5 Stars.

This gripping thriller, filled with hidden dangers and twists, kept me hooked. The search for missing campers leads to shocking discoveries. I highly recommend this thriller.

The author of one of my favorite long standing series & the Jurassic Park similarities hooked me! Anytime I can get more of either, I’m there!!

We’re in a park in Colorado where extinct animals have been cloned back to life by a secretive big company. Mammoths!! Love it!

Newlyweds are kidnapped and murdered. Agent Frankie Cash and the town sheriff are on the case! Who did it?

It feels possible. Scary!

I love the prehistoric life and a crime that needs solving! We need so much more of this!

Thank you NetGalley & Macmillan Audio. The book is on my Amazon list!

I have enjoyed all of the books written by Douglas Preston.
As a fan of Jurassic Park I jumped right into the book from the beginning.
The author's descriptions and the narrator's colorful writing made this such a fun book to read.
I will recommend to fans of Michael Crichton.

I did not finish this book. I couldn't jive with the narration and struggled with the violent start.

This is a great thriller where science vs nature has a big role. Lots of action and a nice pacing of the plot unfolding.. great ending.
Nicely done by the narrator

Another great standalone adventure/thriller from Preston is a fast and fascinating listen, and a reminder that he can write wonderful stories all by himself and not just when in partnership with Lincoln Child. When a very secretive company devoted to genetic research manages to rebreed a number of extinct mammals including the woolly mammoth, its very restricted and expensive Colorado wilderness resort is invaded by law enforcement investigators after a pair of wealthy young campers disappear. It's pretty clear that animals weren't responsible for anything, particularly when a young mammoth is brutally butchered. This "what if" novel is lots of fun, and the fast moving plot is filled with suspense and danger. What else is lurking in those mountains? Well performed by narrator David Aaron Baker--a voice well loved by many audiobook fans.

2.5 stars. This book was rather painful. The beginning made me cringe and was clearly a male trying to write from a female perspective and it felt SO off and as a female reader almost made me put the book down. I maybe should have because the rest of the book was absurd. The narrators voice also made me cringe especially since the main character was a female. I think it should have been read by one. His "female voice" was whiney and breathy and added to the cringe. Also all the body talk by the main character and all the men around her about her body was annoying and ridiculous. The rest of the plot was fine if very absurd. Felt like an homage to Jurassic Park but wanting to be darker and with way more "twists". The ending was absurd and unbelievable like most of the story was. The redeeming qualities were the main character Agent Cash and her counterpart the Sheriff Colcord were intriguing and I liked their dynamic working together, and the descriptions of the Erebus resort were great.

One technical note- Audio book chapter 14 around the 7 minute mark there was a duplicate sentence about cups of coffee that seemed like a continuity in editing mistake of maybe piecing the different narrator sessions?

Extinction by Douglas Preston
Narrated by David Aaron Baker
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Genre: General Fiction (Adult), Mystery & Thrillers
Expected Publication Date: April 23, 2024

Extinction by Douglas Preston is a standalone mystery. At first, I thought it was going to be a lot like Jurassic Park, but the author pointed out in the story this is not like Jurassic Park and he was so right!

I haven’t read a lot by the author and will be working to correct that. I really enjoyed this book! I thought it was so cool that this book combined genetics and crime solving!

There really were so many unexpected twists and turns in this book and I could not put it down! This is definitely one of my “Must Reads” for 2024.

I really enjoyed the narration by David Aaron Baker. He did such a great job bringing this story to life!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Extinction is a very Michael Crichton-esque concept, but not as well executed as a true Michael Crichton book. A group of scientists "de-extincts" animals like the Wooly Mammoth. They roam freely in a valley, and visitors can pay to see them and camp/sleep with them roaming around. When a murder occurs, outside police and federal agents come to investigate what exactly is going on.

This book is nearly a copy cat of books like Jurassic Park, etc. where animals that have gone extinct are brought back using ancient, frozen DNA. It is a story that has been told on several occasions, and this one didn't seem to be super unique or catch my interest as much as I thought it would. Although it had solid writing, the characters were loosely developed, and I just didn't connect with any of them. The concepts were borrowed from Michael Crichton, and I would recommend if you would like to read a book like this, read Jurassic Park.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 stars rounded up.

Personally, I struggled through this one for a bit. I started listening as soon as I received that ALC for it courteous of Macmillan Audio and I was fully anticipating that I would LOVE IT. The premise sounded fantastic. A Jurassic Park-esque thriller vibe but it just left me unfullfilled at the end unfortunately. I've been hearing so many wonderful things about this author and this was my first read from them. I don't think it will be my last but it wasn't a strong first impression.

The narration on this is good. I enjoyed the narrator. It was clear and concise. Easy to listen to at your preferred speed.

I listened to the audiobook of this new release. It was an easy listen. The narrators were nice but not ones who kept my attention. I felt something was lacking in their entertainment.

The story itself has a nice &, I assume, an easy to read writing style. My issue with this novel, however was the story was not as thrilling as I hoped it would be.

I have had Douglas Preston on my TBR list for awhile and this was my first book by him. I think I will try the ones on my list, but likely won’t read more unless those change my mind.

Special Thanks to NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for providing me with an advanced listeners copy.

I really liked this book. Loved the lead characters. Loved the premise. It was high on the adventure and suspense quotient with really intriguing science. It was too gory for me. I did not love that it felt preachy/screechy sometimes. But on balance, with the great narrator, story, and leads, I enjoyed it and recommend it.

What a perfect airport/popcorn thriller! This one gave me ALL the Jurrasic Park vibes I needed! It was such a fast listen too and I didn't want to put it down! Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for the ALC!

OMG! That was a wild ride! I could totally see this happening today if we could do this...which is terrifying. I love that Cash & Colcord were not letting anything get in the way of figuring out what was going on! This was my 1st book by Douglas Preston, but will not be my last! I am adding all of his books to my TBR!

🦣Another new book that I highly recommend to add to your TBR: EXTINCTION by Douglas Preston is available now!

Wooly mammoths, giant ground sloths, and Irish elk brought back from extinction through genetic manipulation and vacationers can view them in their natural habitat at Erebus Resort in Colorado. Sounds like Jurassic Park, but this is a different and much scarier story. The bulk of the story surrounds a murder investigation at the resort. A couple has disappeared leaving only a blood stained area in their place. Great for fans of police procedural/detective stories and also fans of sci-fi (not too much science so don’t let that scare you). Trust me this is so good and creepy!

I listened to this audio read by David Aaron Baker. I enjoyed his narration— giving different voices and personalities helped differentiate the many characters. Thank you @macmillan.audio and Netgalley for this copy!

I know many will look at this book and just think ‘great another Jurassic Park clone’. And I have to say when I first started reading Extinction I thought something similar. As a huge fan of Douglas Preston, I’d have been more than happy to see his take on Jurassic Park, and at first I thought it was going to turn out to be just that. Sure the idea that they were only bringing back herbivores would have been different, but I figured there’d be some kind of sneaking researcher bringing back more dangerous creatures. And in a way I guess I was right, just not how I originally thought.

Erebus Resort is something special. Not unlike Isla Nublar from Jurassic Park, it’s a place where rich people can come and see animals that have been de-extincted. But when a couple goes missing, and a large amount of blood indicates foul play, Agent Francis Cash is called into investigate. And she has her work cut out for her. Has something gone wrong with the animals Erebus has brought back? Or is it something much worse. It doesn’t take Cash long to realize they are hiding something and this was no simple animal attack. So what exactly is Erebus really up to? And is it too late to stop them and get out alive?

Preston hooked me right from the start. And I’d honestly have been more than happy had he just made an entertaining JP clone, but of course he didn’t do that. Preston is a master storyteller (both a solo writer as well as his wonderful collaborations with Lincoln Child) and delivers an excellent thriller with an great cast of characters and wonderfully complex storyline. I don’t know if he has plans for a sequel but he’s definitely left room for the story to continue and I’d love to see where he’d take the story next. David Aaron Baker does a great job with narration. I’d like to thank Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advanced audio copy of Extinction.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R25BUWMGFSHH3X/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

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.

Fast paced, suspenseful and action in this investigation mystery!!

Some have an issues with third person story telling but I didn’t mind at all.

Who isn’t curious about extinct animals?!?!

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.**