Narrated by Brendan Fishback, an 18-year-old printing plant worker, Lake Charles opens in 1979 with him traveling to the fictional Lake Charles located in East Tennessee. His kid sister Renee and best friend Cobb Kuzawa accompany him. After Renee disappears, the guys decide to spend the night and resume their search in the morning. They find more than they bargained for when they run into violence, murder, and deception. Meantime, Brendan is trying to beat a murder rap for a local rich man's daughter while battling through his pot detoxification, which touches off his bizarre dream sequences. Jerry Kuzawa, a decorated Korean War veteran who lends Brendan a timely hand, spurs the fast-paced action leading to the slam-bang climax. Lake Charles, written in taut and atmospheric prose, explores how the flawed but courageous Brendan finally makes peace with his inner demons while becoming a modern day mountain man.