Which J.K. Rowling novel was published in 2012 as her first adult novel after Harry Potter?

The Casual Vacancy was J.K. Rowling’s first adult novel after Harry Potter.

Little, Brown published the novel on 27 September 2012. It is set in the fictional English town of Pagford, where the sudden death of parish councillor Barry Fairbrother creates a vacant seat and exposes conflicts involving class, politics, poverty, addiction, and family life.

The book marked a clear change in audience and genre. Unlike the fantasy-focused Harry Potter novels, The Casual Vacancy is a contemporary social novel with an adult cast and realistic setting. Its title refers to the vacant council position created by Fairbrother’s death.

The novel was later adapted into a BBC television miniseries in 2015. It is distinct from Rowling’s later crime novels, which were published under the Robert Galbraith pseudonym.