‘Everybody Wants to Rule the World’ by Ace Atkins; Morrow; 368 pages; $30
Ace Atkins melds the spy thriller with a suburban story and a family drama in his highly entertaining “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.”
The novel marks a departure for Atkins, best known for his various series, including his Edgar-nominated books about Mississippi Sheriff Quinn Colson, his continuing of the late Robert B. Parker’s Spenser franchise, and his fictionalized accounts of real criminals. “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” is strictly a stand-alone, expanding his talent range.
As the title states, “everybody wants to rule the world” — and everyone wants to be a hero, as Atkins shows. In this case, the would-be hero is 14-year-old Peter Bennett, a voracious reader with an overactive imagination and a desire to fit in. Peter becomes convinced that his mother’s new boyfriend is a Russian spy. It’s a bit of a far-fetched idea, but in 1985 when rumors of espionage were common, it seems plausible. Peter and his mother, Connie, have moved around the country a lot for her work as a scientist, landing this time in Atlanta. Peter likes his new school and has made friends. He knows his mother dates a lot in each city, but he has misgivings about her latest. Gary Powers has an odd accent, is not in the phone book and drives a flashy car where he keeps a gun. Peter worries that Gary really is after the work his mother does for a government contractor.
Atkins digs deep into the mind of a teenager. Peter so wants to be the hero who will save his mother’s life and uncover a Russian operation. But who will believe a high school freshman? Peter tracks down his favorite writer, Dennis “Hotch” Hotchner, who once wrote about spies in suburbia but whose career is on the downslide. Finding a real spy is the jolt Hotch needs.
Atkins introduces so many characters that the first chapters of “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” seem a bit disjointed. But he soon pulls the various characters together into a cohesive story that grows in suspense and intensity. His mom’s co-worker is murdered. The FBI becomes involved. And suddenly Atlanta seems overrun with Russians. These various plot points work into a fine narrative. Atkins buoys his story with numerous references to 1980s pop culture and an insider’s look at Atlanta during that era.
“Everybody Wants to Rule the World” shows Atkins at the top of his game.
Welcome back, Clare and Russ
‘At Midnight Comes the Cry: A Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne Mystery’ by Julia Spencer-Fleming; Minotaur; 320 pages; $29
Community — and all the various ways in which people interact — has always been the heart of the multi-award winning series about Clare Fergusson and Russ Van Alstyne, as Julia Spencer-Fleming shows in her sumptuous and insightful novel, “At Midnight Comes the Cry.”
It’s been five years since Spencer-Fleming’s last novel about this married couple — “Hid from Our Eyes”(2020) — and the author doesn’t miss a beat in exploring those who call the small town of Millers Kill, New York, home.
In “At Midnight Comes the Cry,” Clare and Russ are about to spend their first Christmas as parents with their 8-month-old son, Ethan. They and other residents of this upstate N.Y. town have gathered to watch the annual Greenwich Tractor Parade and attend an open house in a 200-year-old Victorian house. But the festive occasion is marred when a driver, unknown to the residents, unfurls a banner that reads: “Keep America’s Christmas white.” The residents have long known white supremacists live in surrounding areas, but this hits hard.
Danger lurks when a search begins for Kevin Flynn, a former police officer in Millers Kill who has been missing from his new position in the Syracuse Police Department. Kevin had been undercover, working to ferret out a militia group operating in the Adirondacks, but hasn’t checked in with his supervisor in two months.
The search for Kevin and the investigation into the outlying communities involve Russ, who recently left his position as chief of police. Russ now must adjust to civilian life and to the limitations of being without the badge. As a civilian, Clare has a different approach with her skills. A former Blackhawk pilot, Clare is now an Episcopalian priest and in the National Guard.
Spencer-Fleming pulls together a strong, believable plot that moves briskly, despite its several subplots. The author also delivers individual looks at her large cast of characters, keeping each distinctive. Her mix of religion and adventure, professional and domestic life enhance “At Midnight Comes the Cry.”
A return to Clare and Russ and the denizens of Millers Kill is most welcome. Longtime readers will savor “At Midnight Comes the Cry,” and be eager for future outings.
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