Karen Pirie

ITV, 8pm

Before you sigh, wondering if television really needs another police detective thriller, be assured, this one comes with the highest credentials – for it’s based on the work of crime queen Val McDermid.

DS Karen Pirie (Lauren Lyle, right) is a bright young detective with all the talent to rise to the top – so long as the overwhelmingly male and middle-aged establishment of her senior police colleagues don’t stifle her progress. For her first cold case murder, she’s looking into the death of a barmaid, Rosie, in St Andrews in 1996. After a true-crime blog accuses the police of negligence in the investigation, Pirie re-examines the testimony of three students who found Rosie at the time. Could one of them have known more than they let on? Lyle’s Pirie is an unshowy heroine who you’ll hope will be with us for years. ★★★★★