Scobie Donoghue was once the king of the weekend. His twenties were spent working hard and playing harder. A lovable rogue, the lads wanted to be him and the girls wanted to be with him.

But now, about to turn forty and returning to his small midlands hometown, Scobie is back in his childhood bed, single, burnt out and depressed. The life he thought he had left behind has moved on – but has he?

Going Back, Eugene O'Brien's heartwarming debut novel, continues the story of hit TV series Pure Mule, capturing the whole world in one Irish town: the highs and the lows, from addiction and mental-health issues to love and redemption.

It will take some time and a lot of soul-searching, but maybe Scobie Donoghue is finally ready to grow up.

'I was delighted to get reacquainted with Scobie Donoghue. This is a timely book, engaging and entertaining. It lifts the lid on and exposes the underbelly of the disenfranchised in a community that has been pulled apart since the heady days of the Celtic Tiger.' Liz Nugent