'Castle' star Stana Katic's suspense thriller 'Absentia' is picked up by Amazon

Lorena Blas | USA TODAY

Stana Katic is on the run.

For years, she starred as a lead investigator with the NYPD on ABC's crime mystery drama Castle (2009-2016), but now she is the woman in the middle of a dramatic suspense thriller series that has been picked up by Amazon.

Katic is an executive producer and plays FBI agent Emily Byrne, who disappears while on the trail of one of Boston’s most notorious serial killers. After she's declared dead, the missing agent is found in a cabin in the woods, barely alive, and with no memory of what happened during the six years since she seemingly vanished without a trace. She returns home to find her that husband and son have moved on, then discovers she's a person of interest in a series of new murders and so must elude authorities to prove she is not guilty.

According to Amazon, Absentia was the No. 1 program in its timeslot when it premiered in Spain, Portugal, Romania and Poland. It will be available to U.S. Amazon Prime members in 2018.

Absentia also stars Patrick Heusinger (Jack Reacher: Never Go Back) as Emily's husband and fellow FBI agent Nick, who married another woman after his wife was declared dead. He finds himself in a difficult situation because he is involved in the case of the new murders that implicate Emily.

“Absentia is an exciting new thriller which combines family and love with suspense and vindication,” said Brad Beale, who is in charge of Amazon Prime Video's worldwide TV content acquisition group. “Prime members worldwide are going to love this well written show with remarkable performances by a terrific ensemble cast led by Stana Katic in her newest lead role.”

In April 2016, Katic and ABC announced that she would not be returning to Castle, which had developed a devoted fan following during its run. Shortly after the announcement, the series was canceled.

At the time, Katic released a statement: "Rather than distract from what was an amazing experience I would just like to say that I'm very grateful to ABC for giving me the opportunity to be a part of a much beloved show. Thank you to the fans."

In addition to Katic and Heusinger, Absentia's cast also includes Cara Theobold (Downton Abbey), Neil Jackson (Sleepy Hollow), Angel Bonanni (False Flag), Richard Brake (Game of Thrones), Ralph Ineson (Game of Thrones), Paul Freeman (The Dogs of War), Bruno Bichir (Narcos) and Patrick McAuley (The Conjuring 2).