J.K. Rowling – author behind the Harry Potter series – is back with a new book. Not even remotely Potter-related, she calls this one a “blackly comic tale for adults.”

The Casual Vacancy will be released worldwide on 27 September. The novel is set in a seemingly idyllic English town called Pagford, which is described as far more menacing than its pretty facade would indicate. It opens with the sudden death of a popular man whose unexpected demise shocks the town. The battle for his seat on the local council sets off “the biggest war the town has yet seen,” with rich people fighting poor, parents battling their teenagers, and wives in conflict with their husbands.

Rowling’s publisher, Little, Brown & Co, said the 480-page novel will be sold as an e-book and audio download as well as in traditional hardback form.

Until yesterday, the author’s website, JKRowling.com, had been under construction and inaccessible for several months. The new design reflects a cleaner, more streamlined aesthetic. It’s available in a variety of languages and dialects — including both British and American English.

[Source: Sydney Morning Herald]