The Spiky Man, Dr. Charles Brandon, is not easy to like. He annoys his colleagues. Even his family has trouble tolerating him.

Brandon is scrupulously ethical when it comes to research, despite his juvenile history of arson. His reputation as the world's leading expert on coronaviruses helps the university where he works to establish a new, high-profile laboratory, with Brandon as its star researcher. Then, the laboratory brings in an even brighter star: the legendary Dr. Carlo Magnusson.

Soon, Brandon sees shadows across Magnusson's brilliance. When the Spiky Man learns that much of Magnusson's research is falsified, and he tries to expose the fraud, he is plunged into the hell that awaits whistleblowers. Framed for misconduct, Brandon drinks heavily, cheats on his wife with young stripteaseuses he picks up in sleazy Montreal nightclubs, and temporarily becomes psychotic. His reputation and his sanity are restored by a diverse crew of allies, including a ruthless female Mohawk lawyer, a disreputable friend from his school days, and his gay son's nipple-ringed, marijuana-dealing lover.

With the help of these allies, Brandon reveals Magnusson's frauds to the world and enjoys a fiery revenge over his enemies.