For The Good Times — David Keenan

WINNER OF THE GORDON BURN PRIZE 2019
SHORTLISTED FOR THE ENCORE AWARD 2020


From the author of This Is Memorial Device.

'A gasp-inducing thrill of a ride.' i Independent

'An exhilarating novel, burning with rage, danger and dark humour.' Literary Review


'Remarkable . . . demented brilliance.' Scotland on Sunday


Belfast, 1970s: Sammy and his three friends live in an impoverished area of the city that has become the epicentre of a country seemingly intent on cannibalising itself. They love sharp clothes, a good drink, and the songs of Perry Como, whose commitment to clean living holds up a dissonant mirror to their own attempts to rise above their circumstances. They dream of a Free State, and their methods for achieving this are uncompromising.


But For the Good Times is not just a novel about the IRA. It is about the heartbreak and devastation that commitment to 'the cause' can bring; of violence and betrayal, breakdown and rebirth.