Publication Date: June 2, 2026
A Frightening Vision of the Future, And an Electrifying New Thriller, from the Acclaimed Author of Dissection and Change of Heart
Dr. Cristina LePort raises the bar with Defrosted, a captivating fusion of science, medicine, and political intrigue that redefines the boundaries of the thriller genre.
Two centuries into the future, cryogenically preserved scientist Dr. Peter Royce and his wife, Monica, awaken to a dystopian world where human worth is dictated by productivity and freedom is a distant memory. A devastating biological entity, known as mitocancer, looms as a global threat, and Peter must uncover the truth of his past to save humanity’s future.
From the icy wilderness of Alaska to the corridors of power in a reimagined Washington, D.C., Defrosted explores the clash of high-tech medical breakthroughs and ethical dilemmas. As power plays escalate and secrets unravel, Peter, Monica, and a cast of vividly drawn characters are thrust into a battle for survival that questions the very essence of humanity.
As Midwest Book Review notes, “This medical & political thriller pairs science, medicine, and cat-and-mouse games… Readers drawn by either the thriller promise or the medical backdrop will find that Defrosted’s ability to thaw out the truth of purposes, visions, and the consequences of actions yet to be tested on moral and ethical grounds gives much food for thought.”
Perfect for book clubs engaged in debates on medical ethics and cutting-edge technology, Defrosted challenges readers to question where progress ends and humanity begins. A standalone triumph, it cements LePort’s reputation as a master storyteller and a thought leader in speculative and medical fiction.
Two hundred years in the future, a deadly entity threatens to destroy humanity while the only solution lies frozen in the past.
Author Cristina LePort leverages her medical background for inspiration in Defrosted , a dystopian thriller that combines scientific, medical, and political twists.
Think of an invincible army of mitochondria acting as a cohesive colony, resistant to any efforts to wipe it out. Instead, it mutates and continues to grow. It spreads along the ground, gaining strength and multiplying with every bit of fuel.
Bureaucracy is at its finest in the future world, with a pompous medical director reluctantly agreeing to thaw out the only person with any documented knowledge of what is referred to as Mitocancer.
Dr. Peter Royce and his wife, Monica, emerge from their cryogenically frozen state only to be thrust into chaos. Ethical dilemmas shadow every decision courtesy of a society that values life based on utility.
Defrosted will leave readers questioning the fine line between right and wrong.
Dr. Cristina LePort was born in Bologna, Italy. She attended medical school at the University of Bologna and then completed her medical training at Long Island College Hospital in Brooklyn and at the University of California, Los Angeles. She is board certified in Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Diseases and has been practicing medicine for more than thirty years. Cristina is also the Chief Medical Officer and co-founder of Genescient, a biotech company devoted to genetic research on aging and the amelioration of chronic diseases. Medicine and fiction are her twin passions, and she is absolutely thrilled to be able to share her medical thrillers with the world.
Cristina LePort currently resides in Orange County, California, with her husband Peter LePort, a general surgeon. They have three children and three grandchildren.
