Extinction

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Pub Date May 09 2024 | Archive Date May 10 2024
Aria & Aries | Head of Zeus -- an Aries Book

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Description

An epic thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Douglas Preston, perfect for fans of Michael Crichton. Extinction explores the very real effort to resurrect the woolly mammoth and other extinct megafauna from the Pleistocene Age.

Erebus Resort, occupying a magnificent hundred-thousand acre valley deep in the Colorado Rockies, offers guests the experience of viewing woolly mammoths, Irish Elk, and giant ground sloths in their native habitat, brought back from extinction through the magic of genetic manipulation.

When a billionaire's son and his new wife are kidnapped and murdered in the Erebus back country by what is assumed to be a gang of eco-terrorists, Colorado Bureau of Investigation Agent Frances Cash partners with county sheriff James Colcord to track down the perpetrators.

As killings mount and the valley is evacuated, Cash and Colcord must confront an ancient, intelligent, and malevolent presence at Erebus, bent not on resurrection... but extinction.

Reviews for Extinction

'A creepy and creative variation on Jurassic Park... as smart and spine-chilling as the best of Michael Crichton.' Publishers Weekly
A thriller as breathlessly riveting as you would expect from a genre master like Douglas Preston, but much more too: it's meaty and thought-provoking, and tells us a lot about our distant past - and our immediate future. Spectacular!' Lee Child
'One of the most heart-stopping, terrifying climaxes of any novel I've read in recent years. Preston ingeniously combines real-life science and technology into his novels, and Extinction brings it all together in a thriller that's truly thrilling!' Tess Gerritsen
'Preston is a master storyteller. I’m still thinking about Extinction which is both entertaining and frightening, every page like a tasty treat. You have to read this!' Steve Berry

An epic thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Douglas Preston, perfect for fans of Michael Crichton. Extinction explores the very real effort to resurrect the woolly mammoth and other...


Advance Praise

'A thriller as breathlessly riveting as you would expect from a genre master like Douglas Preston, but much more too: it's meaty and thought-provoking, and tells us a lot about our distant past - and our immediate future. Spectacular!' Lee Child

'One of the most heart-stopping, terrifying climaxes of any novel I've read in recent years. Preston ingeniously combines real-life science and technology into his novels, and Extinction brings it all together in a thriller that's truly thrilling!' Tess Gerritsen

'Preston is a master storyteller. I’m still thinking about Extinction which is both entertaining and frightening, every page like a tasty treat. You have to read this!' Steve Berry

'A thriller as breathlessly riveting as you would expect from a genre master like Douglas Preston, but much more too: it's meaty and thought-provoking, and tells us a lot about our distant past - and...


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781035908745
PRICE £20.00 (GBP)
PAGES 384

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Average rating from 16 members


Featured Reviews

Erebus Resort is a place I'd like to visit: wild natural environment, breathtaking views, a lot of comfort, and a group of de-extincted megafauna animals.
There's just one small issue: you could be killed.
I started it choosing at random in my TBR and couldn't stop till the last page as there's a mix of thriller and speculative fiction.
It's not Jurassic Park but it's also a book about the risk of playing god, power plays.
The two detectives are not diplomatic or ready to submit to the power of money or politics.
Douglas Preston is an excellent storyteller and keep the attention alive till the last page and final twist is very very surprising.
Loved it, had a lot of fun
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

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'Extinction' is a variation on the theme of Michael Crichton's classic novel 'Jurassic Park', but it's not just a rip off. This is a quality thriller in its own right. The story is set in an isolated mountain valley where a number of 'de-extincted' megafauna have been reintroduced. Very wealthy patrons can stay at the lodge and see the animals on safaris or hiking trips. The animals are all herbivores and have had genes for aggression removed, so there shouldn't be any Jurassic Park style T Rex rampages to worry about. The novel opens with what appears to be a coordinated, pre-planned attack on two hikers. An FBI agent and a local sheriff are brought in to lead the subsequent investigation, and sinister goings-on soon escalate. Whoever is responsible is clearly not going to rest until everyone associated with the project is wiped out.

As with Jurassic Park and many other thrillers, events are compounded and worsened by the greed and vanity of some of the powerful people involved. Vested interests get in the way of sensible decision making - closing down the park and evacuating the tourists for example is vetoed because of the negative publicity and economic impact., despite it being obvious to the reader that failing to do so is going to add to the body count. It's true that if everyone acted completely sensibly and selflessly, the disaster would be mitigated - but then there wouldn't be much of a story, and it wouldn't be very realistic either.

It's a fast paced and easy read, with likeable central characters and dislikeable supporting ones (generally necessary in a genre where its inevitable that most of the more minor cast are going to be dead in some horrible way before the end). I certainly found it hard to put down, and the science behind it is all too plausible. Pretty soon this sort of genetic reconstruction is going to be real life and not just confined to thrillers (if it isn't already without being publicised).

Anyone who enjoys fast paced thrillers with decent writing will probably enjoy this novel.

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I read an eARC of this book so thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley.

I had expected this book to be more sci-fi, but in fact, it was a highly intense thriller. Extinction is set in valley in Colorado where a company has de-extincted a number of massive animals such as woolly mammoth. Tourists can visit to see these creatures roaming the valley. However a couple on their honeymoon are abducted. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation and the Sheriff are brought in to investigate and they start to uncover strange and ritualistic behaviour. The more they investigate the darker and more sinister things become and they worry for their safety and that of the film crew shooting an epic Western in the valley.

This was an interesting thriller and raised some thought-provoking points. It leans quite heavily into terror and it does get dark at times. The investigators come up against a case they’ve never seen the likes of before and face challenges from people being deceitful, meddling superiors, the press and billionaires mixing in to protect their own interests and push their own agendas.

A gripping thriller with a crime narrative unlike anything I’ve read before.

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