Extinction

A Novel

By: Douglas Preston

Narrated by: David Aaron Baker

Length: 12 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

With Extinction, #1 New York Times bestselling author Douglas Preston has written a binge-worthy 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.

©2024 Douglas Preston (P)2024 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

An April 2024 Library Reads pick

An April 2024 best new science fiction book at New Scientist

“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

De-Extincting "Humans", WHAT!!!

I enjoyed the h*ll out of this book!!! Classic Preston on the order of "Relic"! An incredibly novel idea, great characters, lots of action, and a very well-developed story make this one of my favorite Preston novels, I think. Being a trained geologist and an anthropology/paleontology fan, I loved the whole experience! If you liked Preston & Child's early books, you will love this book! I highly recommend!

Formulaic and a bit Tired

Pretty much the typical adventure yarn with high tech combined with evil rich guys funding nefarious research, and tough and determined law enforcement in peril. There is the self indulgent actor and obsessed director as a side story.
All the bad guys get theirs in the end. Overall pretty derivative of the authors own work and most books of similar ilk. Jurassic park with mammoths.
It is pretty well written, not enough "science" to bog it down and moves fast. It is entertaining but leaves no impact once completed. Could have done a lot more with the megafauna but that's pretty much a vehicle for the "monsters" created by the mad scientists and billionaires.

Don’t miss this one

Well read well written. Mr Preston score again. It feels like you’re there. Law enforcement procedures well done.

I liked the idea of a mountainous park full of reengineered extinct species, similar to Jurassic Park.

Though I followed the plot fine, there was so much going on in the background with so many different characters and names. It just seemed too long/drawn out. I wanted more dinosaur interaction. But that’s just me.

Disappointed and irritating

Doug, Preston and Lincoln child are two of my most favorite authors. This was a great story, however, I could not handle or enjoy the story, because of the enormous amount of F bomb words. I listen to this story, and felt like my head was constantly being assaulted. I probably won’t ever listen to this story again. I’m very disappointed and saddened.

Wow, once I started this today, couldn’t stop listening

It is currently 4:09am and I just finished, this was an absolutely riveting story, I couldn’t put it down. The characters were great (except Cash carrying without a round in the chamber, no professional law enforcement officer would do that with current training doctrine.)

Wow what a surprise!

I loved everything about this book! There was such a fresh take on an old idea, Jurassic park! This could and should be a blockbuster movie!!!

Couldn’t put it down!

I’ve been super busy with veterinary school and haven’t been able to listen to a book in over a year, this one has been a super page turner. Basically listened to it all in one sitting over a weekend. Great characters, storyline, etc. Narrator’s Australian accent could have been better but he was doing so many different people it didn’t bug me. Every character sounded unique and that’s what I care more about to keep them differentiated rather than how perfect someone can do an accent. 5 stars all the way can’t wait for part two!

Solid until the end!

Great story and premise but lost momentum for me at the end. Fine storytelling throughout the entire book and it’s exactly what I’ve come to expect from such a great author. I just wanted something a little more at the end.

Extinction

Interesting story, different from what these authors usually write but quite good. At first I thought it was going to be another version of Jurassic Park but with mammals instead of dinosaurs. In a way it was but using Neanderthal people instead of velociraptors as the dangerous creatures but had a lot of police investigation in it as well. Well worth the read or listen