Extinction

Starred review from February 19, 2024
Bestseller Preston (coauthor of the Agent Pendergast series) spins a creepy and creative variation on Jurassic Park. In the near future, advances in gene editing have led to breakthroughs in de-extinction, bringing prehistoric mammals back to life by rebuilding their genomes and muting genes for aggression. The scientists behind the project have focused on reviving herbivorous megafauna, including mammoths and Irish elk, with the animals allowed to roam inside the spacious confines of Colorado’s Erebus Resort, a luxury attraction near the Rocky Mountains. When honeymooners Mark and Olivia Gunnerson fall victim to a savage attack at Erebus—their tent is slashed open, pools of blood are left at the scene, and authorities find no signs of their remains—the incident brings Frankie Cash from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation to the resort. She initially believes the attack to be the work of eco-terrorists who object to Erebus’s mission, but as she investigates, more bodies pile up, and the evidence points toward a threat more terrifying than she could have imagined. 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. (Apr.), Correction: An earlier version of this review used the wrong pronouns for one of the characters.

May 31, 2024

Bestselling Preston's ("Agent Pendergast" series, written with Lincoln Child) thrilling latest immerses listeners in the world of giant extinct animals. The expansive Erebus Resort is a 100,000-acre park in the Colorado Rockies, where ancient DNA is harvested by scientists who have already brought the woolly mammoth, giant sloth, and giant elk back from extinction. Wealthy visitors observe the animals from the safety of the lodge or hike in the backcountry for a more intimate view of the animals in their habitats. When the newly married son of a billionaire and his pregnant wife vacationing in Erebus are kidnapped and murdered, FBI agent Frances Cash and county sheriff James Colcord are assigned to the case. Narrator David Aaron Baker skillfully portrays the characters' accents and raw emotions as they learn more about the resort's private security team and the lab where the animals are created. The unexpected solution to the mystery brings into focus ethical questions about the DNA harvesting process. VERDICT Recommended for fans of Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park and those relishing a visit to the world of prehistoric animals.--Ilka Gordon

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