"I must confess that I lost faith in the sanity of the world." (H.G. Wells, The Island of Dr. Moreau)

Picture a sprawling resort hidden in the Rockies in Colorado that caters to a specified group of clientele. Erebus Lodge boasts of cathedral-like beams that tower against the blue skies and garner gasps from its new arrivals. Nature at its best with all the amenities of a NYC fine hotel. But don't be fooled........Mother Nature doesn't take kindly to it.

Newlyweds Olivia and Mark Gunnerson are exhausted after hiking all day on the outskirts of Erebus Lodge. They've been accompanied by their guide, Stefan, who has retired to his own tent in the distance. Late into the night, Mark is awakened by an unusual sound. Olivia hears it, too. Mark unzips the tent and ventures out into the darkness. Stefan later tells a rescue team that all he heard was a loud scream in the night. And all that's left is Mark's light helmet and the ground covered in blood.

Agent Frankie Cash, a senior detective of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, is called in. She's accompanied by Det. Bart Romanski, head of CSI, Sheriff James Colcord of Eagle County, and Andrew Maximilian, head of security at Erebus Lodge. This is big. Mark is the son of billionaire, Rolf Gunnerson. And the man has plenty of push behind his big bucks.

What starts out as a missing person call will escalate as high as those peaks in the Rockies. Erebus Lodge is the home of scretive scientific experimentation in de-extinction. Grazing near open ponds on the expansive property are Wooly Mammoths from the Ice Age and even Glyptodons as big as Volkswagens. Both prove no threat as they are herbivores and they have been genetically altered to remove their aggressive nature. They proved amusement for those willing to pay the exorbitant prices at Erebus Lodge.

But this is no Jurassic Park, folks. More like the Island of Dr. Moreau. You don't mess with Mother Nature. She has a tendency to snap back......in a big, big way.

Extinction is a must for fans of Douglas Preston. If you've not had the pleasure of a Preston novel before, you'll find yourself an immediate fan. Preston lines his novels with high interest science that fascinates and draws you in. There's also thriller to the bone here with fast-paced action and fine-tuned characters. In addition, there's also a wide panoramic view of Homo Sapiens treading heavily and leaving footprints in areas where consequences lean hard with suffocating pressure. Stay tuned. Wild as the endless hair on those Wooly Mammoths. Whoa!

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Tor Publishing and to the talented Douglas Preston for the opportunity.

Suspenseful and thrilling mystery adventure!

High up in the Colorado Rockies, deep in a beautiful valley, lies the immense Erebus Resort. It draws the most exclusive guests and gives them the unique opportunity to explore and view formerly extinct animals. When a honeymooning couple is kidnapped, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation sends Agent Frances (Frankie) Cash to liaise with county sheriff James Colcord and the Erebus security team to find out what happened to the wealthy newlyweds.

The usual characters are all there with it immediately obvious to see the malevolence and conceit of the bad guys and the righteous clarity of those pursing answers. There is lots of action and I found this impossible to tear away from. I was lucky enough to have both e-book and audio review copies and I found it all great fun in the vein of other wildly popular books written in a similar fashion. If you liked "Jurassic Park" or "The Great Zoo of China", you would also love this one. I wish, however, that just once, these resorts would be successful and provide us all with some sort of validation for continuing to pursue these scientific advances with DNA. It would be such a cool vacation.

This novel explores the science of de-extinction and the ethical and legal consequences of gene manipulation. As always, the author's extensive research and understanding of the topic lends credibility to the story. In addition, the social implications of messing with thousands of years of evolution. Preston is an excellent writer and I always enjoy his books.

Lastly, any movie producer should be vying for the rights to bring this to the big screen. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with advance copies to review and recommend.

This was my first book by this author. What I liked about it: Interesting setting: people are able to watch extinct animals from their resort. A double murder has taken place and its up to the law enforcers to solve this crime. The main characters were funny and well-developed. Its not too fast paced, but also doesn't drag out. There is some suspense, action and investigation. I am not a big fan of investigation type of books (why did someone do xyz or why did something happen) but luckily for me this book is more on the mystery side than the solving side. Its still scienc-y enough to not be impossible. So this sense of something like this being possible and scary is certainly there in this book. I will definitaly read more of this author!

The Pendergast series is so good I was thrilled to get a chance to read another title in the same vein by one of the authors. I love the detail and how much I learn from a work of fiction - and of course the fun of the thriller!

I’m a huge fan of Jurassic Park, so this book seemed right up my alley. Scientists bringing back woolly mammoths, and other extinct animals, and putting them in an adventure park? Nothing good can come from that. When a billionaire’s son and daughter in law are murdered in the park, Agent Cash is brought in to investigate what is actually going on. There were a ton of characters, and lot of side plots that didn’t seem to belong in this book. Also didn’t appreciate how Agent Cash was described. Apparently very important for us to know she’s not skinny, and everyone can see it. The plot was intriguing and made me finish, but I still think it’s a cheap Jurassic Park knock off. Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Great science fiction. I didn’t expect the de extinction of the Neanderthal species, the woolly mammoth and a sloth yes, but the Neanderthal and the genetic diversity to humans. The cash it took to keep a facility like this under the radar and working had to have been massive, and I hope fictional.

Science fiction isn’t really my primary pick but I love Preston’s writing and style and I know I’ll never regret picking up one of his books.

Thank you NetGalley and Forge Books for this Advanced Reader copy.

I really love the Pendergast character in other Preston novels, but it was very refreshing to read about new characters, and a completely different aspect of murder and mystery. The storytelling is vivid and draws you in the moment you turn the first page. It is a very relevant story and it was a great read.

One of the series that I have devoured recently and adored, is the Preston and Child series. When I ran out of those books, I read books written by each author, and loved them as well. Extinction is the next book out by Douglas Preston, and it doesn't disappoint.

It starts off with a mysterious double murder at a prehistoric park that sounds similar to Jurassic Park, which is referred to multiple times in the early chapters. But apparently, these owners have learned from the mistakes of that novel, and made sure to only breed herbivores and use genetic editing to take out aggressive tendencies. That said, something is not right in paradise, and it's clear pretty fast that perhaps they haven't learnt their lesson as well as they should have.

Preston has an archeological background and through his books, I've learned a lot about the field and have been fascinated by all the research he has done as much as by the plot of the book. While some of what he does here is standard thriller fare, and while I don't love the trope of the bad evil scientist, I can also see how things can slowly devolve when there is enough money to play god and there are no rules to hold one back. The afterword was just as interesting as the book itself. Definitely a must read.

I lobve Dougas Preston and this book didn't disappoint. Looking forward to recommending this book in April. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy!

Jurassic Park with Neanderthals. A typical Preston (no relation) thriller, with a fast-paced plot, a strong storyline, and a good denouement. However, the plot line really is too much like Jurassic Park: a wealthy man "de-extincts" animals, editing our their genetic traits for violence. Instead of smart velociraptors, though, the scientists secretly breed Neanderthals in a lab so that certain snippets of their DNA (strength, etc) can be inserted into human embryos.. We've known for a long time that Neanderthals and humans co-existed and interbred (consensually and not), and that they were smart, so the depiction of them here isn't particularly new; in fact, some of Preston's info, given in the afterword, is out-of-date. Finally, I remain unimpressed by Preston's writing of women characters, and his fatphobia and other issues are on display here in large amounts. I'm also annoyed by the constant name- and brand-dropping in the book. Is the author getting paid to mention Pringles by name? How about the tent manufacturer, or Reese's candy? He drops his own book (with Lincoln Child) into teh conversation, which took me right out of the book. It's unnecessary.

A gripping, fast-paced, action adventure novel that is difficult to put down. It features a compelling and timely story of scientific breakthroughs coupled with the hubris of man. Fans of Michael Crichton should read this book.

Fast-paced read that did not disappoint!

First off, this is not Jurassic Park - yes, there are creatures brought back from extinction but don't get too hung up on the similarities. This novel shines all on its own.

Setting: a beautiful mountain park in Colorado that has become home to several de-extincted creatures, most notably the wooly mammoth.. It's also a luxurious tourist spot for the uber rich.

A young couple who are enjoying their honeymoon, marveling at the amazing surroundings, is suddenly attacked and presumed kidnapped...or worse. Because something or someone is out there that seems bent on destruction.

It's up to a smart CBI agent and a local sheriff to find the couple and uncover the weird happenings in such an idealic place.

Loved this one and fingers crossed it's the start of a fantastic new series.

To start off, unfortunately or fortunately, any book that involves de-extinction is going to be compared to Michael Crichton and his masterpiece, Jurassic Park. Douglas Preston is fortunate because that's what drew me in. The similar science-y writing based on what we know in science currently meshed in with the sci-fi aspect had a hold on me. I read the book in one sitting.
Now, I did read a bit about what this was about when I requested the ARC...however, I was still thinking this would be more like big hunters killing off the woolly mammoth again.

I didn't expect the level of terror I'd feel as I delved deeper into the story. My theory from a smilodon being the culprit to a cult from within Erebus was just so far off. I had started thinking early on if they de-extincted these herbivores whose to say they can't do the same with...culprits of this book. I shan't reveal too much.
But those most accurate and terrifying part of the book? It's this:
<bold>That's the problem with science. If something can be done, it will be done - no matter how dangerous. </bold>

Direct quote. And after reading the authors afterword. This is a believable scenario in our future. We really don't stop to think if we should when we could. As the infamous Ian Malcom has said "Life finds a way."

This felt familiar. Similar. Not exact. I got some Wayward and Jurassic Park vibes off this. So if you're a fan of Douglas Preston's prior work, a fan of Michael Crichton or Blake Crouch, this is a read for you. Or if you follow the science of bringing back the wooly mammoth, probably you want to read this. You know what, if you're a sapien, you need to read this book. It's our future.

I was so excited to receive this ARC being a big fan of all Preston/Child books. I liked but did not love this book. The concept was very interesting regarding the "de-extincting" of different types of animals but the book then took some leaps I was not ready for. I felt like there were too many characters fighting for time/space and the book vs. narrowing it down and spending more time with less characters. The motivations for different characters seemed like a stretch and there were side stories (like the group filming a movie) that seemed extraneous. I still appreciate the ARC and all opinions are my own.

Extinction by Douglas Preston is a thrilling sci-fi ride. It grabs your attention and keeps it until the very end. Great characters with an exciting plot that have you thinking “what-if?”. Totally unexpected ending, with an exciting ride along the way.
I rated this story 5 out of 5 stars as it was absolute perfection in my opinion and highly recommend others to read. If you enjoy books like Jurassic Park that deal with the repercussions of using science to bring the past to life, this one is a MUST-READ for you!

A heartstopping thriller that made me bite my nails. The premise is highly unique and reminded me a lot of Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton and the thrill of Dan Brown's writing. Severely enjoyed it!

Every evening, guests at the Erebus Resort in the mountains of Colorado gather to watch 'de-extincted' Pleistocene animals like wooly mammoths; giant armadillos; rhinoceros-like indricotheres; giant ground sloths; Irish elk; and giant beavers. The luxury resort, a kind of Disneyland for rich people, is comprised of a magnificent lodge in a valley surrounded by 144 square miles of rugged, mountainous terrain.

Honeymooners Olivia and Mark Gunnerson - who happens to be the son of a tech billionaire - stay at the lodge for a few days before they embark on an eight-day guided hike along Erebus Resort's 110-mile Barbican Trek. On their first night out the couple set up camp on a ridge, dine on freeze-dried chicken tetrazzini, and retire to their tent. Later that night Olivia and Mark are attacked and abducted.

To investigate the Gunnersons' disappearance, Agent Frankie Cash of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is sent to Erebus along with a CSI team. At the resort Cash collaborates with Sheriff James Colcord to search for the Gunnersons. Cash - a sharp-tongued woman who comes from Maine, and Colcord - an old-fashioned guy who hails from Colorado, start out as uneasy partners, but ultimately work well together.

Cash and Colcord study the crime scene, speak to Erebus's managers and security experts, visit Erebus's research laboratory, and interview Erebus's chief scientist, Dr. Marius Karman. Karman supervises the 'Erebus Project,' which uses DNA from extinct creatures to produce 'de-extincted' animals for release into the Erebus Resort. When Cash and Colcord question the project's safety, Karman insists the new fauna are non-aggressive herbivores.

When the investigators search the woods they sense silent shapes flitting through the trees and hear hideous yowling. Cash and Colcord realize cryptic creatures are scurrying around the resort, which is made even more evident by additional frightening occurrences.

Meanwhile, a film crew is making a movie on the resort property, directed by Slavomir Doyle. Doyle tells Cash and Colcord the film, called 'Hannibal and the Baron,' is about a herd of mammoths that get caught in a time warp and appear in the 1880s. Cowboys then tame the mammoths and ride them into town to save the residents from a robber baron. Some of Doyle's crew weren't on the movie set when the Gunnersons disappeared, and Cash and Colcord reserve the right to question them.

As all this is happening, Marc Gunnerson's wealthy father, drunk and grief-stricken, lashes out about his missing son. Gunnerson Sr. insists that Erebus's billionaire founder, Maitland Barrow, be called on the carpet to answer for what's happened.

As evidence is collected and analyzed, Cash and Colcord conclude that a good deal of lying and deception is occurring. The investigators probe into events more deeply, and shocking secrets are revealed.

The novel, a combination police procedural and adventure story, is engaging and suspenseful, with an interesting array of characters. I especially 'loved to hate' Cash's boss at the CBI, Wallace McFaul, who tries to take credit for Cash's discoveries, and to blame her for his deplorable mistakes.

In the Afterword, author Douglas Preston explains that seemingly fictitious elements of his story are based on scientific research. Moreover, Preston asserts that a company called Colossal - founded by geneticist George Church and technology entrepreneur Ben Lamm - is focused on rapidly advancing the field of species de-extinction.

For a glimpse of things we might see in the future, read the book. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley, Douglas Preston, and Tor Publishing Group for a copy of the book.

As a fan of the Pendergast series, as well as Preston's nonfiction work, this was a great read! It was enthralling, fast-paced, and had me on the edge of my seat. I have to admit it was a tad predictable, but when the story is so good, it doesn't really matter! The descriptive language really sold the eerieness of the situations, and I had trouble putting this down.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. This was a generically good thriller in the vein of Michael Crichton. It was compelling and kept me interested, and had some twists I wasn't expecting. The creepiest part was the end note from the author about how close the science is at present to making this scenario a potential reality.

A remote resort in Colorado is famous for "unextincting" woolly mammoths and allowing them to roam free around the resort for people to view. When two guests disappear from their campsite, the state FBI and the local sheriff's department combine forces to investigate. Their investigation leads them down a very "Jurassic Park" kind of path, with many shocking events thrown in. The story is fast-paced, the characters are well-drawn and interesting, and the action is thrilling and surprising. Thanks to NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group, and Forge Books for providing an ARC. I highly recommend this book!