Iain Maitland's latest novel, The Old Man, His Dog & Their Longest Journey, published by Vellum Publishing is now out.

The Old Man, His Dog & Their Longest Journey is a thought-provoking, contemporary novel about love, loss and self-discovery. Ian is struggling with redundancy and illness and the prospect of becoming a grandfather. A short walk to clear his mind turns into Ian's longest journey yet, physically and mentally. With his loyal dog, Bernard, Ian walks from Felixstowe Ferry in Suffolk, around the coast, to the cliffs at Hunstanton in Norfolk where he faces his final reckoning.

Ian says, "My last half-dozen books have been psych thrillers so it's a joy to write something completely different - a proper, literary novel full of warmth and love and family ties. I've written two memoirs, Dear Michael, Love Dad (Hodder, 2016) and Out Of The Madhouse (with Michael Maitland, JKP, 2018), and this is a semi-autobiographical novel that kind of concludes the story."

"It's a stand-alone novel though - you don't need to have read the memoirs. If it goes well, I could write a sequel or two. It will be a while though - I'm booked to write more psych thrillers to the end of 2024."

"You can buy The Old Man, His Dog & Their Longest Journey from Waterstones, WHSmith and Amazon - or even direct from the publisher at vellumpublishing.co.uk. I've also written to local independent bookshops and hope that some of them will stock the novel; fingers crossed."

'An utterly compelling and intriguing story of a man, in late middle age, confronting his personal demons by walking out of his home one day without word, warning or explanation. Very funny in some places, unspeakably poignant and sad in others. A philosophical and moving tale for our times' Charlie Mortimer, Author, Dear Lupin.

'A tender and thoughtful novel exploring the bond between man and man's best friend… sincere and evocative…' Michael Simkins, Actor & Author .