Bringing extinct animals back to life has dire consequences. ( )

I've long been a fan of Douglas Preston's thrillers. He always teams a first-rate cast with insider knowledge and an edge-of-your-seat story. Since I'm also a Jurassic Park fan, Preston's story, which revolves around a resort containing Pleistocene megafauna, was right up my alley, too.

The two main characters take some time to get used to each other. This is CBI Agent Frankie Cash's first case in Major Crimes. John Wayne lookalike Sheriff Jim Colcord takes one look at the heavy-set woman and mentally raises an eyebrow. It doesn't take long for him to learn that she has a razor-sharp mind... and that she's much fitter than he is. Cash loves Jurassic Park, but it's a bit of a bummer when she learns that the megafauna of Erebus have all had any aggressive genes removed, which has had the effect of turning them into scaredy cats. But that turns out to be a very good thing because something else is very wrong in this resort.

Strong interesting characters. Check. A fast-paced, thrill ride of a story. Check. A setting that not only involves huge creatures from another age but a movie being filmed in the valley as well as a labyrinth of old mines. Check. All this was a treasure trove for my imagination, and I did "watch" a lot of it on my mental movie screen. But. For some reason, I couldn't completely buy into the secret heart of Preston's story. Even though his Afterward was fascinating. (Don't miss it.) And since I couldn't willingly suspend 100% of my disbelief, Extinction became a very good story instead of a fantastic one. However, it certainly does give readers plenty of food for thought. ( )

Too transparent, too much over the top, too thin character development. A thriller in form only. That said, I still read it. I’m disappointed in myself. ( )

Extinction is the rule. Survival is the exception – Carl Sagan

I remember watching Carl Sagan’s TV program, and I am not even a science nerd. His sultry voice made the information he shared entertaining, yet educational. So, let’s dive into some science…fiction.

What do you think? How much genetic engineering is going on? And how much is too much? Do you believe…just because we can do it we should? I sure don’t. And when I read Extinction by Douglas Preston, we can see a fictional version of why sometimes, playing God, is going to backfire.

Olivia and Mark were on the honeymoon of a lifetime, visiting Erebus Resort, where woolly mammoths and other megafauna from the Pleistocene Age have been de-extincted. BUT, they will get much more than they bargained for and it will be a bummer for them. Someone has to be sacrificed and I love an author that has no problem killing off a character or two.

Douglas Preston has created a multilayered mystery that was not easily solved. There were many moving parts and it was hard to decide who was the villain, or villains. Entering into caves, with thousands of tons of rocks overhead doesn’t appeal to me and added an extra layer of fear and creepiness, leaving shivers running up and down my spine. There is more in those caves than rocks.

Cannibalism:

Survival cannibalism
Ritual cannibalism
Sacrificial cannabalism
A tool of terror

Have I totally creeped you out yet? Are dinosaurs not scary enough?

The characters are many and run the gamut. Heroes, villains, cowards, sacrificial lambs, animal and human, weak and strong, those who take credit for the work of others, those who play God, movie stars, egotists, and the innocent.

Could this be a cautionary tale for us and our future? I mean think about it. Dinosaurs had their moment and are extinct for a reason. Evolution is a fact of nature. Is the clock ticking on humanity?

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Extinction by Douglas Preston.

See more at http://www.fundinmental.com ( )

Take an ingenious mystery and marry it to a near-future science fiction plot so plausible it feels more like a prediction than an invention and you'll have Extinction by Douglas Preston.
Erebus Resort is nestled in the mountains of Colorado where scientists have de-extincted woolly mammoths and other large animals from the same era. They have been genetically modified to remove aggression (sounds foolproof) and left to roam. The resort is a top draw for the very wealthy. Newlyweds Mark and Olivia Gunnerson are two such park visitors. Until they disappear, leaving behind only a tent that has been slashed open and very large pools of blood.

Frankie Cash of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation is called in. This is her first case as agent in charge and she sets about the investigation in an efficient and no-nonsense manner. She is also dealing with the uber-wealthy, an old-school sheriff complete with cowboy hat, and a large corporation that has untold millions at stake. Initially suspecting eco-terrorists, evidence begins to point to a different and more frightening threat. The Resort and its large security staff appear to be open and helpful, but there are hints that they might not be as forthcoming as they appear. It isn't long before the danger reaches truly terrifying levels.

Extinction wears its homage to Jurassic Park on its sleeve, but clever plot twists take this story in unexpected directions and it is in no way derivative. Characters such as the bellicose billionaire father of one of the missing couple, a CBI boss who is as concerned with PR as he is with answers, and a competent head of security who seems to be hiding secrets behind a face of cooperation all make this story that much more intriguing. Frankie Cash's competence and stubbornness add complexity to a character you love to root for.

The plot is quick-moving from the start and combines the awe-inspiring with de-extincted creatures, clever twists, and some shocks that will send chills down your spine. Douglas Preston has delivered another great book that will have his own fans as well as fans of writers like Michael Crichton begging for more!

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher. ( )