I have only ever read one book by Douglas Preston and it was one of his non-fiction books so this was new for me. Although I enjoy movies like Relic and Jurassic Park, I don't often read books in that genre. I don't think they are quite for me. I could see how it would appeal to those who do enjoy this type of book but it was a little too graphic for me. If I could have taken a more detached, scientific view of the information, it would have been just fine but I apparently cannot do this. I do think this will be a solid entry for his fans. Trigger warnings for descriptions of cannibalism and animal violence.

I am a HUGE fan of the books coauthored by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. However, their individual writing usually falls flat for me. Extinction has been the first exception! The premise of Extinction is so interesting, the science is believable enough, and I loved that it is set in Colorado. It's got an action movie kind of feel to it, complete with a touch of cheesy dialogue, even though the pacing was a little off at times. Highly recommend for fans of Jurassic Park.

DNF at 33%

While the premise sounded amazing (and by golly most of it was exactly what I expected) it was around the 30% mark that the book felt to slow down to a point where it was almost dragging. The banter between characters was great, as well as the concept of where to each of them could go, but ultimately it just wasn't for me. Thanks to Tor and Netgalley for allowing me to post an honest review. Would still recommend to people but only those that are more thriller/murder mystery inclined. Just a bit too dense for my taste.

This book was incredible!!!! Not only was it an incredible police procedural it’s full of science fiction goodness, that’s a little too close for comfort. The character development is great and the plot was so twisty and turny I was shooketh! Can’t wait to read more from this author!

Douglas Preston is one of my favorite authors. Reading this, I was reminded of what a good author he is. The book was amazing, I was invested in the story from the beginning and never lost my interest. Obviously there can be comparisons made between Extinction and Jurassic Park but this book works well as a stand alone. Part mystery/police procedural, the CBI is brought in to investigate the murders of a young honeymoon couple. As the investigation continues, the findings become more and more bizarre. This book reminds us that just because we can do something, doesn't mean we should do something.

I received a free copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest.

Preston never disappoints!

Extinction is a fascinating look at what if. The science of genetics gives humans unprecedented power, and like all curious monkeys we just can’t help ourselves in playing with it. How cool it would be to see some of the prehistoric megafauna walking around! But playing with fire sometimes means getting burned.

Cash and Colcord are great characters and I’d love to see them working together again. Here’s hoping we get to see them in a series!

This is the cooler version of a real life Jurassic Park! Who would have the thought the de extinction of mammals from the Pleistocene epoch would cause so much murder and mayhem. I could picture walking with these gentle creatures. What an action packed roller coaster ride of a book, but this author delivers nothing less. Auto buy for me! This author is constantly pushing the boundaries from real life and fiction, what makes his books so good is that you can actually see these events happening in real life.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor publishing for the arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Jurassic Park fans will enjoy this offering by Douglas Preston. Based on current science, Preston offers us a world wherein species are becoming 'de-extinct,' being brought back to life as Crichton's dinosaurs were. In actuality, the Colossal company <https://colossal.com/mammoth/ > projects that they will have a living de-extinct wooly mammoth by the year 2027.

As in Jurassic Park, in this work of fiction, Preston sets the animals in a secluded area as an attractive theme park, with the theme park's fees to defray the cost of the genetic experiments. The park turns out to be not quite as safe as it is billed to be and after a couple of unusual murders, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation is called in to investigate. It seems the parks' scientists may not be telling the whole truth about the scope and breadth of their work. With abandoned mines and tunnels as the base of operations, CBI Agent Frances Cash and Sheriff Jim Colcord have their work cut out in the massive search area to locate the culprits. On top of that, the two are frequently stymied by both theme park personnel and Cash's superiors, who are limiting their search and options. .

This one is a good read for those fascinated by cloning and the science behind it. Also, a bit scary in presenting the actual possibilities of today's world.

This was scarily plausible. Parts of it seemed unlikely but the afterword and the science information Preston included make it all too likely, at least the de-extinctioning of mammoths, etc. I liked agent Frankie Cash and Sheriff Colcord. The latter especially was interesting as he seemed cliched at first but we, along with Cash, come to see he's more than a cliche or stereotype. A few other characters were cliched. Overall though, a fascinating book. The more I read, the less I wanted to put the book down.

Side note - comparisons to Jurassic Park, both the book and the movie, are inevitable. Several characters referenced them, and not in a positive manner. The snark made me laugh.

Solid science fiction, interesting characters and plot, lots of action, and an entertaining and thought provoking story.

This book made feel like I was reading a mash up of Jurassic Park (but with Wooly Mammoths), an 80's cop show, and Texas Chainsaw Massacre, lol.

There were moments of slow progression, LOTS of dialog, and some repetitiveness.
But it also had redeeming moments of great action and humor.

Thank you, Netgalley for the advanced copy!

An excellent book by ones of my favorite authors alive today. A thrill ride of action, forensic science, neolithic history and of course, sardonic humor.

Keep writing them, Doug, I'll keep reading them!

Thanks to Netgalley, Tor Publishing and of course, the amazing Douglas Preston. All opinions are my own.

Good book! I was surprised by the tameness of the de-extincted critters as well as by who the ultimate culprits of the murders turned out to be. I'll be interested to see if any of these characters show up in other Preston or Child novels.

Oh, this left me doing my happy dance lol.

With definite shades of Jurassic Park, Preston brings us into a rollicking adventure where the past meets the present with disastrous results!

Expect action, fascinating characters (human and non), and some of the horrific things humanity will do in the name of money (not science as we well know).

As usual, Preston’s characters live and breathe. They have fire, humor, and are just extremely likable.

And, yes, if Erebus Resort was real, I’d be silly enough to visit.

Loved this and want more!

• ARC via Publisher

When I heard last year that a startup called Colossal (https://colossal.com) received funding to resurrect the wooly mammoth, two thoughts went through my mind:
1. That sounds awesome.
2. That is definitely a terrible idea.

Douglas Preston's new novel, Extinction, plays on exactly this dynamic. It's like Jurassic Park meets Planet of the Apes set against the backdrop of the Colorado Rockies. It's a gripping page turner that's equal parts fun and exciting while being a thoughtful reflection on the ethics of de-extinction efforts that really are happening as we speak. Just because we can bring species back from extinction, does that mean we should?

This is a fun little novel. I definitely recommend.

This book is a fast and exciting read. The short chapters and succinct prose kept me turning pages long into the night. After recently reading a news story about Colossal and its endeavor to de-extinct woolly mammoths, this story was a timely and cautionary tale about the dangers of the misguided use of CRISPR technology.

The author’s attempt to write a realistic modern woman was appreciated, but he failed epically. If I had to read one more sentence about the lead detective worrying about her weight, I was going to scream. Do better.

On a remote, deliberately isolated Colorado location, a disturbed scientist, working from prehistoric fossils and bones, has brought dinosaurs back to life. Now the wealthy can visit a luxurious lodge and safely observe mammoths, glyptodons, giant beavers and more. Sound familiar? Extinction, written by the talented Douglas Preston, is not Jurassic Park. It’s worse, far worse. Because, after all, some things should stay dead.

When Senior Detective Frankie Cash is put in charge of what is thought to be a kidnapping and possible murder on the grounds of Erebus Resort, she is baffled by the lack of cooperation from the resort security staff. She expects more because one of the possible victims is the son of a billionaire and the other an Olympic medalist. Erebus security is vague and gives Frankie the feeling that something is being hidden from the investigation. She’s right. It’s a someone, however, not a something.

Clear your calendar for Extinction. You wont be able to put it down. From the first horrendous chapters to the final scenes, Extinction blends suspense, mystery and science. The snowy, icy landscape is both creepy and atmospheric and the conclusion should scare anyone. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group and Douglas Preston for this ARC.

Loved the thriller and mystery aspect and I lived that the scientific aspect is easy to follow. Really enjoyed this book. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

It’s been 27 years since I last read “The Relic,” which Preston co-authored with Lincoln Child. As a freshman in high school, I remember being enamored and lost in the story, the atmosphere, and the excitement of it all. Since then, I’ve mostly turned towards memoirs and literary fiction, so reading a sci-fi title was something of a new experience for me. I found the premise of the book (bringing mastodons back from extinction!) and the execution to be brilliant, engaging, and even thought-provoking at times. A wonderful read that sparks the imagination and brings back the excitement of my earliest reading of Preston/Child with a premise reminiscent of the most famous sci-fi novels of all time! When’s the movie coming out?

I received an advanced copy from the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review.

Let me preface with Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child are two of my favorite authors and I devour their novels as a writing team! I was absolutely exstatic to be approved for this novel and I am so regularly not for them! Now as a team, these two are phenomenal and I absolutely love their Pendergast series. Separately though, it's really interesting to see which parts of them they bring to their joint novels. Douglas Preston definitely brings so much of the science part and makes it extraordinary!

This novel is exactly that, crazy, scary, insane, REAL science in a fiction novel. I HIGHLY recommend reading the afterward with a lot of the true science explained. This novel does so well with giving action and adventure with the real science happening in the world. I liked the introduction of Agent Frankie Cash and Sheriff Colcord and I would be very interested to keep reading if they appear again. This was such an amazing novel and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys science, science ficition and especially amazing thrillers.

I should not have started this just before going to bed. Not even 100 pages in and my heart was racing; I could not put the book down. “It’s not like Jurassic Park” according to some of the characters. It is and it isn’t. Extinct animals brought back into existence - not dinosaurs but mammals that cohabitated earth at the same time as humans. Including extinct Neanderthals! Not that far fetched really. Of course something goes wrong. I figured it out less than half way through who the culprits were, but was still on the edge of my seat because I could not figure out how the good guys would get out alive.

I’m a little disappointed that it was never discovered/explained how the first two victim’s bodies were removed so quickly, without a single drop of blood, and no foot prints. We learn who did it, and why, but not how, and it’s bugging me.

If the wholly mammoth is de-extincted in my lifetime, I hope it doesn’t cost an outrageous amount to see it. Cuz that would be a magnificent experience. Be sure to read the Afterward for more info on real life research being done.