The Man Who Controls The Earth is the story of Peter Merlo, an American news reporter living in Bangkok Thailand. Merlo has been asked to find the person behind the attempted murder of his friend, Piseth Pilinka, a well known actress and dancer. This single event, the shooting of Piseth Pilinka in a Hua Hin night market, sets off a series of unexpected events with the culmination leading to the involvement of the highest figures in government, and a journey into southern Thailand, where Muslim separatists have destroyed the people's safety and harmony.