Investigator Vissarion Lom is tasked with apprehending a terrorist in a totalitarian state teetering on the brink of collapse. Summoned to the capital and reporting directly to the head of the secret police, Lom finds himself in Mirgorod, a city rife with corruption, secret police, and revolutionaries. He is an outsider, chosen for his lack of involvement in the party's power struggles and for the unique angel stone implanted in his head, which may be key to uncovering the truth behind the insurgency and the city's decay.

The premise sets up a gritty, atmospheric thriller within a dystopian, war-torn society. The narrative appears to focus on political intrigue and the personal struggle of an outsider caught in a web of corruption and espionage. The inclusion of a unique technological or mystical element, the 'angel stone,' suggests a blend of science fiction and potentially darker, more speculative themes. The story seems poised to explore the psychological toll of such an environment on its protagonist and the broader societal decay.