The Casual Vacancy (2015)

A vacancy on Pagford's parish council exposes how decisions about a district and its services are made by people insulated from some of their consequences. The Casual Vacancy links local status, prejudice and access to support across several households. It is a bitter ensemble drama, not a cosy account of village administration. The useful perspective is seeing how an apparently limited council decision can become part of a much larger struggle over who counts.