What is the name of J.K. Rowling’s adult novel set in Pagford?

J.K. Rowling’s adult novel set in Pagford is The Casual Vacancy.

Published in 2012, the novel centers on a fictional English parish called Pagford. The story starts when Barry Fairbrother, a local councillor, dies unexpectedly, leaving a “casual vacancy” on the parish council. The resulting election exposes deep divisions within the community.

The book uses local government as a framework for exploring social and personal conflicts. Pagford’s residents disagree over the neighboring Fields estate, access to public services, drug addiction, poverty, and the responsibilities of wealthier citizens. The narrative follows several families and teenagers rather than one conventional hero.

Pagford is fictional, so it should not be confused with a real town used as the novel’s setting. The title refers to an unfilled elected position, not an empty house or a missing person. The novel was Rowling’s first adult publication after Harry Potter.