Michelle Monaghan cast in HBO's 'True Detective'

Feature actress Michelle Monaghan is making the jump to the small screen, joining the cast of HBO's "True Detective."

Monaghan ("Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang", "Mission Impossible 3") will star opposite Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson in the mystery drama series, which received a straight-to-series eight episode order. The series revolves around two detectives, Rust Cohle (McConaughey) and Martin Hart (Harrelson), who must collaborate in the 17 year hunt for a serial killer in Louisiana. The initial investigation of a bizarre murder in 1995 is interwoven with the present day when the case is reopened.

The actress joins the series as the female lead, Maggie Hart, wife of Harrelson's character, a woman who must make a hard decision that has potentially devastating consequences. "True Detective" was written by novelist and former writer on "The Killing" Nic Pizzolatto, while Cary Fukunaga ("Jane Eyre") is set to direct. Each season of "True Detective" is said to focus on a new mystery and completely different cast, so no need to worry about the murder mystery getting dragged out "Killing"-style.

The cast for this series is about as solid as you can get. Monaghan in particular ranks among the more underrated and talented actresses working today, proving she can easily jump between comedy and drama projects with ease. What do you think about this latest casting decision?