Extinction

Extinction is a contemporary thriller by Douglas Preston, part of the Cash & Colcord series. The story follows scientists who attempt to resurrect woolly mammoths and other extinct megafauna from the Pleistocene era, using genetic manipulation in a Colorado mountain paradise. Set at Erebus Resort, a vast valley in the Colorado Rockies, the narrative merges cutting-edge science with high-stakes danger as a billionaire’s son and his wife are kidnapped and murdered in the backcountry. Colorado Bureau of Investigation agent Frances Cash teams up with county sheriff James Colcord to uncover the culprits while a growing number of killings forces an evacuation. As the investigators close in, they confront an ancient, intelligent, malevolent force at Erebus, whose aims extend beyond resurrection to extinction. The novel blends real-world science with page-turning suspense, offering a tense exploration of ethics, power, and the peril of manipulating nature.

The book is set within the Erebus Resort environment, where visitors witness resurrected megafauna and experience the tension between scientific ambition and ecological risk. Preston draws on a mix of scientific possibility and thriller pacing to deliver a narrative that ramps toward a climactic confrontation with a presence that defies explanation.

Features

• Epic thriller blending science and suspense
• Resurrection of woolly mammoths and megafauna
• Protagonists: Frances Cash and James Colcord
• Ancient, intelligent malevolent presence at Erebus
• Set in Erebus Resort, Colorado Rockies
• Part of the Cash & Colcord series