Karen Pirie Series 3 confirmed as Lauren Lyle Takes on The Skeleton Road

Karen Pirie Series 3 has been confirmed, with Lauren Lyle back as the sharp-witted Scottish detective for another cold case based on the novels of Val McDermid.

ITV confirmed the renewal on Monday following the success of the second series, which attracted millions of viewers across television and streaming.

This time, Karen will investigate the story from McDermid’s third novel, The Skeleton Road, taking the series into a mystery connected to the Balkan conflicts of the 1990s.

What will Karen Pirie series 3 be about?

The case begins when human remains are discovered hidden in the roof of a derelict building in Edinburgh.

Karen’s investigation reveals that the dead man fled the Balkan conflict during the 1990s and eventually found safety in Scotland.

He also married a woman who has since become a famous author.

Her identity brings intense publicity to the investigation, while Karen begins uncovering a much darker story involving secrets, revenge and somebody apparently determined to administer their own version of justice.

ITV says the case develops into a race to prevent further deaths as events from decades earlier collide with resentments in the present.

Lauren Lyle returns as Karen

Lauren Lyle will once again play DI Karen Pirie, the role she first took on when the series launched in 2022.

This time she is gaining another job behind the camera too.

Lyle will serve as an executive producer on series three, alongside Val McDermid and World Productions CEO Simon Heath.

Lyle said returning to the character had become one of the biggest pleasures of her career, describing the new story as more ambitious and even wilder than the previous cases.

Her portrayal has already earned significant recognition, including awards from BAFTA Scotland and RTS Scotland.

A new writer takes on The Skeleton Road

Scottish screenwriter Gillian Roger Park will lead the adaptation of The Skeleton Road.

Her previous credits include The Young Offenders, Avenue 5 and The Bombing of Pan Am 103.

The new series will consist of six one-hour episodes, a different structure from the feature-length episode format used when Karen first arrived on television.

Screenwriter and actor Deli Segal will also write an episode.

Val McDermid remains closely involved with the television version of her character and has welcomed the choice of The Skeleton Road, describing it as a favourite among many readers of the novels.

Series two was a substantial success for ITV

The renewal is hardly surprising when the viewing figures are considered.

According to ITV’s figures, the second series averaged 5.3 million viewers and peaked at 5.6 million when it aired on ITV and STV.

It also generated around 11 million streams through ITVX and STV Player.

The series subsequently won Best Drama at the RTS Scotland Awards, while Lyle received the Best Actor prize.

Its success has established Karen as one of ITV’s more distinctive contemporary detectives.

She may work in the familiar world of cold cases and murder investigations, but the character’s humour, frustration with authority and refusal to behave like a conventional television detective have helped give the series its own personality.

Filming begins next year

Production on Karen Pirie series 3 is due to begin in 2027.

World Productions, the company behind Line of Duty, The Party and the first two series of Karen Pirie, will return to produce.

ITV has not yet announced a transmission date, so viewers should not expect the new episodes immediately.

What is confirmed is that Karen’s next investigation is moving ahead.

A body hidden inside an Edinburgh roof, a celebrated author, secrets stretching back to a European war and somebody seeking revenge give her considerably more to deal with than simply another forgotten cold case.

And yes, the bumbag is coming back too.