and a vicious cycle of revenge as someone takes justice into their own hands. Can Karen stop the killer before they kill again?"

"And when present resentment collides with secrets of the past, the truth is more shocking than anyone could have imagined," concludes the synopsis for the season, which doesn't yet have a premiere date.

It has also been confirmed that the popular series will undergo a major change, with the third season set to consist of six hour-long instalments. The previous two seasons, released in 2022 and 2025 respectively, had three feature-length episodes apiece.

Lyle, who will also serve as an executive producer for the third season, said: "Playing Karen Pirie has become one of the most delicious thrills of my career and knowing that people of the world want more of her and her bumbag is an absolute honour!"

"I'm so grateful to be bringing more Karen Pirie to our screens. Season three feels even more elevated, with an even wilder story full of thrills, twists, and of course, plenty of eye rolls," she added.

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"I'm delighted to be taking the reins on Karen Pirie for season three as she takes on her darkest and most challenging case yet," said Park, while McDermid described The Skeleton Road as a "favourite" of readers.

Huw Kennair Jones, Commissioning Editor at ITV, called the novel a "compelling story", adding: "We're thrilled to be returning to Karen Pirie and Lauren Lyle's award-winning performance in what promises to be another brilliant season."

Karen Pirie airs on ITV1 and streams on ITVX.

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Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media.  His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.