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Book Summary and Reviews of Extinction by Douglas Preston

Extinction by Douglas Preston

Extinction

A Novel

by Douglas Preston

  • Critics' Consensus (14):
  • Readers' Rating (1):
  • Published:
  • Apr 2024, 384 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

With Extinction, #1 New York Times bestselling author Douglas Preston has written a page-turning thriller in the Michael Crichton mode that explores the possible and unintended dangers of the very real efforts to resurrect the woolly mammoth and other long-extinct animals.

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.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"Preston tweaks the 'resurrected species go haywire' trope with a series of ingenious plot twists, and his well-rounded characters make this more than a knowing genre exercise. The results are as smart and spine-chilling as the best of Michael Crichton." ―Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Science, imagination, storytelling, and action are all here. Fast-moving fun and a highly creative plot." ―Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Preston's novels are a lot of fun because he really commits to the stories. He might be writing about ordinary people in a fantastic situation, but he isn't writing a fantasy. The villain of the story, as out-of-this-world as it might be, is presented as realistically as any human villain, which gives the story an unsettlingly plausible atmosphere. Highly recommendable." ―Booklist

"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, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"Preston's latest thriller, Extinction, is Jurassic Park for the Pleistocene Era―and that's no exaggeration. It's got everything I love: fantastic creatures, wild adventures, and dynamic heroes. But most frightening of all, it shines a disturbing light on where the science of genetic engineering might be venturing next. Read at your own risk!" ―James Rollins, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"Doug 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, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"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, New York Times bestselling author of The Spy Coast

This information about Extinction was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

Reader Reviews

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She Treads Softly

compelling murder mystery and cutting-edge science
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.

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Author Information

Douglas Preston Author Biography

© Christine Preston

Douglas Preston has published forty books of both nonfiction and fiction, of which over thirty have been New York Times bestsellers, a half-dozen reaching the #1 position. He is the co-author, with Lincoln Child, of the Pendergast series of thrillers. He also writes nonfiction pieces for the New Yorker Magazine. He worked as an editor at the American Museum of Natural History in New York and taught nonfiction writing at Princeton University. He is president emeritus of the Authors Guild and serves on the Advisory Board of the School for Advanced Research in Santa Fe.

Link to Douglas Preston's Website

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