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!

This book, Extinction, had a fun premise. In a classic case of we did, because we can, scientists and of course a billionaire or two, Jurassic Parked a resort where guests can see and mingle with “de-extincted” woolly mammoths and other herbivores from the Pleistocene era. In the thriller part of the book, we follow two officers of the law as they try to solve two high profile murders that occurred in this resort. Naturally, after some twists and turns, we are led to the much bigger problem that needs to be solved. My favorite part of the book occurred near the end, where the science starts getting laid out. I like a good thriller, but when your story has actual real science behind it, that’s when I start to really enjoy a book. The ending does leave some threads untied, so it is possible that this book could become a series, but it does have an actual ending. No cliffhanger. I also enjoyed the random character that was reading a Preston/Child book. I recommend this book.

Think of kinda Jurassic Park but with wooly mammoths and that time period animals. Except Saber Tooth tigers because they were mean.
A fancy schmancy company named Erebus has figured out a way of bringing back or "de-extincting" some animals. They can not breed, they are not dangerous, etc, etc...because that always works out when crap like this happens.

This storyline involves a rich couple who went camping at the Erebus resort on their honeymoon and end up missing. Presumed dead because of the amount of blood left behind. There are no bodies because those suckers disappeared in less than four minutes.
Enter in the Colorado Bureau of Investigations..agent in charge Cash. She works with the local sheriff to try and figure out what happened.

I could barely stand to stop reading this one to go pee! I have always loved this type of thing and it was yummy goodness. Well not yummy because there was lots on bodies. But anyways.

Then at the end in the authors note we find out that there are real stupid rich people/companies that are working on the wooly mammoth DNA. People are stupid.

Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.

Extinction - I enjoy this genre and love reading books by Crichton and Cook. Add this author to that list with Extinction, which transports the reader into the world of genetics and the engineered return of extinct species. Interesting, intriguing, intense and scary, the possibilities of de-extinction and genetic engineering are explored by the author, the good and not so good. Man is going to step in it and make evil, of course, all in the name of power and profit. Source: Netgalley. 5*

A sci-fi thriller book with a blockbuster feel. You can imagine this being picked up for a movie project. It certainly has that vibe!

I'd recommend going into this book with no expectations because it throws so much at you. There's a great setting of Colarado wilderness, complete with rugged terrain and danger. With one small difference. All the "usual" animals have been moved elsewhere. Instead, once extinct, giant mammals call it home. I have to say that I loved these creatures in the book, especially the mammoths. They are amazing.

But this book isn't all smiles and cute mammoths. There's a crime to solve - a kidnapping and suspected murder. There are secrets aplenty, suspicious people who run the Erebus Resort, superiors with nothing better to do that complain and get in the way, and a kick-ass agent-in-charge, who is just trying to do her job but is constantly frustrated. So, to put it another way, it's pretty much a powder keg type of setup in this book, and you know there will be huge scenes, lots of shocks, lots of action, and edge of the seat moments.

There's a huge hook at the start of this story to get you going. I found that scene gripping. It's one you can picture clearly in your mind, and it will give you chills.

A thrill ride. I do recommend this.

Link to a video review will be shared soon.

I was expecting something that was a bit of Michael criton cross- Jurassic park meets next. But it ended up being a bit gorier than I expected . Although, I did like the twist about why the murders were happening.

Any book by Douglas Preston is an automatic read for me. This was a thrilling story. It has lots of action and some rather gruesome parts. It’s an interesting concept which probably is already happening.
It’s a hard to put down book!
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

Douglas Preston spins an impressive tale combining police procedural with a touch of science fiction. See my complete review at www.reviewingtheevidence.com.

Extinction is a delightfully terrifying book, and without a doubt it's definitely a favorite read of 2024.

It started as a thriller in the spirit of Jurassic Park. In a beautiful place in Colorado, an eccentric billionaire decided to de-extinct Pleistocene megafauna. All is well until high profile guests are taken, presumed dead.

Unsurprisingly, the corporation behind it was up to more nefarious things than resurrecting giant ground sloths. When the big bad is revealed, it feels less summer blockbuster and more SyFy channel original movie. People also do some remarkably stupid things to further the plot along the way. There are organized homicidal maniacs running amok but we wouldn’t want to stop the Hollywood studio from filming.

In the positive, it was very readable, fast paced, and fun. Exactly what you’d want for a summer read. I enjoyed it but it definitely stretched my willing suspension of disbelief a little too far. 3.5/5

TW for violence and descriptions of cannibalism. If you can handle an episode of Criminal Minds, this should be fine

*4.5 stars rounded up*
Extinction is the first book I’ve read by Douglas Preston, but it definitely left me wanting to read more by the author. The story was complicated and told from the perspectives of several characters, so we could see it develop from multiple angles. I really loved all the descriptions of the scenes and characters, bringing the story to life. The book takes some really wild turns along the way and was full of action, excitement and mystery. While it mostly follows law enforcement and at its core is a crime thriller, the scientific premise of de-extinction was interesting and something that could be a reality in the near future.

Thank you to Tor Publishing Group | Forge Books and NetGalley for the advance review copy of Extinction! All opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

Throughout "Extinction" the characters go to great lengths to explain why this is not "Jurassic Park." Sadly, this book would've benefitted from being more like Jurassic Park, and focussing on a story beyond the technical marvel of brining prehistoric creatures back to life. The plot feels very rushed and you do not get a chance to connect with the characters, their motivations, etc. This reads more like a second draft than a finished product, and ultimately feels like a missed opportunity. Shame, as this could've been very very good if the author was as preoccupied on telling a great story as he was to convey a message around the concerns over cloning and genetic manipulation. For that, I rather re-read Jurassic Park instead! 2 out of 5 for me. Thank you Netgalley for advanced copy.

Another excellent book by one of my favorite authors.

Set in the Colorado wilderness, a mega wealthy couple has vanished without a trace. Will CBI agent in charge Frances Cash be able to uncover the secrets?

The things modern technology could be capable of is a bit terrifying!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

Some people just have "it". The "it" in this case is writing ability that draws readers in and never lets them go. Extinction is a double murder, edge of your seats roller coaster that is Preston at his best. I have a science teacher on my campus that (in general) does not like fiction. I think thid ne may be the one to win her over, as the science embedded in the story enhances every minute of the prose. This is a great book.

I’m a big fan of Douglas Preston and when I saw this compared to Jurassic Park (one of my favourite books) I was very excited. What a thrill ride! Preston is a master and exciting, fast paced mysteries and this was just that. Lot of really interesting science to round out his ideas, plus a mystery that kept you guessing. Loved it!

Extinction by Douglas Preston combines a compelling murder mystery and cutting-edge science in a Michael Crichton-esque plot. This excellent mind-blowing thriller is very highly recommended. One of the best!

The exclusive Erebus Resort is located in a hundred-thousand acre valley of in the mountains of Colorado. Through genetic manipulation Erebus specializes in the "de-extinction" of Pleistocene megafauna, like woolly mammoths, giant ground sloths, Irish Elk, giant armadillos, and the indricothere. These prehistoric animals have had their genes for aggression removed for the safety of the visitors at the resort. For their honeymoon Mark and Olivia Gunnerson go backpacking at Erebus to see the prehistoric animals there and then disappear in the night.

County Sheriff James Colcord notes the obvious attack on the couple left behind a copious amount of blood but no bodies, so Colorado Bureau of Investigation Agent Frances (Frankie) Cash is called in to track down the perpetrators. Since Mark is the son of a wealthy billionaire, the first assumption is a gang of eco-terrorists are trying to send a message about the resort.

This is a gripping murder mystery full of extinct creatures, perpetual tension, breathtaking twists, and shocking developments that gallops at a heart-stopping pace. Once you start reading the ingenious narrative you will not want to stop until you reach the unpredictable, stunning final denouement. Once the plot took off, I was following in what ever direction Preston led me. I kept trying to predict what was going to happen and was surprised at every turn.

What made Extinction even better (if that were possible) are the variety of fully realized characters and personalities that populate the novel. Frankie and Colcord are great characters and the interaction between the two is appealing even when they seemingly clash. All the supporting characters are presented as unique individuals and you will easily distinguish between them while reading as fast as possible to see what in the world is going to happen next.

Additionally, much like Crichton, Preston has done his research and knows the science behind the direction his plot takes. At the end of the novel Preston shares the real science and the direction it is taking right now. Great characters, action-packed plot, and expert plotting and pacing make this one of the best novels of the year. Thanks to Forge Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Edelweiss, X, Barnes & Noble, Book Browse, and Amazon.

Prolific American author Douglas Preston is probably best known for the long running Agent Pendergast series of thrillers that he co-authors with Lincoln Child. But he also has a background working for the American Museum of Natural History and plenty of solo and non-fiction publications under his belt. In his latest novel Extinction he turns to the Pleistocene in a Jurassic Park-style set up. And while every character who matters claims that this is nothing like Jurassic Park they end up protesting a little too much because in almost every way that matters Extinction is a lot like Jurassic Park. And that includes its page-turning readability.
Extinction opens with two wealthy tourists on a guided hike high in the Colorado mountains looking down on a herd of woolly mammoth. It takes less than two chapters for that idyll to be shattered. The two have disappeared and possibly murdered bringing in Colorado Bureau of Investigation lead investigator Frankie Cash to the exclusive Erebus Resort. This is an exclusive playground for the rich where creatures from the Earth’s distant past, including mammoths, giant sloths and giant elk have been recreated and rewilded. And while it soon becomes clear that something else is going in on the labs built in the old gold mining tunnels that riddle the area, Frankie has to deal with bureaucratic inertia and media grandstanding as the situation gets further and further out of control.
The interesting this about the Jurassic Park comparison is that it will only get readers so far and in some ways becomes a little bit of a bait and switch. Extinction may draw on some well worn science fiction tropes (not just Jurassic Park) but it also delivers some interesting science about the history of humanity. Preston does not weigh the story down with exposition but uses his underlying science to fashion engaging thriller with some great twists and an ending in which much is resolved but is open for a potentially fascinating ongoing story.