Which 2012 novel was J.K. Rowling’s first book for adults under her own name?

The Casual Vacancy was J.K. Rowling’s first book for adults published under her own name.

Little, Brown published the novel on 27 September 2012. It is set in the fictional English village of Pagford and begins after the unexpected death of parish councillor Barry Fairbrother. His vacant seat exposes conflicts involving class, poverty, addiction, family life and local politics.

The book differs sharply from Harry Potter in setting, tone and audience. It is a standalone contemporary novel with no magic. Rowling used an adult social and political setting to explore how apparently ordinary community disputes can reveal deeper divisions.

The Casual Vacancy is sometimes confused with the Cormoran Strike books because both belong to Rowling’s post-Potter career. The Strike novels were written under the Robert Galbraith name, whereas The Casual Vacancy was openly credited to J.K. Rowling.