A lovesick high-ranking Russian kicks off this rollicking story when he contacts the US embassy in Rome in an attempt to defect. It’s 1985, and Vitaly Yurchenko is after his “little white fox” Lisica, who now lives in Atlanta with their son, whom he has never met. Of course, the Russian gives a vastly different reason to authorities for wanting to defect. After all, a tryst with an old flame might not persuade the Americans that he could be a valuable asset.

Meanwhile, 14-year-old Peter Bennett is on a mission. He has paid some sketchy kids he knows to drive him into downtown Atlanta so he can hook up with Dennis X. Hotchner (aka Hotch), the has-been author of pulp fiction. Peter’s shelves at home are full of his books. For some reason, the teen is convinced that Hotch can help him with a problem. He believes that his mother is dating a KGB agent who is only trying to get close to her because of where she works. She’s just a receptionist, but, in addition to building cable TV boxes, Scientific Atlanta holds some large Department of Defense contracts.

"Along with a cast of misfits and wholly unique characters, EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD is filled with more twists, turns, sellouts and double-crosses than you would expect in a dozen spy novels."

Peter succeeds in finding Hotch, whose friend, Jackie Demure --- a former football star turned drag queen --- is right there with him. It’s anyone’s guess how they can help. The two of them make quite a sight (a short, fat balding white guy and a tall, massive Black transvestite) driving around in a convertible Cadillac. It might be hard to keep a low profile.

Peter could be on to something, though. Jenny Buckner, an employee at Scientific Atlanta, is found murdered, which validates his fears. His mom may be the next target. Hotch didn’t believe the kid at first, but when he hears about Jenny’s death, he sobers to the realization that Peter could be in real danger. The more that Hotch and Jackie (reluctantly) involve themselves, the more Russian conversations they start hearing. This is all going down during the time that President Ronald Reagan has an upcoming meeting with Mikhail Gorbachev to discuss nuclear arms in Geneva. The writer and the drag queen don’t want to admit it, but there’s too much rumbling in Atlanta to discount that there could be a connection. And too many Russians are chasing people around the city streets.

In addition to the lovesick defector, the CIA has an agent with a similar problem. Dan Rafferty should be concentrating on Vitaly at the safehouse, but he’s finding excuses to meet his lover whenever he can manage to get away. It doesn’t go unnoticed. He isn’t especially good at subterfuge. The question becomes: Is Rafferty selling out? FBI agent Sylvia Weaver, one of the very few Black female agents at the time, plans to find out. And she is good at her job.

Along with a cast of misfits and wholly unique characters, EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD is filled with more twists, turns, sellouts and double-crosses than you would expect in a dozen spy novels. Ace Atkins is a master at dialogue that will keep readers chuckling and head-slapping. This book would be a total hoot if it wasn't deadly scary too. One thing is for sure: it is a highly entertaining read.