Title: Extinction
Author: Douglas Preston
Publisher: Forge books
Publication date: April 23, 2024
Length: 370 pages
Genre: Science fiction / thriller
Source: Library
Rating:
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 on extinction.
A secret luxury resort where the ultra-rich can walk among “de-extincted” creatures from the Pleistocene era. What could possibly go wrong?
This is no Jurassic Park, as the Erebus head of security informs newly arrived visitors to the resort. But that doesn’t mean that the expected series of disasters don’t result from the ill-advised combination of advanced science and hubris.
As Extinction opens, a newlywed couple is enjoying a camping trip through the backcountry of the Erebus Resort. Their elation at seeing woolly mammoths roaming free is cut short by a brutal attack. When the couple are determined to have been either kidnapped or murdered, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation sends in Frankie Cash, newly appointed agent in charge, accompanied by local sheriff James Colcord.
As Cash and Colcord investigate the grisly crime scene, inexplicable evidence begins to pile up. Their investigation widens to include the Erebus security team, its billionaire CEO, and the high-tech labs hidden in converted mines in the mountains. The resort and labs are supposed to be impenetrable, completely safe, and completely controlled — but as more attacks follow, it’s clear that something deadly and relentless has also taken up residence at the resort, and it’s coming for them all.
Extinction is a taut, tension-filled thriller that starts off with high action and never lets up. The science is definitely something like Jurassic Park dialed up to eleven. Sure, Erebus has only “de-extincted” herbivorous creatures with genes linked to aggression carefully edited out, but something bent on bloody, vicious murder is out there. As we know from countless sci-fi movies and books, when humans figure out how to do something, they’re going to do it… even if it’s clear to most rational people that the outcome will be terrible.
Crime thrillers are not usually my jam, but I enjoyed this one a lot — I started it at the beginning of a flight, and by the time we landed, I’d read about 90%. Unputdownable, to say the least! The author’s decision to have local law enforcement investigating an unimaginable scientific disaster is a masterful choice. The main characters feel relatable — they’re ordinary people thrust into an insane situation, applying investigative techniques and approaches to a crime scene that contains layers upon layers of secrets, lies, and threats. Ultimately, Cash and Colcord find themselves fighting for their lives in a nightmarish hellscape… and the adrenaline-fueled, breathless sense of danger and terror just never lets up.
Sure, I question some of the science, and a few elements regarding timelines, how events unfolded, and motivations left me scratching my head. But I can put these small quibbles aside. Overall, Extinction is a terrific, engrossing read, and I could not look away once I started.
Be warned, though: There’s quite a bit of blood and violence throughout the book, and parts are downright terrifying. This book will leave you on edge, frightened, and possibly prone to nightmares!
Extinction is not a book I’d likely have picked up on my own. I was intrigued after reading a review by a favorite author, Dana Stabenow, and knew I needed to know more! I’m so glad I gave it a try. What a crazy ride!
Bookshelf Fantasies 
Hi Lisa! Thanks for reviewing this. I definitely like thrillers and this one has an interesting twist. I haven’t read Preston’s other series books, but I did read his nonfiction, The Monster of Florence, and thought it was very good. Hope you’re doing well!
This was my first Douglas Preston book, although someone gave me a copy of one of his nonfiction books a few years back (The Lost City of the Monkey God), which I haven’t read yet. The Monster of Florence looks interesting too. Thanks for stopping by, Barb!
Ooh this sounds good. Thanks for reviewing, I’ll check it out after its wider release.
It’s been out for a while! I was able to get a copy from the library with no waiting. I hope you check it out!
You convinced me to read it.
I hope you enjoy it!
I would definitely try this! I don’t think I’ve ever read a book by Preston.
It’s funny, I was so sure that I had… and only after finishing this book did I realize that I’d confused him with another author. I hope you give Extinction a try! It was an excellent choice for a long flight. 🙂