John Carroll Lynch (American Horror Story) is set to co-star in The Big Sky, ABC’s straight-to-series drama created and executive produced by David E. Kelley. The project, based on The Highway, the first book in C.J. Box’s Cassie Dewell series of novels, hails from A+E Studios, which will produce in association with 20th Century Fox Television, part of Disney TV Studios.

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Written by Kelley, The Big Sky is a procedural thriller in which private detective Cassie Dewell partners with ex-cop Jenny Hoyt on a search for two sisters who have been kidnapped by a truck driver on a remote highway in Montana. When they discover that these are not the only girls who have disappeared in the area, they must race against the clock to stop the killer before another woman is taken.

Lynch will play Rick Legarski, a grizzled good-ol’-boy Montana state trooper who outwardly seems dutiful and prideful in his police work as well as to the vast community he protects, yet there is more to this misunderstood man than meets the eye.

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Kelley executive produces with Ross Fineman and Box.

The Big Sky reunites Lynch with Kelley, having starred in the writer-producer’s CBS series The Brotherhood of Poland, New Hampshire.

Lynch has played a variety of characters in multiple installments of FX’s anthology series American Horror Story, including Twisty the Clown and Mr. Jingles. He recently played the villainous lead in CBS All Access‘ One Dollar and Jonah’s earnest step-father in the final season of Veep and has been recurring on NBC’s freshman comedy series Perfect Harmony. AHS and Perfect Harmony are produced by 20th TV.

Repped by Suskin Management, Lynch next will be seen in Aaron Sorkin’s The Trial of the Chicago Seven.