Extinction

Douglas Preston

Sci Fi Thriller

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.

-Excerpt taken from Goodreads.

Check Goodreads to see the book’s ratings.

My Opinion

(4 / 5) A newlywed couple go on the honeymoon of a lifetime at the Erebus Resort in the Rocky Mountains. It is a modern day habitat that is provided for animals brought back from extinction, such as woolly mammoths. However, their trip is cut short when their guide finds a puddle of blood and the couple missing from their tent.

The resort has come under much scrutiny from many different organizations that are against the resurrections. The couple are believed to have be killed by these extremists and many forces are called in for help.

Leading Detective Cash and sheriff Colcord strike up a relationship based on their findings, beliefs and assumptions. It is a whirlwind of revelations, more killings, a mysterious cult, politics, money and more. Everyone is fighting against them and their progress, believing there is a different path to take. Each of these paths support a person or company instead of searching for the entire truth.

With evidence dominating their case, they plow forward but the path is full of danger and possible death. The fortitude they entail is admirable while learning about the science and research of the resort. So much more is found than anyone expected and the story is full of action and controversy throughout. I recommend this one for science lovers that enjoy a great thriller!

AUDIO REVIEW: David Aaron Baker was great with accents and had a lot of different voices. Some voices were depicted perfectly and others didn’t quite hit the mark. For example, a woman’s voice for a tough professional was soft and demure, not at all what she was described to be. He did great with the excitement of the story but many voices seemed to not fit what my mind imagined they to be.

General content summary: F words= 70

Language

M/F Intimacy (closed door)

Murders and kidnapping (sound of blood, hit on head)

Details of an investigation (blood, theories, possible beheading and more)

Fall (large height, unconscious)

Animal  killed (blood, killed gruesomely but few details)

Human bones and possible cannibalism 

Spear injuries and death (some details)

Desecrated body (some details, body in pieces) 

Many people in captivity (human experiments)

Physical violence (few, beaten, injuries)

Poisonings 

Alcohol (multiple)

Buildings on fire

Explosion 

Killings (beheading or scalping, fire, weapons, multiple)

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, Forge Books and NetGalley for the copies!

The book releases April 23, 2024.

**As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.