Another new face is set to join The Following.

With Sam Underwood on board as a new series regular and Connie Nielson set to play a love interest for Kevin Bacon's Ryan Hardy, E! News now confirms that Valerie Cruz will portray Gina Mendez, a detective who works closely with Mike Weston to track a serial killer in New York City.

The veteran actress (Alphas, True Blood, Homeland) will make her debut on the Season 2 premiere, set for some time in early 2014.

We already know that James Purefoy will return to The Following as Joe Carroll, an announcement made official at Comic-Con last month. But it now sounds as if another serial killer will also figure prominently into the storytelling.

Look for the premiere to pick up one year after events on the May finale and for Hardy to be a college professor when we see him again.

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.