EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD by Ace Atkins

In 1985 Atlanta, worried his mom's new flame is a Russian spy, fourteen-year-old Peter Bennett hires one of his favorite crime writers, Dennis X. Hotchner, to prove it. They and several others get in over their heads.

Like Atkins' 2024 novel Don't Let the Devil Ride, Everybody Wants to Rule the World is a thriller told from various character viewpoints. Reflecting the height of Cold War tensions, everyone has an agenda. Readers, along with Peter, can't be too trusting. That said, also steeped in pop culture, this may be Atkins' most fun, nostalgic read.

Everybody Wants to Rule the World will be published December 2, 2025. Thanks again to William Morrow for the NetGalley.