Residents of Santa Rita County are enjoying the Fourth of July holiday. Amidst the fireworks is the annual local parade being watched by much of the townsfolk including prosecutor Kathryn Mackay, her daughter Emma, and a friend investigator Dave Gantz. However, the family day off is abruptly ruined when both Kathryn and DaveÆs beepers go off, which can only mean a possible homicide has occurred.

Apparently, Anna Lancaster has killed her spouse Lawrence. The culprit claims battered womenÆs syndrome as her defense and her attorney is one of the best in obtaining not guilty charges for her clients. Kathryn and Dave strongly suspect that not only did Anna plann the murder of her spouse, but the woman was never a victim of an abusive husband. Now all they have to do is prove it when many of the female groups rally around Anna and accuse Kathryn of being a traitor.

UNTIL THE BOUGH BREAKS is an intriguing legal thriller that is a page burner because of the genuine feel to the characters and their motives. The story one is fast-paced as the lead protagonists struggle to disprove the seemingly solid evidence that the victim is Anna and not Lawrence. A secondary subplot surrounding Dave and a former lover add a personal feel to a top rate thriller. Christine McGuire novels keeps getting better and better.