This book left me with mixed feelings. On the one hand I really quite enjoyed the premise, but on the other hand I feel I may have given myself some unjustified expectations of this being something similar to Jurassic Park. It didn’t help that the previous thriller I picked up was Eruption by the late Michael Crichton, so maybe there was a bit of unresolved expectation left over. That’s on me though.

Extinction starts off with the introduction to the Erebus resort nestled in the valleys of Colorado where guests can experience the viewing of some genetically modified prehistoric animals, the most popular of which are the wooly mammoths. In a very interesting twist, Jurassic Park is known and referenced in this book, though mostly with disdain at the inadequacy and ineptitude shown. To prevent similar issues, these animals have been genetically modified to remove the genes related to aggression. What we end up with are a whole bunch of docile prehistoric animals that are more curious than anything else about all the people who occasionally show up to look at them. What could possible go wrong?

Well, things begin to go awry when a couple ends up murdered at the resort, and with more and more evidence pointing towards these docile animals being the culprit, the detectives on hand have quite a mystery to solve.

As mentioned earlier, the premise for the book is quite interesting and the plot is fairly well paced. The main detective protagonists were actually quite likable, and the rest of the characters included a nice diverse mix of people, and attitudes, that helped keep the detectives on their toes. Quite entertaining and a decently fun read. I personally would have preferred a slightly different ending but the current ending isn’t too far-fetched. Very likely a one-time read kind of book but I can recommend this for people who’re fans of the thriller genre and would like something just a tad bit different.

Links:

• Goodreads: Extinction – Douglas Preston