The Middle of the Air

By Kenneth Butcher

A truck hauling materials from the Savannah River Nuclear Processing Site to Oak Ridge National Laboratories disappears along a mountainous stretch of interstate. Suddenly, certain elements in the government want to find the missing truck before they have to admit it ever existed.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0895873710
• ISBN13: 9780895873712
• Release Date: October 2009
• Publisher: Blair
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 1.3" x 6.5"

Customer Reviews

Enjoyable read with lots of local color

I enjoyed this book, especially since I live in Hendersonville. As a read it, I grew fond of the Colebrook clan and hope someday I get to find out what happens to them next. This book was a breath of fresh mountian air in a smoke filled room of the usual commercial authors that have written 10,15 or more books.

K Butcher hits the middle of the target

The author hits the bull's-eye with his first novel. The story succeeds as a tale of high-level government corruption and intrigue: How could an unauthorized truckload of radioactive materials go missing along an interstate highway near the Great Smoky Mountains?; Is the vice president of the United States involved?; And the bright, endearing Colebrook family from Hendersonville, NC, about whom we learn so much--are they really a terrorist sleeper cell sprung into action? The story succeeds in evoking a rich sense of place, as it lovingly describes locations from Asheville and Hendersonville to the lush valleys and jagged ridge lines along the Appalachian Trail. Anyone who lives in the area will feel right at home, while those who do not will want to make a visit. The story successfully recreates two worlds and places them in conflict: a Washington, DC culture of paranoia, mendacity, and the lust for power, in which the real and the surreal are indistinguishable--and the vision of creativity, serendipity, joie-de-vivre, and family loyalty that is the Colebrook clan. Which vision will prevail? In view of the critical role played by exotic chocolates in this tale, the answer to that question tops off a tasty and satisfying read.

Food for thought: What's rolling down our highways??....

A delightful read. If you truly understand what family means, feel an urgency to keep your community safe, and enjoy a few whacko, yet lovable, characters - well, this book will speak to you. Don't expect an existential or transforming experience. Snobs need not apply. This is a satifying book that questions and explores dangerous practices that are considered "normal" and could have devistating consequences to you and your environs. I've pondered what I would have done given the characters' circumstances and have decided they are far more enlightened and courageous than I could ever hope to be. Kudos to the author, Ken Butcher, who understands how vulnerable we are in our everyday lives. He makes a strong case for family first, protect environment, have some fun.