Outlander actress Lauren Lyle will star as Karen Pirie in ITV cold case murder drama, based on author Val McDermid’s novel The Distant Echo.
The new series will be adapted by Emer Kenny and will be produced by World Productions, the makers of Line of Duty and Bodyguard.
True to Val McDermid’s iconic character, DS Karen Pirie is a young and fearless Scottish investigator with a quick mouth and tenacious desire for the truth.
And leading lady Lauren, from Glasgow, is best known for playing Marsali Fraser in hit show Outlander alongside Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe.
The 27-year-old said she was absolutely over the moon to land the lead role in the series, which will be filmed in Scotland.
She said: “I am completely overjoyed to be bringing the formidable force that is DS Karen Pirie to life through Emer Kenny's slick adaptation. The world Emer has created using the backbone of Val McDermid's much loved books is electrifying and hooked me immediately.
"I couldn't ask for a more creative, supportive and energetic team to be joining. I'm so thankful to Val, Emer, World Productions and ITV for welcoming me wholeheartedly on board.”
And Val McDermid said she was looking forward to seeing her book come to life. She said: “It's always exciting to see a project like Karen Pirie leave the page and head for the screen. We've been fortunate to secure a very talented and enthusiastic cast to bring The Distant Echo to life, and shooting in Scotland is definitely added eye-candy! Audiences are in for a treat.”
The novels of celebrated crime writer Val McDermid have sold over 17 million copies worldwide.
The show will follow main character Karen, who is tasked with reopening an historic murder investigation that has been the subject of a provocative true crime podcast.
When teenager Rosie Duff (Anna Russell-Martin) was found brutally murdered in the Scottish university town of St Andrews in 1996, suspicion fell on the three drunken students who were discovered at the scene of the crime, claiming to have found her body, but with a lack of forensic evidence, no charges were brought and the police investigation floundered.
Twenty-five years on, someone appears to be willing to risk everything to keep the secrets surrounding the case hidden.
What will happen?
We can't wait to find out!
Get the latest celebrity gossip and telly news sent straight to your inbox. Sign up to our weekly Showbiz newsletter here .
