A FORMER Stroud reporter is aiming to intrigue readers with the topic of her debut novel, which explores cryonics.

Andrea Darby, 48, wrote ‘The Husband Who Refused to Die’ three years ago after reading the story of a young couple who wanted to have their bodies frozen after death in the hope that they could come back to life.

Her novel tells the tale of Carrie, a 40-year-old mum whose husband Dan dies unexpectedly, who had a wish to be frozen after death.

The story focusses on the repercussions of this for Carrie and her teenage daughter, an intrusive media, interfering sister-in-law and a mystery person with a serious grudge.

She said: “It’s a complex and emotive subject, but what has always intrigued me above all else is how a radical decision like being frozen after death would affect loved ones left behind.

“When I came up with the idea I knew the concept of cryonics had been given the science fiction treatment in many books and films, but I wanted to explore the realistic setting – it’s a real thing affecting real people after all.”

Andrea, formerly of Stroud, who is a part-time piano teacher and writer, started her career as a reporter for the Gloucestershire Gazette, before working for both The Citizen and Bristol Evening Post as a sub-editor before freelancing.

She met several people who are signed up to be cryo-preserved and even attended the ‘emergency procedure’ training to better understand the process.

“I knew very little about cryonics at the start, but that was part of the appeal – to learn something beyond my own experience.

“It was a case of writing a book I’d like to read and I’m always drawn to novels where the extraordinary happens in ordinary lives,” she said.

The novel was published on Monday, November 28 by Matador, just weeks after the news that a 14-year-old girl, who died of cancer, became the first British child to be frozen after winning a High Court battle.

‘The Husband Who Refused to Die’ has been receiving great reviews and is available from local bookshops, as well as Amazon and other online retailers.