** spoiler alert ** 
 The tiny town of Pagford is put in a tailspin when a member of the local council, Barry Fairbrother, suddenly dies. There is a mad dash for members of the community to put forth their names as candidates for the now vacant position, all with their own personal (if not honorable)reasons for doing so. The main issue on the table is the continuuing monetary support of the next town over's rehab clinic, a facility that Fairbrother strongly supported. 
 As in most small towns, people know a lot about each other, even seedy secrets just barely contained under the surface. When mysterious messages revealing candidates' secrets start appearing on the council's website, true characters are revealed. 
 Only a catastrophe at the end can help bring about any resolution. 
 Rowling has a knack for creating interesting rounded out characters. My favorite part of the book was following each character through their own personal story.