[Review] — Douglas Preston's "EXTINCTION" is a Fun but Predictable De-Extinct Thriller

Resurrecting the woolly mammoths may sound like fiction, but in our reality, scientists have been trying to "clone" mammoth's DNA for many years and are getting closer thanks to stem-cell research. However, that's another topic entirely. We're here to discuss Douglas Preston's newest thriller—EXTINCTION, a murder mystery novel with mayhem, conspiracies, and de-extinct prehistoric animals.

The plot of EXTINCTION is as follows: With the use of genetic engineering, the majestic 100-thousand-acre valley that is the Erebus Resort in the heart of the Colorado Rockies allows visitors to see woolly mammoths, Irish elk, and enormous ground sloths in their natural environment. When a billionaire's son and his new bride are abducted and killed in the Erebus wilderness by what appears to" be an eco-terrorist group, Colorado Bureau of Investigation Agent Frances Cash works with county sheriff James Colcord to find the murderers.

As the killings escalate and the valley gets evacuated, Cash and Colcord must confront an old, intelligent, and malignant force at Erebus that seeks extinction rather than resurrection.

EXTINCTION borrows a bit from Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park and far too much from The X-Files and Douglas Preston's own Agent Pendergast book series—co-written with Lincoln Child—but still finds a way to be both original and heart-pounding entertaining.

The characters are "by the book" and, at moments, are cliched and predictable. The protagonist, Agent Frances Cash, is a cardboard cutout of Agent Dana Scully—there's an X-Files connection—but less character development. All the characters in EXTINCTION are two-dimensional at best; they all serve their purpose for the story but are effortlessly forgotten by the last word read.

EXTINCTION has plenty of plotholes and eye-rolling moments; however, Preston's writing talents maneuver around the story's faults and give readers a thrill-a-minute novel that feels like a Hollywood summer blockbuster. It's not perfect, but at least it's entertaining, and that's all any reader should want with a genre novel. ╌★★★½✰

Just a quick reminder: This book is available for purchase on Amazon.com. I am an Amazon affiliate, so if you buy the book through the link above, I will receive a small commission. All earnings will help to support future reviews.