Oxford historian Fluke Kelso's (Daniel Craig) radical views on the interpretation of history are mocked by his colleagues, but he barely cares. During a trip to Moscow for a conference on the recently opened Soviet Archives, he is met by a bodyguard and former member of the Soviet police, Papu Rapava. Rapava tells Kelso the story of former Russian Communist leader Joseph Stalin's last hours. He confesses to Kelso that he helped the chief of police steal a book from Stalin's safe. The secret notebook was buried on the grounds of Beria's Moscow house, and had not been touched since then. Kelso is intrigued by the mystery of Stalin's notebook, but is also concerned that it could be a fake. A little bit of research and a curious mind soon turn into a dangerous chase, ending in a small town in northern Russia called Archangel. Kelso is pulled into intrigue and murder while searching for the secret legacy of Stalin, which would change the face of history forever.