When archaeology Dr. Henry Randall has his peaceful day interrupted by fellow professor Dr. Alice Fenstor, little does he know it could lead him to the find of a lifetime.  She breathlessly tells him that she has heard from Sir Edmond Riley, who she met while collaborating with him on a summer project, has contacted her about an amazing discovery.  She shows him a newspaper clipping sent to her by Sir Riley which has a picture of a necklace. The necklace bears markings on it, that when translated, say “Made in Atlantis.” Convinced that he is close to one of mankind’s greatest discoveries, Riley is seeking Fenstor’s help with an expedition which hopes to actually find the legendary city. Before Fenstor can show Randall the actually necklace, it is stolen.  After conquering a great many obstacles, Dr. Randall, with his son and nephew in tow, agrees to help Sir Riley and Dr. Fenstor   with the expedition and obtains funding from local filming company who is going to the same region to film an oil spill. Prior to ever making it to the filming location, their plane crash-lands on an island used by a local band of modern day pirates, they are taken hostage by a group hoping to cash in thru insurance fraud and they are caught up in a massive tidal wave, losing nearly all their research material in the process. As if that’s not bad enough, Sir Riley has turned up missing. Can the group recover from these setbacks and finish their search?

 “Searching for Atlantis” by Richard Barcott is yet another entry in a long line of books dealing with the legendary lost city. On the whole it is a fairly interesting read, although the plot lacks depth. I was hoping for a novel comparable to the kind written by Clive Cussler and Jack DuBrul but this misses the mark.  While not boring, I was disappointed to see that it is only 188 pp. long, hardly long enough to fully develop the plot enough for my tastes. However, for someone who simply wants a quick summer read, this book does fit the bill. It’s easy to understand without a lot of technical lingo and has quite a bit of humor included as well.  It is also original in its storyline of seeking Atlantis purely for the historical value, instead of because of some secret weapon, treasure, etc.  Perhaps the best thing for a reader considering this book to do   is simply read the synopsis online and decides for him or herself if the book is too light, too heavy or just right for them. I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars.