Karen Pirie Season 2 cast and character guide: Who plays whom in the new chapter of the British drama?

Karen Pirie Season 2 was released in the U.S. on October 2, 2025. All-new episodes will air weekly until October 16, 2025, on BritBox.

Season 2 brings back fan favorites and new characters as the popular British drama delves into a gripping cold case that puts the brains of Fife’s greatest detectives to the test. Headlining the cast is Lauren Lyle in her Emmy-winning performance of DI Karen Pirie, alongside Chris Jenks as Jason "Mint" Murray, and Zach Wyatt as Phil Parhatka.

The latest season brings in a flurry of fresh characterizations closely linked to its prime-time inquiry, and that includes anticipated surprises, deep emotional depth, and compelling acting.

After a critically acclaimed Season 1, inspired by the popular series of novels by Val McDermid, Karen Pirie Season 2 returns to the cold case of the 1984 kidnapping of oil heiress Catriona Grant and her two-year-old son, Adam, a case that has haunted Scotland throughout the decades.

As new evidence is discovered, and a body is found, DI Pirie and her team are brought back in to revisit the cold case.

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Karen Pirie Season 2 cast and characters

Karen Pirie Season 2 features the regular cast along with some new additions who bring the tension and drama to the core of the investigation.

Following is the list of the main cast and their characters in Karen Pirie Season 2:

DI Karen Pirie - Lauren Lyle: Having been promoted to DI, Karen is in charge of the cold case inquiry into Catriona and Adam's disappearance.

DC Jason "Mint" Murray - Chris Jenks: Honest and dedicated detective, assists Karen in the case.

DS Phil Parhatka - Zach Wyatt: A team member trusted by Karen, central to questioning.

Dr. River Wilde - Emer Kenny, Professor of forensic anthropology, brings scientific expertise and understanding.

DCS Simon Lees - Steve John Shepherd: Senior officer for the operation.

Bel Richmond - Rakhee Thakrar: Key team member, asset to Karen’s inquiry.

Lady Mary Grant - Frances Tomelty: Catriona's mother, holding emotional cues and secrets.

Catriona "Cat" Grant - Julia Brown: The missing oil heiress, whose disappearance motivates the season's main thriller.

Sir Broderick Grant - James Cosmo: Grant family Patriarch whose past actions re-emerge.

Young Broderick Grant - Jamie Michie: Acts in flashbacks, highlighting the script of the actual crime.

Young Mary Grant - Madeleine Worrall: Mary in her youth, as we see in the critical 1980s timeline.

Andy Kerr - Tom Mannion: Involved in the case; had a past involvement with the Grant family, which contributes to the present circumstances.

DC Isla Stark - Saskia Ashdown: New arrival, brings fresh insight.

Young Andy Kerr - Conor Berry: Portrays young Andy in flashbacks.

Kevin Campbell - Stuart Campbell: Local gangster involved in the case's background

Fergus Sinclair - John Michie: A character from the past of the Grant family, who has critical information to solve the case.

Young Mick Prentice - Mark Rowley: Associate of Cat Grant, who participated in activities before disappearance.

Returning cast members include: Lauren Lyle, Chris Jenks, Zach Wyatt, Emer Kenny, and others. Newcomers such as James Cosmo, Frances Tomelty, and Julia Brown add family complications into the core of the narrative, and new faces such as Saskia Ashdown and Mark Rowley lend forward momentum and context to the cold case.

Multiple actors also appear in young versions of major characters in the show's trademark flashback scenes, which are crucial in solving the decades-long murder and fleshing out the troubled past of the Grant household.

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Karen Pirie Season 2 storyline: A cold case rekindled

After Season 1 closed the book on a troubling murder, Karen Pirie Season 2 dives into the infamous 1984 kidnapping of Catriona Grant and her son Adam, a case confined to rumor and speculation until now. When a new body with ties to the original abduction is discovered, Karen Pirie’s team is called back into action, determined to resolve what many once believed to be unsolvable.

This season is based on Val McDermid’s A Darker Domain, but the drama revolves around money, family secrets, and decades-old murders in the oil-rich northeast of Scotland. The investigation led by the task force introduces them to the influential Grant family: Sir Broderick, Lady Mary, and missing heiress Cat.

As they reconstruct clues to the initial kidnapping, some darker details emerge, creating a disturbing image of family loyalties and betrayals. Flashback to 1984 shows the days before and after the abduction and important events about secondary characters like Mick, Kevin, and Andy.

The revelation of the final fate of Catriona and the shattered family behind her leads to dramatic action and to the emotional intensity of the series. Karen and her colleagues have to deal with suspicion, sorrow, and lies as the detectives pursue leads, re-examine the murder area, and bring down ancient alibis.

Surprisingly, it turns out that Cat herself participated in the planning of the abduction as a frantic attempt to escape her grim family history. However, everything goes wrong, and even more people lose their lives.

Finally, the team reveals the reality behind Cat’s disappearance, with other revelations regarding what happened to her, her son, Adam, and the people who betrayed her.

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Also Read: Karen Pirie Season 2: Release date news (US), cast details, streaming details and more about the new chapter of the crime drama