I thoroughly enjoyed this debut book by Andrea Darby. It is written so well, I imagined myself in the book! It is a compelling read and I could not put it down!

by Mrs S A Butler

http://www.andreadarby.co.uk

Chaz Bookworm

Gloucestershire Live

Hold the Front Page

Gloucestershire Gazette

'I recommend this novel for anyone who enjoys intelligent contemporary fiction grounded in reality, and who is interested in medical ethics, which are delivered with a light and subtle touch.’

by Debbie Young, ambassador at the global Alliance of Independent Authors

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'Without wishing to sound too corny, it was a real page turner, I couldn't put it down. I loved how the characters and story unfolded. I looked to see if Andrea Darby had written any other books as I loved this so much and was very surprised to find this was her debut book.’

by Amazon reviewer

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The Husband Who Refused To Die' is an utterly compelling book from start to finish that explores the complex and controversial subject of cryonics with sensitivity and style. Carrie is unexpectedly widowed young and her late husband's fanciful plans to be frozen in a cryonics facility in the States suddenly become a reality. This brings a new and startling dimension to Carrie's bereavement and the dilemmas she faces as she comes to terms with her new status as widow to a man in limbo, are fascinating and thought provoking. Andrea Darby has woven a powerful and believable tale around the bizarre world of cryonics. The strangeness of the subject matter is tempered by a thoroughly real and heartwarming background story of love and loss. A cracking good read that kept me gripped throughout!

by June Norris

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Really thought provoking book, exploring what it really means to 'lose' someone. I would really recommend this.

by Janet Barber (NetGalley reviewer)

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I really loved this and coincidentally relevant due to the recent news item about a girl suffering from cancer winning a court case to have her body preserved once she died (which she has since done) so that she may come back in the future. On a personal note, Andrea is actually my piano teacher but in her working life she was a journalist and this is her first foray into writing a book.

by Jane S

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When I heard about the tragic, real-life case of the terminally ill teenage girl whose dying wish to be frozen after her death was granted by a judge, I was really curious to read this book on the subject. There are so many ethical, emotional and practical questions surrounding the mysterious world of cryonics and the book deals with all of them with an honesty and lightness of touch that makes this a really great read. I was amazed how quickly I reached the final pages but it is a story that really intrigues and draws you in. I found the protagonist Carrie a very likeable and genuine character, someone I would be friends with in real life. I kept asking myself what I would do if I was in her shoes. Being widowed young is tough for anyone but when you know your late husband's body is being held in some kind of suspended animation in America (and at great financial cost I might add!), I felt great sympathy for her. You root for Carrie as she faces the many associated challenges and heartaches resulting not only from his death but as a result of what many see as his selfish choice to be frozen. I have recommended this book to friends who usually read chick lit but who I know will enjoy a novel with an intriguing extra dimension.

by Lisa Allen

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The cover and title of this book grabbed me and then I read the synopsis. I really like real life stories and this was a very sensitively written book with some light heartedness here and there. The pace was spot on and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys non fiction or memoirs. Some parts are very emotional and really touched me.

by Katherine Hayward

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A terrific read. The plot's great and I loved all the different female characters. It's hard to get the humour right with such serious issues being explored but hats off to the author for getting this just right. It's refreshingly different and I can't recommend it enough.

by Sam Abbott

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I loved this book. I had heard, of course, of cryogenics but never really thought about what it means to those left behind. What a dilemma. Great characters, great story line and good writing. What’s not to love?

by Helen L.

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A story about love and loss that will pull at your heartstrings.

by Shanna L.

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I thoroughly enjoyed this debut book by Andrea Darby. It is written so well, I imagined myself in the book! It is a compelling read and I could not put it down!

by Mrs S A Butler

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A great read - funny but poignant too and very interesting - you can learn a lot but also entertaining.

by Diane Harris

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Carrie is a grieving 40 something widow. Before his untimely passing, her husband made it clear that he wanted to be cryogenically frozen should anything happen. When the unthinkable did happen - an apparent heart attack, his remains were quickly bundled up and shipped off to the United States, leaving Carrie to deal with the fall-out, her grief, her unresolved emotions about being unable to properly say goodbye, as well as a troubled teenage daughter, prying media and most worryingly of all, a series of hateful attacks perpetrated against her.

Just when she thinks she has too much on her plate, an old flame surfaces, re-opening all of the old wounds from his speedy departure from her life twenty years ago.

I must admit I'm a sucker for mysteries, and I chose this one thinking that it would not disappoint. Indeed it did not, but it was less of a mystery - apart from the whodunit of the repeated hate attacks on her property, than it was a story about a woman coming to grips with untimely loss of a loved one as well as loss of control over how to properly say goodbye to her husband.

The story was well written, with an eloquent turn of phrase as well as some wry humor thrown in to lighten the atmosphere. The characters were well developed, although I found Ashley - Carrie's old flame to be annoyingly pretentious, but this was probably by design to highlight the type of person he is.

The novel raised interesting questions about the ethics of cryogenics as well as how the media can keep resurrecting old stories and potentially how much damage this can cause.

All in all, I really enjoyed the novel and would recommend.

by Anya Korabik (Netgalley Reviewer)

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By coincidence the well-publicised case of the teenage girl given High Court permission to have her body frozen after her death from cancer hit the headlines just before publication of this splendid debut novel. The author obviously did a lot of research about cryonics before writing a very readable story which deals with the controversial subject in an interesting - often humorous - way, far removed from what we have been used to. The book is highly recommended.

by Amazon customer

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I found this book really intriguing. My husband was talking to me about being frozen the other day. So it was a fascinating and intriguing issue for me to read about.

What I really enjoyed was not only was that but really interesting. But I also thought that the family dynamics and all the secrets that were revealed along the way.

This was a captivating book. With an original subject that hasn't really been done before. I thought the ideas and sciences were fascinating.

by Karen Whittard (NetGalley reviewer)

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“I’ll never forget the day Dan told me he wanted to be frozen when he died ...” And thus begins Carrie Colwell’s nightmarish existence as Dan’s widow. It’s bad enough that her soul mate departs from the earthly world in the prime of his life, but Carrie and her daughter are left with the constant question of his immortality. With a firm belief in the miracles of modern science to keep him in a suspended state until research provided a second chance at life, Dan’s whimsy leaves his family in a suspension of their own. Do they move on or should they exist in perpetual mourning? Cryogenics is the fodder for much ridicule for daughter Eleanor and uneasy speculation for Carrie. Should she agree to follow his lead and donate her own body to this “unnatural” science?

The Husband Who Refused to Die by Andrea Darby is a true testament to the debate of life after death. The underlying humor associated with this unusual story line is combined with a British attitude that will keep the reader turning pages in anticipation of what Andrea Darby will say next. Although her tongue-in-cheek attitude is wildly entertaining, there are serious implications to the author’s purpose. This fresh take on modern fiction sets a definitive precedence for writers to challenge the cognitive muscles of readers. I believe that The Husband Who Refused to Die is truly a one-of-a–kind read. With a theme of precarious believability, Darby has provided legitimate characters. I really enjoyed this story and anticipate reading more from this author in the future.

by Lisa McCombs for Readers' Favourite

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Carrie isn't like most widows. Her husband chose cryonics instead of burial or cremation, with the hopes that he could be brought back to life later on. Carrie is trying to move on, help her daughter cope and reconnect with an old love, but when the media hounds her family due to their story, she will have to work through her feelings to find happiness again. Really an interesting read.

by Sara Español (NetGalley reviewer)

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The title of this book grabbed me and then I read the synopsis. I really like real life stories and this was a very sensitively written book with some light heartedness here and there. The pace was spot on and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys non fiction or memoirs. Some parts are very emotional and really touched me. I recieved a copy of this title from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

by Katherine Hayward

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This book was not what I expected. It went into a totally different direction than I thought it would after reading the summary, and the first few pages. Still, it was an interesting read. I love how the writing flowed well, and how the author managed to make the characters filled with depth.
Written with a sense of humor, and wit, this emotional book was a faced paced read, that I could not put down.

by Claudia Blanton

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