The author of political crime thrillers, Caryl Férey, a seasoned traveler to many parts of the planet, receives a proposal from two of his publishers: to travel and write about one of the most monstrous cities in the world, Norilsk in distant Siberia, with the highest rate of atmospheric pollution, where the temperature ranges between 20 to 60 degrees Celsius below zero.

The old gulag, set up by Stalin for the extraction of nickel and rare minerals, continues to operate today under Putin and the oligarchs, while the Soviet buildings are collapsing. No one can visit it without permission from the Federal Security Service, the successor of the KGB.

Life expectancy of the inhabitants is miserable. Two months a year of absolute darkness. Cold that in winter can reach minus 60 degrees Celsius. No animals, no trees, absolutely nothing. The author surprisingly accepts the proposal and calls for a companion one of his novel characters: the one-eyed Mac Cass, the Monster with gentle feelings and great madness - but this they share.
The book is the chronicle of a journey to a hell where the people we meet, mainly miners, in the manner of Ferre, lead us to the light, thanks to their own madness and strong feelings.