The Casual Vacancy J.K. Rowling

The book is dedicated to Rowling's husband, Neil Murray.[6] This was the third time Murray has received a dedication from his wife, after she shared a dedication in the fifth Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and the seventh Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

The book is split into seven parts, and features varying narratives. Each section is headed by a definition from Charles Arnold-Baker's book Local Council Administration.

Plot summary

The novel is split into seven parts, the first depicting the death of local Pagford Parish Councillor, Barry Fairbrother, who suffers a burst aneurysm in the car park of a local golf course. The inhabitants of the town share the news with their friends and relatives and chaos ensues. The problem arises in deciding whether local council estate 'The Fields' should join the local city of Yarvil, or remain as part of Pagford as Fairbrother favoured; his death is seen by many as an opportunity to end the debate once and for all. The fate of the methadone rehabilitation clinic, Bellchapel, is also a key controversy in the parish.

After the date for the election of Fairbrother's replacement is announced, the children of some of the councillors and candidates decide to make damaging, yet often accurate, posts on the Parish Council online forum. Andrew Price is the first to do so, by means of an SQL injection which he learned how to perform in school, operating under the name 'The_Ghost_Of_Barry_Fairbrother' and informing everyone that his father, Simon, had obtained a stolen computer. Sukhvinder follows, posting that her mother, Dr. Parminder Jawanda, was in love with Barry. Thirdly, Fats Wall posts, claiming his adoptive father Cubby (a Deputy Headteacher) suffers from obsessive fear of having molested a child without any memory of the fact. Finally, in a desperate attempt to relieve the guilt weighing on him for costing his father his job, Andrew confides in Simon and posts that Council leader Howard Mollison is having an affair with his business partner Maureen. Howard's son, Miles Mollison, is the winning candidate, much to the displeasure of his wife, Samantha, who confesses she did not know if she still loves him, only to eventually reconcile.

Another focus of the novel is the traumatic life of Krystal Weedon. Sixteen-year-old Krystal lives in The Fields with her four-year-old brother Robbie and their heroin-addicted prostitute mother Terri. Social worker Kay is determined for Terri to stop her drug use and take responsibility for the care of Robbie; however, Terri relapses and her drug dealer Obbo rapes Krystal. Spurred on to start a family elsewhere, Krystal has unprotected sex with Fats in an attempt to become pregnant. It is during one of these instances that Robbie runs away from the pair in a park, eventually falling and drowning in a river, despite Sukhvinder's attempts to save him. Krystal is so distraught she commits suicide by taking a heroin overdose, the novel culminating with the siblings' funeral.

Characters

(The Telegraph published a guide to all 34 characters.[7])

• Barry Fairbrother, a member of the Parish Council who was born and raised in The Fields. Eloquent and fairminded, he is the leader of the faction of the Parish council wishing to keep The Fields in Pagford, in the hope the people can improve themselves as he did. He coached the girls' rowing team and was particularly fond of Krystal Weedon. It is his death that rocks the community.
• Mary Fairbrother, widow of Barry Fairbrother. Due to the fact that Barry was about to publish an article about The Fields prior to his demise, she blames The Fields for occupying his mind, and therefore causing his death.
• Howard Mollison, leader of the Parish Council and of those who seek to put the Fields under Yarvil control to safeguard the community. He is the owner of a delicatessen and married to Shirley. He is morbidly obese and suffers a heart attack after Andrew's anonymous accusations that he has had an affair with business partner Maureen.
• Shirley Mollison, wife of Howard Mollison and mother of Miles. She is devoted to Howard and all of his endeavours, until she learns of his affair with his business partner Maureen.
• Patricia 'Pat' Mollison, daughter of Howard and Shirley and sister to Miles, who lives in London and only comes to Pagford for her father's birthday party. Her relationship with her mother is strained due to her being gay. When she comes to Howard's birthday party, she drunkenly tells Fats and Andrew of the love affair between her father and Maureen.
• Miles Mollison, a lawyer who works with Gavin; he is the son of Howard and Shirley, brother of Pat and husband of Samantha. Miles runs for and eventually wins the council election.
• Samantha Mollison, wife of Miles and manager of a failing bra shop. Samantha hates her life in Pagford, and has lost interest in Miles. She fancies Vikram Jawanda, and 'Jake', a member of her daughter's favourite boyband, and ends up kissing sixteen-year-old Andrew Price. She despises her mother-in-law Shirley, and appears to have an alcohol problem.
• Krystal Weedon, a resident of 'The Fields' who dates Fats Wall. She suffers a traumatic childhood, raised by her heroin-addicted mother, frequently acting as sole caregiver to younger brother Robbie, and suffering rape at the hands of her mother's drug dealer. She commits suicide following Robbie's death.
• Terri Weedon, a heroin addict and prostitute, mother of Krystal and Robbie and resident of 'The Fields'. She has been ostracised by her family for her addiction. She attempts to rehabilitate through the Bellchapel clinic, but fails and ultimately relapses.
• Colin 'Cubby' Wall, Deputy Headteacher of the local comprehensive. He considers himself to be a close friend of Barry's and stands for election. This is later marred by anonymous accusations made by his adoptive son, 'Fats', that he is afraid of being accused of molesting a child. This considerably worsens his obsessive compulsive disorder; he often has nightmares about such acts.
• Tessa Wall, wife of Cubby and adoptive mother of Fats. She is the school's guidance counsellor and has regular meetings with Krystal Weedon, although she later disapproves of her relationship with her son. Also a diabetic.
• Stuart 'Fats' Wall, adopted son of Colin and Tessa, Andrew's best friend and popular at school due to his witty humour. He bullies Sukhvinder and begins a sexual relationship with Krystal Weedon. His strained relationship with his adoptive parents leaves him debating his morality and what his real parents are like. His only post as 'The_Ghost_of_Barry_Fairbrother' reveals his father's fears. When he partially causes Robbie Weedon's death, Tessa explains his birth mother had him when she was fourteen, possibly being the product of incest, and he was taken in despite Colin's poor health. He shoulders the blame for all the postings on the council website.
• Andrew Price, son of Simon and Ruth and Fats' best friend. He develops a romantic interest in Gaia Bawden, securing a weekend job in Howard's delicatessen to be around her. He secretly hates his father Simon for his domineering and abusive behaviour, and resents his mother for putting up with it. He creates the username of 'The_Ghost_of_Barry_Fairbrother' to accuse his father of selling stolen goods, to destroy his chances of running for election.
• Simon Price, husband of Ruth Price and Andrew and Paul's father, who is regularly involved in criminal activity. He physically and verbally abuses his children and wife, and decides to stand for election so he can receive bribes.
• Kay Bawden, a social worker from London and mother of Gaia. She moves to Pagford to be with her boyfriend Gavin, and becomes Krystal and Terri's social worker temporarily. She has the most success with Terri but is then forced to give up the family's case when her co-worker returns from sick leave. She eventually breaks up with Gavin.
• Gavin Hughes, a lawyer and Kay's boyfriend, although he is shown to resent her throughout the novel. He claims he was Barry's best friend and eventually confesses his love for Barry's widow, Mary, though she rejects his advances.
• Gaia Bawden, Kay's attractive daughter, fancied by Andrew. She befriends Sukhvinder and detests Pagford, knowing Gavin is not interested in her mother; she wants to move to Reading to be with her father. She eventually kisses Fats Wall, much to the disappointment of Andrew and Sukhvinder, but later regrets it and reconnects with both friends at Krystal's funeral.
• Parminder Jawanda, doctor and mother of Sukhvinder, whom she pressures to be upstanding like Parminder's other children. She is a member of the Parish Council and supporter of keeping "The Fields", although her motive may be her love of Barry, as posted by Sukhvinder posing as "The_Ghost_of_Barry_Fairbrother".
• Sukhvinder Jawanda, daughter of Parminder, is bullied by Fats, pressured by her mother to be great, and self-harms. She was a member of the rowing team alongside Krystal Weedon, but when Krystal's great-grandmother died while under Parminder's care, Krystal threatens to hurt Sukhvinder in revenge. Sukhvinder eventually risks her life in an attempt to save Krystal's brother, Robbie.
• Vikram Jawanda, handsome husband of Parminder Jawanda and father of Sukhvinder and her siblings. He is the heart surgeon who performed Howard's triple heart bypass.
• The Ghost of Barry Fairbrother, the secret identity of three Pagford teens who use Barry Fairbrother's old account on the Pagford council's forum to reveal secrets of council members. Andrew Price created the identity to attack his father, Sukhvinder uses it to discredit her mother, and Fats later uses it to smear his adoptive father. Andrew again uses it with his father against Howard Mollison to assuage his guilt. Fats eventually confesses and takes full responsibility following Robbie Weedon's death.