What was the title of J.K. Rowling’s first published adult novel?

J.K. Rowling’s first published adult novel was The Casual Vacancy.

Little, Brown published The Casual Vacancy in 2012. It is a contemporary novel about the residents of Pagford, a fictional English town, and the conflicts that follow the unexpected death of parish councillor Barry Fairbrother. The story examines class, politics, poverty, family relationships, and tensions between neighbouring communities.

The book was Rowling’s first novel aimed at adults after the completion of the Harry Potter series. Its tone and subject matter differ sharply from the fantasy adventures that made her famous, although it retains her interest in social divisions and complicated characters.

The Casual Vacancy was later adapted into a three-part BBC television drama in 2015. It should not be confused with The Cuckoo’s Calling, which was published in 2013 under Rowling’s Robert Galbraith pseudonym and began her detective-fiction series.