At the height of the Cold War, just after President Reagan denounces the Soviet Union as the "Evil Empire," a nuclear construction site in the Northern Urals vanishes, and a grandmother whose daughter works there struggles for understanding. Guided only by the instincts of her grandson, they set out on a journey of recovery across the two nations which lie at the heart of the Cold War. Their journey takes them to the mountains of Colorado in search of a man whom the grandson believes possesses the answers. There they meet a nuclear problem-solver with ties to the CIA, who also seeks answers. At the center of the mystery is a naval ensign who is currently classified as a deserter but who is also seeking answers. Capable of seeing what no longer exists, the grandson brings them all together at an abandoned mine near a restored church to discover the truths about the disaster.

Laments for the Dead is a character-driven novel that looks backward and forward, hurtling the reader through a complex array of events that shaped three generations of Americans. It is the interplay between personal lives and a national crisis.