Dateline: Atlantis

by Lynn Voedisch

ATLANTIS is a contemporary fantasy featuring a female Indiana Jones who dives underwater and accidentally finds what just might be the lost world of Atlantis. After she and her photographer document fabulous pyramids under the Caribbean sea, they return to their newspaper in the Los Angeles area, only to have all their evidence stolen. The sea rolls back and reclaims the ruins, and their photographer is kidnapped. Someone doesn’t want the undersea world found.

The simple news assignment becomes more complicated with each turn and takes the Amaryllis Lang (pen Amy Quigley) on a whirlwind investigation to Chicago, Florida, Mexico, and the Bahamas.

All along, Amaryllis deals with a cold-case murder, a red-hot editor eager for a Pulitzer, two men who desire her love, deadly traps, and a chance to re-write history.

Genres: Adventure

277 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Loved to read as a kid.
Was the college newspaper editor. (English major).

Worked as a journalist/newspaper reporter for many years for such publications as the Chicago Sun-Times (17 years), Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, and freelanced for other periodicals. Did online editing and writing as well.

Wrote "Soundrise," (The Book Plant), "Excited Light" (ASJA Press) in 2006, and "The God's Wife" (Fiction Studio Books, Aug. 9, 2011), and "Dateline: Atlantis" (Fiction Studio Books, April 2, 2013). All novels

Live near from the Chicago border with husband and two cats. Son is a new lawyer.

Hobbies are sewing and reading.

Reviews

[Kriss · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love reading books about archeology and places that may or may not have been! The cover caught my eye because it is close to some of James Rollins standalone adventures, and since earlier this year I had been left wanting by a promise of underwater archeology in the infamous Byzantine Gold disaster I was really needing a good one, and I found one with Lynn's novel.

Granted, it is not a group of archeologists it is a journalist who really wants to land THEE story of a lifetime! AP pickup, pulitzer prize etc... Conspiracy, ancient ruins which seem to rise from the sea, buried caves full of pyramids and a gem which speaks of the past. As she tries to find the pieces to put the past together for a story, she has to find her own pieces of her own past. Yep it is one of those books! Fun!

The story really has it all for an action /adventure, but labeled as a contemporary fantasy! The fantasy aspect comes in with the crystal she finds which speaks to her as she dreams. I love the fact that is full of a secret kabbalah of scientists, academics and religious leaders who will go to any means to prevent the truth of Atlantis coming to light...including... ohhhhhhh nope! NADA!... spoilers, Sweetie!

It was a fun read and it read fast. Perfect for this summer. The authors journalism background really lead strength to much of the story. But the one thing that journalists need to do, which is TELL, she overcame and she did a wonderful job of SHOWING us the world that her protagonists discovered beneath the waves.

A few notes I want to bring up (may contain tiny peek-a-boo spoilers due to my opinion of the character): I am really glad I did not have expectations of a female Indiana Jones because I would have been upset. This is in no way one of those stories. She is not in anyway an adventurous archaeologist, she is a journalist. The crystal speaking through dreams etc is where the fantasy aspect comes from and though it took away from the story for me, I can give it props as a good story device to bring about a mystery from the past.

The initial "guide" (Gabriel) who ended up being a misogynistic jerk who I wanted to drown, was a good character who created a lot of intrigue, but ... in truth? The best part of this was not the budding love story, not the lost city of atlantis, which seems almost to be the backdrop, but the implications of what happens if something is discovered which can change the foundations of faith's toehold in what was suppose to be empirical evidence going down the toilet when the origins of "man" change? Oh... and of COURSE THE GOVERNMENT IS INVOLVED *giggling* LOVE IT!

Take it for what it is, a story. It is labeled as fantasy, so a bit of dispelling believe is needed! For me? I liked it! It was great! I had a fun time reading it and honestly read it from cover to cover for three days. That in itself says a lot. But it as not a fantasy for me, it was more of a conspiracy based mystery with love, intrigue, adventure, heartbreak, and personal growth.. with the Christian cult leaders, academia zealists and the government mucking it up for everyone. Again FUN!

**I bought this book and therefor not only are my opinions mine but not even the sweet goodness of a free book to read and review edging it up to the four star mark! Its just a fun read. Some links are to my Associates account on Amazon where I receive a small (VERY VERY small) advertising fee for linking! The giveaway is sponsored by the author and Cabin Goddess is in no way responsible, but she promises to make sure that she does her best to get all the info to the right people and have her squirrel on alert if anything comes up. Bacon is always welcome!

[Tina Peterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmm - This is going to be a hard review to write. I loved the idea behind this story and the characters but have to say I wasn't so crazy about the writing in general. I found it very hard to read and struggled all the way through - although the story concept kept me pushing through to find out what is going to happen. The best part of the writing is the huge level of description in the story. It made it easy to visualize the passages as I was reading.

Dateline: Atlantis is a book about a News Reporter who along with a camera man finds ruins & pyramids along the Caribbean beach. After having all of her pictures and other notes about the find stolen, the camera man kidnapped and another man murdered the story takes off. The story itself like I said is really good and it reeled me in immediately mostly because I love anything with archeology, pyramids and Egyptians - unfortunately the writing is completely in 1st person and switches from different forms of 1st person if that makes sense. One minute you have Amy Quigley (our main character) being talked about as She and Her and the next minute you are watching her having a vision with a crystal and THAT is also in first person using terms like "she is" and "she was".

Perhaps you won't have as much trouble as I did reading this book. I'd suggest checking it out from the library and/or reading a couple chapters at Barnes & Nobel before purchasing to see if it will bother you like it did me...

[S.B. (Beauty in Ruins) · Rating 3 out of 5]

While Amaryllis is hardly a female Indiana Jones, and the story dives (pun intended) a little too much into the mystical depths of Atlantis for my tastes, I still found this to be a thoroughly satisfying read. Dateline: Atlantis is a bit predictable at times, as if Lynn Voedisch were conscious of trying to touch on all the standard elements of the genre, but it also contains enough surprises, genuine thrills, and awe-inspiring details to make it worth a read.

Voedisch wastes little time taking us into the subterranean and underwater ruins, painting a vivid picture of an ancient civilization lost as much to the waters as to time. The level of detail is just about perfect, offering enough to satisfy readers with an interest in archaeology, but not so much as to lose readers who are more interested in the mystery and adventure.

As I said, Amaryllis is hardly an Indiana Jones (or even a Robert Langdon), she is still an interesting heroine, and more than capable of carrying the story. The proverbial dogged reporter, she pairs professional diligence with personal enthusiasm for her quest. Gabriel is probably my favorite character in the novel, a man of secrets who clearly knows more about Atlantis than he's letting on, but who is everything you could ask for in a sidekick. As much as I disliked the man and his motives, Landon Hewitt makes for an interesting foil, a museum archaeologist who is willing to hide or destroy the truth of history to preserve the biblical mythology of his employers.

Like I said, the mystical element was a bit too heavy for my tastes, and I found some of the crystal scenes confusing, but the conflict between faith and history was strong enough to counter it. I wasn't quite sure where Voedisch was leading us, and precisely how she'd wrap up all of the elements, but the final scenes are just as satisfying as the initial explorations.


Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins

[Victoria Brinius · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this story. The World of Atlantis drew me in, and I had to know more about this mystery. So many people have tried to find it and failed. I was not surprised when people started dying, and witnesses of Atlantis started to go missing.. The main character, Amaryllis, Was so cool to read about. I felt like I was at a dig site, and there were hidden knives and traps ready to kill her at any time. I wanted to see the pictures of the underground pyramids and it opened up so many ideas in my head. Were there pyramids in more that one place? What about Pangea? Was North America close enough to Egypt that this is possible? The evidence being stolen was a mystery to me. Who wouldn't want to see the pictures? How deep is the ocean that it rolled back enough to cover up a pyramid? Does that mean that it is on a cycle and is sometimes it is more available to be seen, than other times? I liked that Amaryllis travelled all over the states, and even to Bahamas to solve the mystery. There is also the plot of her job as a reporter and the chance of getting an award. If given the chance I would definitely tell everyone and I would be happy to solve some of histories great mysteries. This is only the beginning. What else is there? What other ancient artifacts are hidden in that spot? What is near Atlantis? Are there new species that we didn't know about before?
This author not only got me this excited about the book, but she also included some what of a romance triangle. If Amaryllis survives and proves what she saw, then who will she pick? Will she ever know if they are in it for true love of fame?
I am giving this book a 5/5. I was given a copy to review, however all opinions are my own. This book is a keeper, and I can tell that i will be letting my mom and sisters read it! This would be a great book club book!
- See more at: http://dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com/2...

[Beth Cutwright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dateline Atlantis was an interesting read. It was an adventure from start to finish. Amaryllis Lang was a journalist whose byline was Amy Quiggley. She was orphaned at a young age, when her archaelogical parents met with a an untimely death. Years later, she is building a story about some pyramids found under the Caribean Sea and encounters enemies of the free press and anything that would threaten history as we know it. At that point she begins to wonder whether her parents' deaths were truly accidental. Wouldn't you like to know the truth if it were you?

I liked the premise of the book as it was something I'd never really thought a thing about. What evidence is science finding that could stand us all on our heads as far as our values and belief systems are concerned? Would we accept and embrace a change of that nature? Is any truth of that nature, worth killing someone over? It was a great novel to read and I enjoyed it very much. The author really instilled a fevered pitch toward the mid through latter part of the book as everything culminated to the climactic ending. It included a lot of characters, both good and bad, a lot of theory, lots of adventure and a little bit of romance for Amaryllis. A definite Sci-Fi fantasy, but very thought provoking.

[Fenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

What if the Maya and other old civilizations were far more developed than we ever gave them credit for? And what if the so carefully constructed dateline of our history might turn out completely different than we ever imagined? And what about this crystal being picked up from the sea, sending out its messages to those who are open to hear?

Those three premises are the center of this very intriguing story. The author slowly builds on the storyline, carefully introducing the protagonists and weaving the different sub-storylines together in a beautiful way.

Amy, the reporter who is dreaming of a Pulitzer, becomes even more personally invested in unearthing the news story behind what she found once the mystery of her own background is revealed.

It is a story of discovery of something that might shock the world – and the people who try to prevent this story to ever see the light of day – and for Amy the discovery of not only her own history but also her destiny.

Murder, suspense, romance, fantasy, this book has it all and the author has done an exceptional job in telling this story! Highly recommended!

[Kathleen Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did Atlantis really exist?? There are some that believe and some that don't. I think it is an interesting concept. Dateline: Atlantis is a book that makes the reader think, along with a interesting cast of characters, ensures that this a fun read. Amaryliss desperately wants to find out how her parents were killed and find the lost city of Atlantis which as a reporter would be the story of a lifetime. But there are people who don't want the story getting out that there is the possibility that Atlantis really does exist. Some people believed that Atlantis was somehow related to Mayan and Aztec culture which would prove that what we were taught to believe about history and the bible may not be true. Whether this is the case or not, I loved this story because I have always loved the unknown...How cool would it be to dive into the sea and see pyramids, roads and other ancient artifacts?? If you like a good mystery, that has a unique storyline, then this is definitely for you...

[Becky · Rating 1 out of 5]

Female Indiana Jones...hmm...that's interesting because the only true statement there is "female". This book was more like a history book than action/adventure or romance. I didn't enjoy the writing style or the storyline.

[Anton · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a fun hypothetical book about ancient civilizations i.e. Atlantis. The story flows well and is exciting to read. Overall, I am ranking is 4/5 since it is simply "not awesome."

[Patrick Elsey · Rating 1 out of 5]

horrible, maybe the worst attempt at airport fiction I have ever read. Lots of people write interesting adventure books, this isn't one of them

[Jamie]

This was a good story, but it was hard to read at times. the chapters jumped and you had to fill in the gaps yourself some.