2020 was another busy year for Felixstowe thriller writer Iain Maitland. His novel Mr Todd's Reckoning was snapped up for TV by Abbottvision, the team behind Shameless and Cracker. He had a novel out, The Scribbler, in May and he parted company from his long-time agent and publisher at the end of the year.

"I'd been with Clare, my agent, for five years. She's great and is the agent behind the million-selling Pinch Of Nom book. I'd been with Saraband, my publisher, for the last three books. They're wonderful too – their book His Bloody Project by Graeme Macrae-Burnett was shortlisted for the Man Booker prize."

"But I just felt it was time for a change and to maybe see if I could take a step up to another level. I signed with the legendary literary agent Annette Crossland at the A for Authors agency at the end of 2020 and she's taking charge of all my work – books, foreign, translation and other rights, TV etc. Things are shaping up really well."

"We've just this week signed up with Isis Audio to bring two of my books, Out Of The Madhouse (written with my son Michael) and Mr Todd's Reckoning, out on audio, with others, Sweet William and The Scribbler, to follow. Audio sales have really exploded during lockdown and it's really good to spread out into this medium."

My next book to be published is 3 Bluebell Lane, based here in Felixstowe – 'Bluebell Lane' is really Grimston Lane up in Trimley St Martin. I've had a couple of offers for this – one publisher wanted me to sign for three books and four options – but we haven't found the right publisher for it just yet. Fingers crossed, we'll have an announcement on that very soon."