Don't Look Back in Ongar

Don't Look Back in Ongar

Author	Paul Howard
Illustrator	Alan Clarke
Cover artist	Alan Clarke
Language	English
Series	Ross O'Carroll-Kelly
Genre	Comic novel, satire
Set in	Dublin, 2019-20
Published	22 August 2024, Penguin
Publication place	Republic of Ireland
Media type	Print: paperback
Pages	320
ISBN	9781844886296
Dewey Decimal	823.92
Preceded by	Camino Royale

Don't Look Back in Ongar is a 2024 comic novel by Irish playwright and author Paul Howard and is the twenty-fourth and last novel in the Ross O'Carroll-Kelly series. ^{[1] [2]}

The title refers to the song "Don't Look Back in Anger" (and possibly the nostalgic Virgin Media TV series) and the Dublin suburb of Ongar. ^[3]

Release

The novel was released on 22 August 2024. ^{[4] [5]}

Plot

Ross is turning forty, and his wife Sorcha still wants a divorce, and his father is causing trouble in Áras an Uachtaráin, while his son Ronan is working for villainous lawyer Hennessy. His mother Fionnuala, who has Alzheimer's, is placed in a luxury nursing home in Ongar. ^[6]

Reviews

The Irish Times described the finale as "unexpectedly touching." ^[7]

References

1. O'Carroll-Kelly, Ross (29 August 2024). Don't Look Back in Ongar – via www.penguin.co.uk.
2. "Ross O'Carroll-Kelly D4 satire book series to end after 24 years with final book release". Irish Independent. 31 May 2024.
3. "Don't Look Back in Ongar ebook by Ross O'Carroll-Kelly". Rakuten Kobo.
4. "Alan Hanna's Bookshop, Dublin. Ross O'Carroll-Kelly Untitled 24".
5. "Ross O'Carroll-Kelly Bids Farewell In Final Novel". 31 May 2024.
6. "We thank Ross O'Carroll-Kelly for the laughs as he bows out with a midlife swansong". Irish Independent. 23 August 2024.
7. "Don't Look Back in Ongar: Ross O'Carroll-Kelly says an emotional, unexpectedly touching farewell". The Irish Times.