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Extinction
By Douglas Preston
Forge, 9780765317704, April 2024, 384 pp.

The Short of It:

Gripping and impossible to put down.

The Rest of It:

The Erebus Resort is a “real deal” experience to behold. Millions have been poured into de-extincting woolly mammoths, giant ground sloths and more and those with some money to spare, can enter the park and experience these beautiful, amazing creatures. Creatures that have been modified to exclude their violent tendencies.

BUT, big but, in the opening pages two guests go missing and the evidence left behind hints at a very alarming type of kill. One of these guests happens to be the son of a billionaire so once word gets out, the resort is overrun with the media and yes, the father of the missing man with all his overblown bluster to hinder the search.

Agent Frances Cash partners with county sheriff James Colcord to track down the perpetrators and it’s non-stop action from page one. It’s clear very early on that something is strange about Erebus and that the staff might be hiding something. As Cash and Colcord getting closer and closer to the truth, things really ramp up and it’s survival of the fittest. Literally. Surviving in those Colorado Rockies requires a certain kind of physique and many are not up for the task.

Think The Island of Dr. Moreau. There is a lot of science. Science which is terrifyingly realistic. I am a long-time fan of Preston and Child books such as Relic and The Cabinet of Curiosities but I was curious to read Preston’s latest even without the inclusion of his writing partner, Child. Let me tell you, it holds up.

The camaraderie between Agent Cash and Colcord is admirable and enjoyable as they solve the case. The description of Erebus and the creatures living within it put you right there on the valley floor. It’s NOT for the faint of heart. There are some pretty graphic descriptions of what goes on. That said, get ready for a wild ride because once you pick it up, you will read it straight through.

Highly recommend.

Source: Borrowed
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

One Big Happy Family
By Jamie Day
St. Martin’s Press,9781250283207, July 16, 2024, 368pp.

The Short of It:

A tense, closed door whodunit type of story. Rich family, loose morals, and lots of secrets.

The Rest of It:

You should know that this book will be released July 16, 2024 but I needed to write the review while it was fresh in my mind. This is a super fun read.

The Precipice is a legendary, family-owned hotel on the rocky coast of Maine. With the recent passing of their father, the Bishop sisters–Iris, Vicki, and Faith–have come for the weekend to claim it. But with a hurricane looming and each of the Bishop sisters harboring dangerous secrets, there’s murder in the air– and not everyone who checks into the Precipice will be checking out. ~ Publisher

The Precipice hotel has plenty of history. Not all of it good. After the death of their father, the Bishop sisters arrive to hear the reading of the will but this is not a tight-knit, close family. The three sisters have plenty of secrets and unchecked jealousy so for them to be shoved into a room during a dangerous storm that literally holds them hostage, the outcome cannot be good.

Enter the hotel’s staff. Charley is the housekeeper. A housekeeper who was very familiar with the previous owner and his unwelcomed advances. She’s not thrilled to be expecting the sisters. She’s heard plenty about them and guess what? They don’t really care to know or be around Charley either.

Charley has some issues. When the guests are plentiful at the hotel, she skims from them as much as she can to take care of her grandma, who is tucked away in assisted living. Yes, she steals for a good cause but when her loose morals commingle with that of the sisters a tug of war ensues. Plus, with all the guests gone, due to the storm, how will she earn the living she needs to earn to support her grandma?

No one can be trusted in this story! That’s what makes it so readable. Someone goes missing, then someone turns up dead. Secrets are revealed and that nasty storm keeps them all inside, with each other. Alliances are formed and broken. It’s a crazy story with a hectic pace.

Suspicion is everywhere and the finger is pointed this way, and then that way, keeping you guessing. There are a lot of red herrings and in the end I did figure it all out but it was fun getting there.

I read Day’s last book, The Block Party and it had the same relentless pace so I was sure to pick this one up. If you want something to help you through the week, pick up a copy. I pretty much read it straight through.

Source: Sent to me by the publisher.
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

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