Misleading Description Yet Excellent Tale. Just Not Anything Really Remotely Like Jurassic Park. Ok, the few things that *are* like Jurassic Park: human hubris leads to "de-extincting" long-extinct plants and creatures. Commentary on modern science baked into the story. Commentary on history baked into the story. Thus ends the things that are like Jurassic Park.

In other words... don't go into this book expecting "Jurassic Park... With Mammoths". This is *NOT* that story. Instead, it is more "murder mystery at a park similar to Jurassic Park". Go into this book with those at least somewhat lower expectations... and this is an awesome book with plenty of wonder, action, thrills, chills... and a few cheeky meta references. (Such as when a character is reading one of his and longtime writing partner Lincoln Child's Pendergast books - a trope many authors use to plug their own books or sometimes friends' books or even just random books the author has read and enjoyed.)

For the story we *do* get here, it is truly well done, a fast paced action thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat and keep you guessing about what will come next.

Very much recommended.

I was really excited to read this book, and it was just a massive disappointment. The book is not really what it purports to be, and is advertised as something it very much isn’t.

If you’re looking for a fun and adventurous Jurassic Park like novel, look elsewhere. I had thought, based on the publishers summary, that this would be like Jurassic Park with megafauna. In reality, it functions more like a procedural, and there isn’t much fun to be had in terms of the elements involving the animals.

About halfway through the book, there is a grotesque and unnecessarily upsetting butchering of a baby mammoth. It felt like a mean thing to do to the reader, and wasn’t necessary to drive the plot where it ultimately ends up going. And it is most definitely not in the spirit of Jurassic Park, as the book and its publisher so adamantly advertise it as.

Perhaps It’s largely meant as a cautionary tale about why zoos are bad in any form, and while I certainly appreciate that sentiment, the people who will be affected empathetically by this type of approach to that warning are not the people who still need to be convinced.

Preston is a good writer and I dearly loved his recent nonfiction collection The Lost Tomb, but this one is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, and very different from what it claims to be.

Extinction by Douglas Preston had me wanting to book in at the exclusive Erebus Resort, tucked into the Colorado Rockies, to view some re-extinct animals in the worst way - I just didn’t want to meet the same demise as the honeymooning couple at the start of the book!

Straight up, this book gave me the heebie jeebies! Imagine a cloning and genetic altering science experiment determined to bring once extinct mammals back to life... now set that in a remote mountainous location... and you've got the backdrop of Preston's new thriller! The descriptions, setting, and just how real the possibility that this could happen was simply terrifying. My fear and claustrophobia were real as I read, all being attributed to Preston's incredibly atmospheric writing! A full cast of characters, strong female representation, and beautiful scenery perfectly round out this book.

The only thing that rubbed me the wrong way was how the physical appearance was mentioned about the female officer (more than once); honestly, I could have overlooked this issue if it wasn't for the final mention on the last page.

Narrator David Aaron Baker was absolutely phenomenal! Are there audiobook narration awards? Because he absolutely deserves one! The speech narration flowed so smoothly, with natural hesitations and pauses as if the conversation were organically unfolding. I'm not sure I've ever heard an audiobook performed this way before, conveyed this true to real life, but I wish more audiobooks were like this - especially ones with so much reactionary narration!

Four thrilling and scientific (but approachable!) stars!

Thank you NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group, Forge Books and Macmillan Audio for the complimentary copies to read and review.

So I really loved the concept of this one and the setting was just incredible. It felt like Jurassic Park, but safer and like the scientists thought about safety above everything else. The animals that were brought back from extinction were created with the gene for aggression removed, and this led to super docile mammoths, giant ground sloths, and more.

The book opens with a honeymooning couple hiking through the backcountry of the exclusive Erebus Resort. It sounded absolutely incredible and I wanted to be them. Until they were almost immediately attacked and kidnapped.

What ensued was more of a police procedural than a thriller, with some twisty elements thrown in. While I loved the story, this one had the unfortunate downfall of a man writing a woman, like a caricature of a woman.

My complaints aside with the character writing, I would recommend this one for fans of science fiction, thrillers, nature, and suspense!!

**Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC and Forge reads for the physical ARC of this title!**

Jurrasic Park meets detective mystery...sign me up! Preston always writes a good book, and Extinction is no exception. The characters are relatable, the setting feels real, and the pacing was just right. A win-win all around.

Erebus Resort in the Colorado Rockies has discovered a way to de-extinct several Pleistocene era mammals including the wooly mammoth through genetic manipulation. When a newlywed couple visiting the park goes missing and are discovered to be brutally unalived, CBI agent Frances Cash and county sheriff James Colcord team up. At first suspecting eco-terrorists they soon discover that the threat is bigger than they could have ever imagined.
If you enjoyed Jurassic Park, this book is similar, but also quite unique. The science fiction aspect of the genetics testing was well explained so the average reader (aka, me lol!) could understand without getting too lost in the details. I liked how the partnership between Cash and Colcord developed throughout the story from antagonism to friendship (and is there a hint in there of a sequel?) I really like Douglas Preston's writing and I was super excited to get an early copy of this book!
Thanks to Tor Publishing through Netgalley for the advance copy of this book. The opinions in this review are my own and given voluntarily.

This is a WOW book. Douglas Preston is one half of the well known Preston and Child co-writers of the excellent FBI Special Agent Pendergast series as well as many other thrillers. In EXTINCTION, Douglas Preston writes solo, but he definitely kicked some serious......well you know. The story line is great, the characters, so well developed that you'd really like to kick one or two of them for attitude adjustments and the tension is built in from the beginning. I have a long list of people who MUST read this book just so I can tell them how GOOD it is.

Extinction
by Douglas Preston
Science Fiction Mystery Thriller
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: April 23, 2024
Tor Publishing Group
Ages: 17+

Her very first investigation as Agent in Charge, Colorado Investigation Agent, Frances Cash goes to the Erebus Resort, a hundred-thousand-acre valley in the Colorado Rockies where the Erebus' scientists have brought back from extinction the Woolly Mammoth, Irish Elk, the Giant Ground Sloth, along with a few other 'harmless' herbivores and their habitats by genetic manipulation.

The kidnapping and murder of a billionaire's son and his wife are thought to be at the hands of a gang of eco-terrorists, but as Cash and her team with the assistance of the county sheriff liaison investigate, they find that the disappearance of the couple isn't just murder.


The first chapter of this book got my attention, and I instantly felt a connection with the character! I was still wide-eyed as I read the next few chapters, but as Cash and her team began to investigate, and from what they started to compile, I already had a sneaking suspicion of who did it.

And then the story began to drag on and on, and on, and on, and on. It was still interesting but I was getting bored. I wasn't even thrilled over the who and why, (for me it was a little lame) let alone the ending. It is open for another book, which I don't think would be that interesting.

I liked Cash and I would have liked the sheriff more if he'd had more descriptions. Most of the other characters, and there were a lot, blended. But there was one of Cash's scientists that had a story, but his name, that I can't remember because it's big, buried it. For me, for some reason, simple names stick better. The bigger the name the more likely I'll skim it and not set it to memory.

This is a murder mystery/thriller so there is violence and gore; it's not too descriptive, but it's enough to make it not suitable for readers under seventeen. And don't come in thinking this is like Jurassic Park. The book is mentioned a few times in the story, humorous and other, but this book, while it has the same premise, isn't that similar, and the animals don't have that much spotlight shined upon them, even though I think they should have since it was their park.

3 Stars

I’ve read many of the books co-authored by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, but my favorites, no doubt, have been the entries in the Agent Pendergast series. Preston and Child, however, are just as prolific in writing books on their own. I had previously read and enjoyed Blasphemy by Preston writing solo, so when I read the description of Extinction, I wanted to get my hands (virtually) on a copy. What I was expecting was a variation on Jurassic Park and there are obviously similarities, with prehistoric species, most notably woolly mammoths, de-extincted to roam in a park (Erebus Resort) as a tourist attraction.

A newlywed couple camping in the resort is brutally attacked, leaving behind a lot of blood, but no bodies, so a sliver of hope that they’ve survived. The immediate assumption is that one of the de-extincted animals is responsible. But early on, it’s made clear that aggression has been edited out of the gene sequences of these restored animals. They should be harmless. Unless that process was flawed… So, suspicion shifts to human predators, either protestors or eco-terrorists. Frankie Cash from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Sheriff James Colcord of Eagle County, along with Ererbus’ own security personnel investigate the couple’s disappearance/probable murder and attempt to apprehend those responsible. Soon the killers begin to openly taunt the investigative team, and things take an even darker tone, with evidence of cannibalism by the “cult.” Soon things turn catastrophically worse. With creepy and relentless killers stalking everyone within the Erebus Resort’s borders — including the abandoned mines used for administration and experimentation — Preston delivers a nail-biting, claustrophobic thriller.

Preston bolsters his claims that the novel’s science should not be considered “science fiction” with an extended and interesting afterword to the novel that is equally terrifying in its implications.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5-star Thriller
Recommended for horror readers

Blood stains the snow.
In a remote valley in the Colorado Rockies, woolly mammoths and other de-extinct animals graze.

A newlywed couple disappears from an exclusive honeymoon destination.
Colorado Bureau of Investigation Agent Frances Cash arrives at the Erebus resort.
Paired with Sheriff James Colcord, she examines the site of the disturbing abduction.

Extinction kept me up all night with chilling shocks and a breakneck high-stakes race.
It's a thought-provoking thriller with heart.

The cinematic setting and animals heighten emotional engagement. The brutality felt earned.

The main characters have depth, and I enjoyed the big, tough Cash leading the team.

It was a satisfying journey that's sticking with me. The speculations on genetic manipulation are timely and unsettling.

I highly recommend it. 👍

Extinction releases on April 23 from Tor's Forge Books.

Thank you to Tor Publishing Group / Forge Books for the advance copy for review consideration via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Everyone knows “Jurassic Park,” the multi-billion-dollar movie franchise and the original novel by Michael Crichton. Author Douglas Preston knows “Jurassic Park,” as well, and he has fashioned his new book, “Extinction,” with Crichton’s work in mind. (His characters refer to “Jurassic Park” ten different times in “Extinction.”) However, “Extinction” isn’t a ripoff or attempt at a reboot from some wannabe. Preston has a lengthy, acclaimed bibliography in his own right, so he’s entitled to his variation on a theme. “Extinction” is a mixture of speculative science fiction, police procedural, and outright horror that combines these elements in some ways better than Michael Crichton or Steven Spielberg managed.

To get the most obvious similarity out of the way first, “Extinction” takes place at a Colorado wild animal preserve that’s home to some unique species. Instead of dinosaurs, the Erebus resort hosts several species of “de-extincted” mammals that roamed the Earth thousands of years ago. These include mammoths and some lesser-known but even more giant creatures. The resort offers the extremely well-to-do the opportunity to enjoy five-star luxury while communing with these creatures in perfect safety. That is, until it’s not so safe, when two guests disappear while camping, leaving a lot of blood behind. Colorado Bureau of Investigation agent Frankie Cash is called in to investigate what proves to be only the first in a series of increasingly violent and gory incidents.

One significant difference between “Extinction” and “Jurassic Park” is the nature of the protagonists. The main characters in “Jurassic Park” were scientists trying to determine if the park was safe. (Non-spoiler: it wasn’t.) Frankie is a cop, and most of “Extinction” is a well-made 21st-century police procedural. Frankie brings in a forensic team that determines the young couple is probably dead, and a group of skilled, wilderness-savvy people are responsible. The Erebus resort is located in a large valley surrounded by steep mountains, with only one gate for entrance or exit. So there’s plenty of room for killers to hide, but no way to escape. The valley is also the location of some abandoned gold mines, and the killers can also seek refuge in those tunnels. The investigation becomes a manhunt, with the trackers armed with drones and bloodhounds.

I really enjoyed the procedural aspects of “Extinction.” For much of the book, the de-extincted animals are a mere sidelight as Frankie and her “partner,” James Colcord, the local sheriff, do some shrewd detective work. They quickly ascertain that the resort’s management knows more than they’re letting on about the killings and other violence that occur. Later, Frankie and the Colcord do some nimble legal maneuvering to get a search warrant for some areas in the mine tunnels without informing her superiors or resort management.

Although I wouldn’t classify “Extinction” as a horror novel, it has some suspenseful elements that would make a great horror movie. The sequences when Frankie and her fellow investigators go through ill lit, decades-old abandoned mine tunnels are riveting. Besides possible killers around every turn, Frankie faces a more likely probability of death from toxic fumes or a fall down an open shaft.

Frankie and Colcord are an unconventional pair of well-developed protagonists in “Extinction.” She’s not the typical “Charlie’s Angels” beautiful cop often found in this type of book. Instead, she’s average-looking, concerned about her weight, and not that sharp a dresser. In other words, the kind of cop who would be called in to head an investigation like this in real life. And she’s dealing with some career baggage as well. The author doesn’t reveal much about Frankie’s previous career as a cop in her native Portland, ME. However, the book implies she left Portland under murky circumstances, and this job might be her last chance to salvage her career. Similarly, Sheriff Colcord is an excellent investigator and judge of people. One of the book’s better touches is how Frankie and Colcord initially form negative opinions about each other based on their preconceived notions.

While Frankie and Colcord are three-dimensional characters, almost everyone else in “Extinction” is a familiar stereotype. The worst example is Frankie’s boss, the director of the CBI. He’s an attention-grabbing blowhard who makes the wrong decision every time in the book, usually with disastrous effects. Then, he tries to blame everyone else, especially Frankie, for his mistakes. Anyone who’s ever read this type of book will recognize the character immediately and know in advance what he will do in every difficult situation. Most of the other secondary characters are equally easy to predict. These stock characters are the worst weakness in the book, detracting from the story’s tension with the easy predictability of what will happen in several crucial scenes.

Although “Extinction” is a serious novel, the author peppers it with humor and some Easter eggs knowledgeable genre fans will enjoy. At one point, a minor character says he was reading a book by Preston and (Lincoln) Child. When Frankie asks if the book was good, he says: “So good I was worried I wouldn’t be able to get to sleep.” (Fans of the author and his co-author Lincoln Child’s first collaboration, “The Relic,” will note distinct, chilling similarities between Frankie’s trip through the mines and some characters’ similar journey through nighttime New York City sewer tunnels in “The Relic.”) Later, Frankie and Colcord discover they are both James Bond fans and debate which movie’s set up most resembles the Erebus resort and surroundings. And, in a not-too-subtle dig at this novel’s “competition,” one character derides “Jurassic Park” as “bad fiction and bad science.”

Many readers will finish “Extinction” and wonder how plausible its scenario is. To answer those questions, the author adds an informative Afterword chapter I highly recommend. In it, he explains the de-extinction process in some detail (avoiding energy-sapping information dumps in the main text). He also discusses some aspects of the book that readers might find very unlikely. His chilling bottom line: what occurs in “Extinction” is probably a matter of when, not if.

Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child’s series of Pendergast novels (including “The Relic”) is a unique mixture of mystery, horror, and the paranormal that fans of all these genres adore. In “Extinction,” Preston shows a similar ability to create a suspenseful and chilling hybrid novel on his own. The book leaves open the possibility of a sequel featuring the resourceful and likable Frankie Cash. Even if “Extinction” is a one-off, it’s an entertaining read all by itself. Readers won’t have to worry about this book becoming extinct at any time in the foreseeable future.

NOTE: The publisher graciously provided me with a copy of this book through NetGalley. However, the decision to review the book and the contents of this review are entirely my own.

Extinction
Author: Douglas Preston


I'm going to be open and honest from the start. Douglas Preston is one of my favorite authors. I've read his collaborations, fiction, non-fiction...and loved it all. If he wrote a trilogy on the joys of stereo ownership and installation, I would buy it and love it. Preston is one of the few authors that I eagerly await new books from and jump at the chance to read them early or I binge read on publication day. I can't help it.

When I first read the blurb for this new book, I couldn't wait to get my hands on an ebook copy and the audio book. I'm fascinated by stories that involve the re-creation or discovery of species we thought were extinct. This time it's not dinosaurs or megalodon...but the woolly mammoth. I knew from the moment I read about the basic plot of this book that I had to read it. Mostly because scientists are actually working right now to re-create the woolly mammoth using DNA extracted from dead specimens found preserved in permafrost and modern day elephants.

This story also mentions many other long-gone creatures -- giant beaver, the ground sloth, a woolly ancient ancestor of the rhinoceros, giant armadillos, and Irish Elk to name a few. Can you imagine? And I know without a doubt if this park existed I would go there, buy a season pass, and the t-shirt. Probably a travel mug and a stuffed mammoth at the gift shop as well. Yep....I'd be all in. So, of course, I had to read this book. :) It's as close to the real thing as I'm going to get!

The story is set in the Colorado Rockies at a resort. The Erebus Resort has 144 square miles of land surrounded by high mountains in the most beautiful and rugged area in Colorado. Huge extinct animals need a lot of space after all. I live in Denver Metro....so it was like reading about Woolly Mammoths coming to life and grazing in my backyard! But, I kept hearing that line from Jurassic Park in my head "Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether they could, they didn't stop to think if they should."

The truth of it is (like a lot of tourist and travel destination places in the real Colorado) Erebus is a vacation for the wealthy. "Normal" people don't travel to Erebus. Only the privileged can afford it. And, it's worth the cost to have the chance to travel up into the mountains and see a wide range of animals who have been "de-extincted."

A honeymooning couple books a guided hike up into the mountains to see the mammoths in their "natural" habitat instead of sticking around the more touristy parts of the resort, but they both disappear in the middle of the night. The only signs left of them is their torn tent and two bloodstained patches on the ground. This tale doesn't become some Missing 411 lore.....the case blows up immediately because the man who disappeared is the son of a tech industry billionaire.

This is the first case Detective Frankie Cash works as a senior detective with the CBI Major Crimes Division. Not only did this happen at a major tourist destination like Erebus Resort, but one of the victims is a billionaire's son. Very high profile case. Cash is a wonderful main character. She is a skilled detective and a strong, independent woman. She isn't intimidated by a high profile case or a park filled with huge formerly extinct animals. And this case takes all of her skills. What a wild ride! Loved it!!!!

This story would be so visual and awesome as a limited film series or movie. I would so binge watch this on Netflix or another streaming service!!!

I read a review copy of the ebook (Tor Publishing) and also listened to a review copy of the audio book (Macmillan Audio). The audio is just over 12 hours long and narrated by David Aaron Baker. This is the first time I've listened to a novel narrated by Baker. Great performance! He reads at a nice steady pace. His voice is pleasant and easily understandable. I thoroughly enjoyed the audio. I read the ebook while listening....there's just something about having a thrilling story read out loud. Loved it when I was a kid and love it now! There were a few edits between the review ebook and audio versions, but just a word or phrase here or there. There were no big differences.

Great story!!

NOTE: I only have one complaint about this book. Douglas refers to a mountain in Colorado by the wrong name. Mount Evans was renamed Mount Blue Sky in 2023 due to its being named after former territorial governor John Evans, who in 1864 signed a proclamation allowing Coloradans to shoot and kill "hostile Indians." This led to the infamous Sand Creek Massacre where 230 Native Americans from the Cheyenne and Arapahoe Tribes, mostly women, children and elderly, were murdered.After the killings, the regiments responsible for the murders also desecrated the dead bodies. It was horrific and barbaric. The mountain should only be referred to by its new name, and I hope this is corrected in later editions of the book as the events in the story are not openly dated before the name change.

Another great book!! I was totally mesmerized by this story, and the investigation kept me guessing. Lots of twists and turns. Just a totally cool premise and a very intense case! Preston Douglas did it again! :)

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book and listened to a review copy of the audio book. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

I will be honest I requested this book as it sounded similar to Jurassic Park, well dear Reader this is Jurassic Park for the grownups. There is far more fear, horror, gore, and science gone terribly wrong. I know it’s a theme for the newer Jurassic parks, but Douglas does a wonderful job bringing to the forefront the horrific things humanity will do in the name of money. I adored that the Erebus science crew openly mocked the fiction of Jurassic Park.

This is a gripping murder mystery with a well-written plot that’s intense and I was easily drawn into the story. The book is full of action, extinct creatures, fascinating characters, and beautifully described scenery. It didn’t take long for me to be enveloped by Douglas’s writing and I would have followed him running down every path he wanted to take me down. I also loved how Douglas incorporated real science to give credibility and depth to the story. We all know I went off to research. But don’t worry nothing is overly complicates as Douglas integrates the science without making everything over complicated.

I don’t think this will be the last book I read by Douglas Preston as I loved his writing style and cant wait to read more of his work.

Extinction by Douglas Preston is, by turns, a gruesome social commentary on the morality of whether we should do things just because we can, and a riveting scientific thriller. If you’re looking for a book that will keep you up into the night, on edge, and with a plot that will linger long after the last page, look no further. Preston uses real-life science in the area of DNA and gene sequencing to bring to life a story that will encourage you to question whether humans should be using science for all the things we inevitably do just because we can, or whether we should seek out more intentionality in our decision-making processes when it comes to areas of science in which we can hardly comprehend the impact our actions might have. Extinction is a must-read for thriller enthusiasts, but also a book I would recommend anyone interested in the future of humanity read and think about.

4 out of 5 stars (4 / 5) A newlywed couple go on the honeymoon of a lifetime at the Erebus Resort in the Rocky Mountains. It is a modern day habitat that is provided for animals brought back from extinction, such as woolly mammoths. However, their trip is cut short when their guide finds a puddle of blood and the couple missing from their tent.

The resort has come under much scrutiny from many different organizations that are against the resurrections. The couple are believed to have be killed by these extremists and many forces are called in for help.

Leading Detective Cash and sheriff Colcord strike up a relationship based on their findings, beliefs and assumptions. It is a whirlwind of revelations, more killings, a mysterious cult, politics, money and more. Everyone is fighting against them and their progress, believing there is a different path to take. Each of these paths support a person or company instead of searching for the entire truth.

With evidence dominating their case, they plow forward but the path is full of danger and possible death. The fortitude they entail is admirable while learning about the science and research of the resort. So much more is found than anyone expected and the story is full of action and controversy throughout. I recommend this one for science lovers that enjoy a great thriller!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, Forge Books and NetGalley for the copies!

The book releases April 23,

I have loved Douglas Preston’s writing since I picked up Relic, his first novel with Lincoln Childs, featuring FBI Agent Pendergast, in my opinion, one of the best modern Sherlock Holmes-like characters. Preston also wrote a fascinating history of the Natural History Museum in New York, Dinosaur’s in the Attic. If you haven’t read either of these, I can’t recommend them enough; both of these books embody what I find fascinating about New York. Anyway, I figured I would enjoy this book by Preston, it seemed to have all the thriller elements that appeal in many of the Preston-Child novels.

Frances Cash is an agent with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, a transplant from Portland, Maine, who is finally going to be the lead on a case. Of course, she might not want it; the son and daughter-in-law of a tech billionaire have been kidnapped from their campsite at the ultra-exclusive Erebus Resort. Erebus is kind of like Jurassic Park, except instead of dinosaurs, the scientists there have resurrected more placid, plant-eating extinct species, like wooly mammoths and giant sloths, you know, so they can bring in tourists but not worry about death. But after getting to the crime scene with her forensic team and the local sheriff, Cash knows there is something sinister going on. And as members of the search team start to end up dead in almost sadistic violence, they know there is something else out there hunting people.

Look, is this classic literature, nope, but will it pull you and keep your attention? Yep. Will you be intrigued and want to know what is out there? Of course. Are there mysteries in them there hills? You bet your bronco. Do I want there to be a sequel and meet up with some of these characters again? I really do, which for me is indication that the book has transported you for a short period of time to a very enjoyable fantasy world. On the other hand, it also scared me a bit, because I am not sure we would be far off from the ultimate theme of this book.

I remember reading Douglas Preston’s second book (and his first with co-author Lincoln Child) The Relic when I was a teenager in the 90s. That story about a fearsome creature terrorizing New York’s Natural History Museum was a stellar example of what a monster thriller with some grounding in actual science could be, fitting in neatly alongside another recent hit, Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park. Preston & Child went on to write several long-running crime series, sometimes venturing back into the more incredible subject matter that first made them famous. The latest solo book from Preston sees him firmly back in that realm, this time with his own clever spin on Crichton’s hit formula.

Erebus Resort is an exclusive nature park nestled deep into the Colorado Rockies, where the world’s super-wealthy come to observe woolly mammoths and other ancient herbivores who have been brought back to life and allowed to roam freely through a picturesque valley. The son of a famous billionaire and his new wife are there for their honeymoon and get killed under very suspicious circumstances, leading the Colorado Bureau of Investigation to send in Agent Frances Cash. Erebus had already launched a full-scale search of the valley to try to find the murderer (or more likely murderers) and offer up their full cooperation and assistance, as does county sheriff James Colcord, but Cash feels like the Erebus representatives are withholding information that might put everyone in very real danger.

Extinction makes no secret of the similarities it shares with Jurassic Park, tossing in more than a few sly nods to it throughout. Preston takes a very different approach to the premise however, using it as the launching pad for a crime procedural as opposed to a more straightforward adventure, while also sticking with prehistoric beasts that could more realistically be resurrected from the past.

The story doesn’t go where you’re expecting either, though you will likely be able to piece it together well before any of the characters do. Preston’s writing is simple but effective and the action and suspense build throughout leading to disaster-movie-like chaos that is all built around an eerily plausible idea. Aside from Cash and Colcord the characters are paper thin, existing solely to set up future plot beats and are often also cartoonish jerks. Fortunately, the two leads are far more engaging, and given that the pairing of their names already sounds like a series I would fully expect to see them return. This isn’t going to win any literary awards but it is a propulsive and outlandish bit of pulpy fun that will keep readers turning pages well into the night. It could make for a pretty killer movie too.

In Extinction, Douglas Preston's latest sci-fi thriller, "de-extincted" big game (e.g., wooly mammoths, giant ground sloths, but no dinosaurs) roam Erebus Resort, a safari park in the Colorado Rockies where the moneyed can get a (presumably safe) bird's eye view of formerly extinct, genetically manipulated creatures. When high-profile honeymooners disappear from their campsite leaving behind a bloody mess, Colorado Bureau of Investigation officer Frances Cash and local sheriff James Colcord team up to investigate.

A thrill ride for Jurassic Park and sci fi fans, you can skim the gory details and key on the twisty turns and subtle romance. An author's note about the science Preston has drawn upon is a nice bonus.

What a marvel. Agent Frances Cash is a newly minted agent in charge of a case that could make or break her career. Erebus is an exclusive resort. It is nestled in the mining country in Colorado. It boasts Wooly Mammoth, giant sloths , Irish Elk, animals that have been de-extincted to the point of docility. Mark and Olivia Gunnerson , were camping on the resort , on their honeymoon when they disappeared. The apparent victims of a kidnapping. As Cash and her team put the evidence together that first theory is quickly dismissed and the hunt is on for the murderers of the couple. Erebus Resort has been a target for eco terrorists, end of the world prophets, a long list of zanies.. The local sheriff called to the scene shares Cash’s suspicions that this is the work of a new set of vigilante group. The question is why target seeming harmless people. Moving close to the answer opens up the world of Colorados mining history. Specifically the biggest clue comes from an old prosecutor with a treasure cache of maps. The real reason for Erebus’s existence is revealed in a manner you will long remember.
Happy reading

Past Life Progression?

Extinction is a thrill ride that's as convincing as it is entertaining. Even better, it's intellectually stimulating without making me feel over my head. By book’s end, I was just as interested in the author’s afterword about cloning and the de-extinction process as I was in the story. His thorough research made reading it like a trip to an exotic locale, without actually having to run for my life.

I’d recently heard about current real-life efforts to de-extinct a wooly mammoth. I wondered, out of all the extinct animals of the past, why do they think we need to bring back gargantuan creatures with no natural predators whose major contribution to the planet (aside from the Wow! factor) will be enormous piles of dung. They must expect to make piles of cash if they go the route of Jurassic Park. I hope they know how Jurassic Park ends!

I chose this book to see how Douglas Preston deals with the de-extinction premise and learned that I was extremely naive in my estimation of how much and how quickly things can go horribly, horribly wrong. There were several points where I thought I knew what would happen, but I kept being surprised until the end. Science and business don't often look to novels for advice, but I really wish they would. Extinction’s theme should catch on in the ethical Zeitgeist as a morality tale!

Preston’s central characters, Agent Cash and Sheriff Colcord, make a great team. I love how Preston skillfully raises the stirrings of romance yet keeps it light, allowing the amazing premise to keep center stage. The Hollywood contingent gave some fun contrast to the other characters. The administration and other staff at the resort weren't deeply developed, but they added further color to the cast, especially through the finale.

Thank you so much to Douglas Preston, Tor Publishing/Forge Books, and NetGalley for the free advance reader's copy of Extinction. I'm not compelled by them to write a positive review, but am so glad that I can! It's a great read!