61 Hours : a Jack Reacher novel by Lee Child

A perfect mystery for a hot summer day. The action takes place in the dead of winter in the frigid, bone-chilling cold of South Dakota. Reacher has hitched a ride on a tour bus of senior citizens when it swerves on an icy patch and runs off the road. He finds himself holed up in the small town of Bolton where a new prison built nearby has the townsfolk edgy and the police department doubled in size. The bus passengers are offered refuge with local residents until a replacement bus can be arranged. Meanwhile, Reacher learns of the recent murder of a lawyer and with nothing but free time on his hands, he helps law enforcement officials try to solve the crime. Soon he and the town's police officers find themselves involved in a much larger web of intrigue as they work furiously to protect a witness before anyone else ends up being silenced for what they know. This is another Reacher novel I had figured out early on, but as usual with Mr Child's stories, the journey through to the end is still a fine ride. I am NOT happy about the ending though, and I'll just leave it at that. The next book in the series is due out in October 2010.