What is the name of J.K. Rowling’s 2012 novel for adults set in the fictional town of Pagford?

The Casual Vacancy is J.K. Rowling’s 2012 adult novel set in the fictional English town of Pagford. It was Rowling’s first novel published after the Harry Potter series ended.

The title refers to an empty seat on Pagford’s parish council. The vacancy triggers a local political struggle that exposes tensions involving class, poverty, drugs, family relationships and disagreements about social policy.

Unlike the Harry Potter books, the novel is realistic fiction without magic or a supernatural setting. Its large ensemble cast includes residents from different social backgrounds, and the narrative shifts among their perspectives as the council election develops.

Little, Brown published the book in the United Kingdom and the United States in September 2012. It was adapted into a three-part BBC television drama in 2015. The title is sometimes confused with Rowling’s later detective novels, which began with The Cuckoo’s Calling.