The new powerhouse team of Douglas Preston & Aletheia Preston are joining together to "enter the world" of the New York Times bestselling Extinction.

One of the holiest relics in Christendom, inexplicably defaced…

A paranoid old prospector, ritualistically murdered…

A controversial exobiologist, tortured and dismembered…

When a reclusive man is found dead under grisly circumstances in the Colorado wilderness, CBI Agent Frankie Cash and Eagle County Sheriff Jim Colcord, whom we met in the New York Times bestseller, Extinction, team up again on their most enigmatic and dangerous case yet. Their investigation uncovers a trail of bizarre killings, baffling money transfers, and a fanatical secret society.

And all the while, the resurrected Neanderthals, who vanished into the Colorado mountains, seem to be biding their time for something…spectacular.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.



Praise for this book

“This wonderfully original mystery begins with one of the most creative murders in popular fiction and ends—well, I can’t spoil it. The pages in between are not to be turned in a hurry, rather, they are to be savored as the plot twists and turns.”

—John Grisham, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“As thought-provoking as it is thrilling . . . Doug and Aletheia Preston have deservedly entered the realm of thriller superstardom.”

—David Baldacci, #1 New York Times bestselling author



“An ancient secret. A modern threat. An eternal paradox. Douglas Preston’s fans can celebrate. He and his daughter, Aletheia, have joined forces to create a pulse-pounding thrill ride.”

—David Morrell, New York Times bestselling author of Creepers

Praise for EXTINCTION



“A thriller as breathlessly riveting as you would expect from a genre master like Douglas Preston, but much more too: it's meaty and thought-provoking, and tells us a lot about our distant past—and our immediate future. Spectacular!”

—Lee Child, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“Preston’s latest thriller, Extinction, is Jurassic Park for the Pleistocene Era—and that’s no exaggeration. It’s got everything I love: fantastic creatures, wild adventures, and dynamic heroes. But most frightening of all, it shines a disturbing light on where the science of genetic engineering might be venturing next. Read at your own risk!”

—James Rollins, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“Doug Preston is a master storyteller. I’m still thinking about Extinction—which is both entertaining and frightening—every page like a tasty treat. You have to read this!

—Steve Berry, #1 New York Times bestselling author



“One of the most heart-stopping, terrifying climaxes of any novel I've read in recent years. Preston ingeniously combines real-life science and technology into his novels, and Extinction brings it all together in a thriller that's truly thrilling!”

—Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling author of The Spy Coast



“There's a reason Douglas Preston is a bestselling author, and to say Extinction is a 'thrill ride' is one serious understatement. A suspenseful story with shocking reveal after shocking reveal, believe me when I say you are going to read this book quickly! And do yourself a favor, get prepared now for one heart-pounding conclusion!”

—Michael C. Grumley, bestselling author of the Breakthrough series and Deep Freeze



“A harrowing ride through a plausible near-future, in which humans’ own ingenuity creates the gateway to our destruction. It’s classic Douglas Preston—a mind-blowing thriller backed with enough science to make you worry about real-life dangers. Terrific.”

—Joseph Finder, New York Times bestselling author of House on Fire

“Extinction kept me glued to the pages - a thriller with so many elements and great characters! A true keeper—I will read it again!”

—Heather Graham, New York Times bestselling author and winner of the Thriller Writers of the World and Romance Writers Lifetime Achievement Awards



“The novel moves like a bullet, and I was hooked throughout. Preston’s research and scientific acumen were especially impressive. He really puts you there in the scene and convinces you . . . this is happening! An amazing achievement.”

—Larry Niven, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Footfall and Ringworld

“As with all of Preston's work, Extinction is clever, fast, and one hell of a good read. But most of all, it's smart. As anthropologists who write in this this genre, we consider Extinction outstanding. We raced through it and couldn't wait to find out what would happen next!”

—Kathleen O'Neal Gear, New York Times bestselling author of The Ice Orphan, W. Michael Gear, New York Times bestselling author of Dissolution and co-authors of the New York Times-bestselling People of the Earth series

“Completely entertaining! Douglas Preston's amazing ability to combine nonstop propulsive storytelling with captivating scientific reality is unrivaled. Clear your calendar and buckle in for this extraordinarily cinematic thriller. You will never look at our world—past or future—the same way again. Don't miss this!”

—Hank Phillippi Ryan winner of five Agatha Awards and USA Today bestselling author of The House Guest



“Preston tweaks the “resurrected species go haywire” trope with a series of ingenious plot twists, and his well-rounded characters make this more than a knowing genre exercise. The results are as smart and spine-chilling as the best of Michael Crichton.”

—Publishers Weekly, starred review



“Science, imagination, storytelling, and action are all here. Fast-moving fun and a highly creative plot.”

—Kirkus, starred review

“Preston’s novels are a lot of fun because he really commits to the stories. He might be writing about ordinary people in a fantastic situation, but he isn’t writing a fantasy. The villain of the story, as out-of-this-world as it might be, is presented as realistically as any human villain, which gives the story an unsettlingly plausible atmosphere. Highly recommendable.”

—Booklist



“A combination police procedural and adventure story, is engaging and suspenseful, with an interesting array of characters. For a glimpse of things we might see in the future, read the book. Highly recommended.”

—Mystery & Suspense Magazine




About the Author

DOUGLAS PRESTON has published forty books of both nonfiction and fiction, of which thirty-one have been New York Times bestsellers, a half-dozen reaching the #1 position. He is the co-author, with Lincoln Child, of the Pendergast series of thrillers. He also writes nonfiction pieces for the New Yorker. He worked as an editor at the American Museum of Natural History in New York and taught nonfiction writing at Princeton University. He is president emeritus of the Authors Guild and serves on the Advisory Board of the School for Advanced Research in Santa Fe.

ALETHEIA PRESTON is a reformed lawyer originally from Santa Fe, New Mexico. After working as a prosecutor in San Francisco, she moved into private practice as a trial attorney before embarking on a journey as a writer. She is a lover of thriller and science fiction novels and has been an avid reader and writer in both genres since she was a little girl.

An admitted adrenaline junkie, Aletheia spends much of her free time outdoors finding ways to risk her life, from skiing and mountaineering to paragliding and winter camping. She is also a PADI certified deepwater and wreck scuba diver. Fluent in Italian and Spanish, she spent much of her childhood in Florence, Italy. She and her cat Mochi live in Bozeman, Montana.


Title: Paradox : A Novel
Author(s): Douglas Preston, Aletheia Preston
Series: Cash & Colcord
Volume: 2
ISBN: 9781250413918
Copyright 2026
Release Date: April 21, 2026
Publisher: Tor Publishing Group
Countries: United States, Canada | Learn more about available countries
Language: English
Format: None available | Learn More about our supported formats
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