I was not a huge fan of the author's first book in the trilogy, but I still wanted to read the next. It is still not my favorite series, but I will continue to read these to see what happens, and to provide an honest review to those who follow me online.

Many moons ago the main character's sister was murdered. Since then she and her mother move for her mom's job, all while trying to find out who the killer is after all this time. When they move for the most recent job, they learn the killer is at their doorstep. They are leaving gifts of flowers to let their presence be known, and try and strike fear in their hearts. These women do not play around. They have a to make a choice. Let the FBI do their work, or take matters into their own hands.

While this may be a predictable book, I found it interesting. That is why the three stars. I liked it, but did not love it, and this was a predictable book that I did not love. I will still recommend it to others, but it was not my favorite I have read this year.

I loved the Butterfly Garden. I found it a page turner and really liked the characters.

I'm not sure what is going on with the books I am reading this year. I am having a hard time finishing them, and I imagine it is partially do to how the world is. I also feel like I am reading the same book over and over again. I should branch out. Back to this book, I couldn't get into it. There was nothing in the beginning to grab me, so I gave up. Life is too short to try to finish a book that you don't find interesting. I will be interested in seeing where this series goes.

This is the second book in The Collector series and really should be read that way. Also I would highly recommend reading the first book because it was phenomenal. I did enjoy this book. This book was not on the same level are the Butterfly Garden but was still good. It was great to see that this one was more Eddison and less Vic but with the Quantico Three all there. It was also great to see Bliss and Inara in this book and how they are coping and how the other Butterflies were doing. I loved Priya and her mother such strong and powerful women. This book is about a different Serial Killer that the FBI has been hunting for years now. We follow Priya, her mother and Eddison in this book. I can't wait for the next book to come out.

It has been a while and many books since my reading of the first book of this series. It took a few chapters in before the previous tale was more concrete in my mind. But that is irrelevant because that knowledge was not required to feel for the recurring characters. You feel the empathy anew. The different girls in the different scenario's as well as their coping mechanism makes you admire them above all the other emotions that go along with such a harrowing tale.

The story is in its entirety, very dark and definitely for someone more comfortable with dealing with this genre. Each person described during the telling of the tale is very deep and is more than just one facet of a human being. They display all levels of intelligence as well as emotions.

The FBI trio who had been interrogating the 'butterflies' in the last book are now trying to beat a serial killer before his yearly season of hunting. They are emotionally involved in this search because they have developed a familial relation with one of the previous victim's family. On a side note, it is the first book I have come across ( at least in the recent past) where an Indian American/British family is depicted in a way that I being Indian myself, understand. There is nothing over the top about the people and I warmed up to them.
The strength of the women and the interdependence of people working with such troubling situations was very absorbing. Though the book is not for the faint of heart, I would definitely recommend it to others who can stomach Psychological thrillers of this sort.

After reading The Butterfly Garden, I was expecting this book to wow me. There didn't seem to be enough depth to the characters. Some of the dialog was confusing. It seem like it was written in a rush. The story was interesting, I just wish it was fleshed out a little better.

I've read The Butterfly Garden last year and since then it has been on my favorites list, it's an exceptional and creepy book that will leave you in shock and with a lot of mixed feelings, it's one of those crimes and mysteries books that is much more than just that, will keep you on the edge of your seat without doubts, but this isn't its review but it's the Roses of May review, which is the second book of what I believe will be a trilogy, anyway wanted to clarify how much I've loved and I still love the first book as this was what I was encouraged to read this second one.


I can say that since I found out that there was a second part, long before there was even a cover for it, I was dying to read this book, and now that I had the chance, I was looking for the same experience I had with TBG, I wanted feel all those emotions that I had felt before, I wanted it to be amazing, unique and above all I expected that dark touch that the writer so well knew how to give.


Finally I can say that the experience with this book has been very different from what I expected, it has been a book written in a way that catches you and you can not stop reading, and that is great, I've loved that, But I still have something missing, I think my expectations were high and somehow that has influenced, it was entertaining and mysterious,but today I can say with certainty that I think both books work well, but not as part of the same series, but rather as books completely independent, like stand-alones . This is , of course, from my point of view, because although I know that both books are connected due to the appearance of some characters, really doesn't continue to the first one, nor focuses on our butterflies, but that focuses on the FBI detectives who are now behind another serial killer of young girls, and although it has been super interesting, I couldn't connect with any character deeply and that made me think that I was reading a completely diferent book from what I intended to read.

Summing up didn't live up to my expectations but it's still a great book and it holds up well by itself

The plot is very interesting, the murders and the narration have made me feel chills and that has been my favorite things of the book.

I understood that I was beginning to feel weird for me when I expected things to happen and that stuff never happened, lol. It sounds like a complete madness but reading the first book you know you can expect anything, and I was like "Where's my creepy twist in the plot?", I haven't had my dose of adrenaline and emotion here, I would have liked to be surprised but I will not fail to recommend it, Dotch's writing style is one of the most incredible I've ever seen, and I'm sure I'll continue to follow her future works

The Roses of May is more of a loose companion novel than a sequel, though it follows the events of The Butterfly Garden. The main focus is Priya, sister of one of the butterflies. She and her mother move every few months in search of a fresh start. The FBI agents from the butterfly case maintain a relationship with Priya enlisting her help in finding a serial killer who may have a connection to Priya. There are POV sections from the killer's perspective that are more than fascinating. The character development is excellent. And bonus for the very diverse cast. It may not have been necessary to read the first book, though this one will add incredible insight to TBG. Readers of crime novels should definitely check The Roses of May out today!

Darla Jean Carmichael was the first. Then he saw her with her arm tucked into a man’s arm at the elbow. But he felt her hand didn’t belong there because she was his. She has always been his. He is furious and heartbroken. Then she laughs with him and that is yours also. The laugh had always soothed, teased away the rage that was always close to the surface. Then he sees sees Darla and the man kiss. Then he wants to know how Darla would let herself be tarnished. Darla is now worthless like all the other floozies in the world. But he loves Darla enough to save her even from herself.Then he walks in the church and knows he doesn’t have much time before the preacher is back. She is the first but she won’t be the last. Years later Victor/Vic is the Supervisory Special Agent in charge.Vic had been with the Bureau for thirty years. Three and one half months after they had rescues the surviving girls from the burning Garden that Mercedes- who is a teammate and friend- is still using the Butterfly names - the names the victims were given by their captor. Special Agent Brandon Edison looked at the two photos sitting atop his file cabinet. One was of him and his sister on a long ago Halloween one of the last times Brandone saw his sister before she got taken off the street on the way home from school. She was only eight years old then. It had been twenty years. Priya and her mother move every few months. But then the flowers started appearing and they are afraid. Priya is struggling to cope with her sister’s death, her father's abandonment , and wanting revenge. Priya is friends with Edison and Vic since her sister had been killed five years ago. The Spring Killer only kills once a year in May. The killer has done this for the last seventeen years. The killer also kills his victims in a church and he leaves the girls naked with flowers around their body’s. He believes he is following God’s orders to kill all impure girls.
I gave this story a three as I had mixed feelings. I did feel this book had a good plot. I liked the action and suspense and twists and turns. But the killer became obvious. Some of the things in this book were just unrealistic for me. I loved
Being in the serial killer's mind and seeing his justifications for his killings. But this book did frustrate and confuse me at times. So I enjoyed this at times and at others not so much.

I loved the Butterfly Garden and was excited to read the sequel. It did not disappoint. I enjoyed the connection between the two stories. Held my interest and made me crave for more. Looking forward to the 3rd installment.

I was a bit disappointed in this one. I had high hopes as I throughly enjoyed TBG- Unfortunately this one did not live up to the hype. The beginning was amazing though. Honestly, it started of soo good and creepy and just enough to suck me in. Then it got slow and very boring. It wasnt until much later at about 60% that it picked up, and thats pretty late too. Idk how or why I continued when I normally quit by then. by this time the suspense had built and i was on my toes finally i thought, but just as fast i figured out the killer and down it went, Maybe I expected too much? not sure but overall it was okay.

I couldn't work out why I was so confused by the plot, then I realised this was the second book in a trilogy. Some books from a series stand on their own, but this one really did feel like I was thrown in at the deep end. It took me until about 60% (on my kindle) to sort it out in my head.

Overall, I enjoyed it, but I wish I had started at the beginning of the series then I might have loved it.

"And he realizes that no, he doesn't have to be here. There's no Bureau requirement, no order, no generally agreed guideline, nothing official that mandates his presence at the funeral of a girl who killed herself because the seams where she broke the first time were too fragile to stitch together a second time."

It's hard enough on the agents when the butterflies start falling apart, but suicides of girls who can't seem to fit back in outside of the Garden are only half of the heartache that Eddison has to face down now. While the girls await their day in court with the Gardener, another killer is at large: the Spring Killer, who kills one teen every spring, and has done so for 17 years without exposing himself. His only marker is the flowers that he leaves around each girl's lifeless body.

Eddison may not have a younger sister in blood anymore, but he's got Priya, a spunky London transplant whose older sister Chavi was one of the Spring Killer's victims 5 years prior. Though Priya and her mother have moved across the country to Colorado to escape their past, something is looming on the horizon that has Eddison terrified. These women are the only family he's got left, and he'll be damned to lose them.

---

4.5 STARS

If you've been following my reviews for a while, you probably already know that The Butterfly Garden, book 1 in The Collector series, was a 5-star read for me; in fact, it was easily one of my top reads of 2016. I was so excited when I got approved for an ARC of this sequel on NetGalley, but this book actually took me a few days to get through (I only note that because the first book was practically a one-sitting read for me). To be totally honest, Dot Hutchison ripped my heart into so many tiny pieces in The Butterfly Garden that I was a little bit terrified to read more of her writing.

That said, I am so glad that I read this, because I really enjoyed it so much. It took a little bit of time to get into, as the beginning did feel a little slow, but once Dot got into the meat of the story, I ate it up. While the first book alternated POVs between Inara's memories and Vic Hanoverian's detective work, this one alternated between Priya's first-person experiences and Eddison's third-person investigations and experiences, as well as brief bouts of second-person thoughts from the killer (which was AMAZING). I love the way Dot seamlessly switches perspectives, and she's mastered each formatting so well, which isn't something just any author can do. I also was kind of ecstatic to see the trio of agents back again, especially with the focus having shifted to Eddison; it made me wonder, will the third and final book in the trilogy come from Ramirez's POV? One can only hope, because I'm kind of in love with her character's sass.

Speaking of character development, Priya was such an enjoyable narrator; she and her mother are Indian, but have moved to the States from London, so there's some really delightful backstory revealed here and there. Her mother, Deshani, is a firey badass who terrifies everyone she meets (except Priya), and she was just so fun to read about. There's a lovely diverse cast in this book, even more so than in the first one, and there are so many wonderful side characters, especially in the cast of grumpy old veterans that Priya befriends.

As far as action goes, it took a while to pick up, but Dot took her time carefully crafting the back story so that, once the action began, I really felt like she just dove in headfirst. Don't get me wrong, this isn't the kind of book with ridiculous new situations and events every other chapter, but she builds up the sense of dread so beautifully that I felt nauseated more than a few times, just out of apprehension for what was going to happen and who the killer would turn out to be. I wasn't shocked by the reveal of the killer, but I honestly don't think we were intended to be taken off-guard; much like in a good horror film, sometimes the best part is learning who the villain is through little crumbs here and there.

The story was lightened up here and there with sweet familial bonding, friendly banter between Eddison and Inara (who makes a solid reappearance, much to my delight), and Priya's memories, but all in all, this was a solid thriller/suspense novel that kept me on the edge of my seat more than a few times. I won't say anything further to avoid spoiling it for you guys, but seriously, if you enjoyed the first book, please pick this one up, because it's SO damn good. I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys thrillers and can handle being kept up at night a little bit, pondering the horrors of mankind.

Content warning: this book contains physical and sexual violence, and may be a difficult read for survivors of abuse or anyone with a weak stomach for abuse. Please read at your own risk and keep yourself healthy and happy.

I really liked The Butterfly, as much as you can like a book that is creepy as fuck. This one was a lot different. I didn't mind it, but since it's #2, I thought it would be more of a continuation of #1 and it really wasn't. I liked the fierce females in this book and the FBI agents as family.

Free e-copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

I really debated giving this a three or four star rating. I enjoyed it a lot more than the first in the series, [book:The Butterfly Garden|29981261], but it still didn't blow my mind.

I liked the alternating point of view between Eddison and Priya, which allowed me to see the perspective of the victim and the investigative team. This was something I missed in TBG. Also, the mystery was well-written and I appreciated the real-ness of the characters. You know how you are yelling at the stupid girl to NOT GO UP THE STAIRS in horror movies? Yeah, I wasn't doing any of that while reading this.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received this book, from NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer, in exchange for my honest opinion. This is my opinion, my view, on how I saw and felt about the book. My opinion is not meant to influence, just inform. Thank you!! As soon as this was released, I purchased it!

I had to read this book, after finishing the first! This was even better! I truly became embroiled in Priya's life! This takes place four months after the events of The Butterfly Garden. It involves the three FBI agents, from the first book and gets much more in depth in their lives, through their relationship with Priya and her mother. Interwoven in this story, is more of Maya and the Butterflies.

Very well written and well developed characters! I will be reading the next book in the series! Thank you for the journey!!

I loved the first book in the series, Butterfly Garden, so I was excited to read this book. I admit I was disappointed with this book. It felt more like a spin-off than a sequel. There are mentions of the Butterfly survivors but the story is not about them or what had happened in the garden. The story centers around a teenage girl named Priya. Five years ago, Priya's older sister was murdered by a serial killer who placed flowers around the body. Now Priya is receiving flowers from an anonymous person. Could it be the person who killed her sister? Priya has some sort of weird relationship with the FBI agents that were assigned to her sister's case. The Quantico Three are the same agents on the Butterfly case. I especially could not figure out Priya's and Eddison's relationship. Little sister? Flirting? It was really uncomfortable.
The story didn't really make sense to me. Mom and daughter were playing a dangerous cat and mouse game but they didn't really have a plan if or when they got caught.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for supplying a copy of Dot Hutchison's "Roses of May" in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this follow up to The Butterfly Garden. Review to come!

Another fantastic entry in the series. Dot Hutchison continues to use her considerable skill to bring humanity and life to her characters, while expanding on the universe she built up in The Butterfly Garden.

This novel takes us to another acquaintance of Vic, Ramirez and Eddison - Priya, and her mother, Deshani. They've lost what used to be a loving and close-knit family to a killer who leaves his targets cloaked in flowers in churches around the country.

I really like that the killer in this book didn't get a "killer name" - I still find it ironic that the series is named after the first Collector, despite the books so emphatically not being about him. We built on those themes in this book too, and it was a relief to see Inara and Bliss so present despite their absence.

Is it too early to be hanging out for the next book yet? Because I absolutely am.

<i>I received a copy of this book in return for an honest review. Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley. </i>

Disclaimer: I’d like to disclose that I received a free copy in order to write this review.


Overall thoughts

The much awaited second book in The Collector trilogy, unfortunately, fails to deliver the same level of originality and fulfill the expectation set by its predecessor, The Butterfly Garden. While Roses of May is entertaining, it is quite different from what readers or fans of The Collector trilogy might have anticipated. The switch in characters and narrator could deter some fans of the original book. And while there are some mentions and involvement by the characters of the first book, the majority of them are in the background and aren’t the focus of the second novel in The Collector trilogy. Sadly, I can only rate the book with 3 out of 5 stars. While I did like it and I did have fun, as I mentioned previously, I don’t think it was as original, gripping, or as entertaining as the first book. It is, however, still fun to read. For a more detailed explanation of my comments, please read below, although there might be some minor spoilers ahead (there might also be spoilers for The Butterfly Garden).


Plot, themes, and characters

Roses of May takes place soon after the events that occurred in The Butterfly Garden. This doesn’t mean, however, that the majority of the story follows the same characters. While they are not central characters to the novel, some scenes focus on the butterflies. There is also a very brief mention of Desmond. For the most part, these sections give an indication on how the girls are adapting to the outside world. Other familiar characters are more central and important this time around, which are the three FBI agents: Victor Hanoverian, Mercedes Ramirez, and Brandon Eddison. In fact, this time we get to know them a bit better and in a much deeper sense, rather than being exposed to the limited interrogation sessions of the previous book. As was the case in the first book, the book jumps between narratives (which will be expanded upon further below), the other narrative follows the story of Priya Svrasti. Priya has a friendly relationship with the aforementioned FBI agents, whom she met while they were investigating the murder of her sister. Certain things start occurring to Priya that makes her and the agents think that she’s being stalked by some kind of deranged fanatic or the serial killer herself.

An important theme in the novel is family. Priya lives with her mom. They seem to be quite close, which is probably because they move around a lot due to her mom’s job, and because they pretty much only have each other. As mentioned, her sister was killed. Her dad is out of the picture. They don’t keep in touch with the rest of their family members since there seemed to be a lot of issues and arguments between them after Priya’s family moved to America. However, even though there is no contact, through memories and conversations we get to understand the past family dynamics, and we are exposed to certain situations that explain the behavior of the different characters. This isn’t the only family that we are exposed to in this novel. Throughout the story, we are also given the opportunity to get a glimpse on how different FBI agents interact with their respective families.

Another important theme is the social dynamics. Due to their constant movement, Priya doesn’t have a lot of friends and seems to be alone for the most part. However, this doesn’t stop her from trying to fit in or to find people to play chess with. In this case, the group of individuals she ends up interacting the most is a group of veterans that plays chess in a park. As mentioned before, Priya is also friendly with the FBI agents, so a lot of the social interactions are between her and different agents in the FBI. In this case, just as before, we are also exposed to the various social dynamics that the FBI agents have. Not only do we see them interacting with each other and Priya, but there are also indications on how they interact with others.

The last theme I’d like to address is the subject of relationships and sexuality in teenagers. Throughout the story, we are exposed to the killer’s view on how he apparently wants to retain purity and innocence in some girls. In other cases, he sees them as tainted and as promiscuous, thus, besides killing them, he also rapes them. While mental health issues almost certainly play a part in his behavior, it is also important to consider that some of the views of abstinence until marriage or the opinion against teenage dating are still existent in some areas in the United States today. As such, there may be some people that would share the killer’s disdain towards some of these girls. This could provoke a negative reaction among some readers.

Regarding the characters, while they are enjoyable for the most part, they are not as interesting as Maya, with the exception of Priya’s mom. Priya’s mom is, in my opinion, the best character in the novel. Fortunately for us, she is present quite often. Priya is also interesting, though she isn’t as interesting nor as complex as Maya. However, this doesn’t mean that she is flat and dull, not at all. Due to their bigger presence in this novel, we also get to know the FBI agents a bit more. The development of these characters is done well, they all have their own distinct personalities and behaviors. The interactions between them are generally quite entertaining to read. Another set of characters, though less prominent and influential, are the veterans who play chess with Priya. The interactions between them seem very realistic and are very entertaining to read. However, due to the limited exposure that we have to them, their personalities are not as deep as the other characters, nor are they as distinct from one another. Lastly, there’s the killer. We get exposed to the killer in different ways throughout the book. While the killer is appropriate and fun for the most part, he is nowhere near as entertaining, exciting nor as memorable as The Gardener.


Narration and use of language

The type of narrator switches throughout the book. The jumps are done whenever the book focuses on the agents (which uses a third person narrator), Priya (narrated in the first person), and some sections related to the killer (second person). The narration changes are easy to follow and don’t make matters confusing for the reader. Just as in the previous book of the trilogy, the language used in Roses of May is quite good. There are certainly some beautifully written phrases and passages. The type of language used is also quite easy to understand and to follow. As a whole, the novel keeps a somewhat fast paced and keeps readers entertained.


Recommendations and suggestions for further reading

I would mostly recommend this book to those that liked The Butterfly Garden (in case anyone hasn’t read it yet, I would highly encourage you to do so). I’d also recommend this book to fans of the mystery and thriller genre, particularly to those that are more interested in serial killers. As for further reading, my only recommendation in the mystery and thriller department would be Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter. I’d also be inclined to recommend The Last Final Girl by Stephen Graham Jones, though this is more of a horror/slasher novel than a mystery or thriller.


Thanks for reading my review!

4.5 to 5 Stars!!!

The Roses of May is the 2nd book in “The Collector Series” trilogy by Dot Hutchison but it is not a direct sequel to The Butterfly Garden. Instead, it’s a story about a completely different serial killer whose been killing one girl every spring for over a decade and leaving each of them covered in a different flower. It also has a brand new main character, Priya Sravasti, whose sister was one of the killer’s victims 5 years ago.
The Roses of May isn’t a story with the same horror, depravity, and terror as The Butterfly Garden so if you plan on reading this book, don’t go into it with the same expectations of it being exactly like that. It’s not, but that’s okay because it’s still a really good book!

It is a good suspense story although it didn’t quite keep me as enthralled as The Butterfly Garden. Also, I figured out who the serial killer was way too early on, which was a bit disappointing. Yet, The Roses of May is an overall captivating and engaging mystery that I definitely recommend because the book is just really well-written, the characters are wonderful, and the ending is so very perfect that it makes up for any complaints I might have. I think that The Butterfly Garden was just such a fabulous book that it makes The Roses of May hard to be the 2nd in the series. Still, that doesn’t make it any less than a captivating book, and it should be read and enjoyed only on its own merits.

While the story isn’t about the “butterflies” from the 1st book in the trilogy, it does have some of the characters from the book, and you get to catch up with how a few of them are handling their lives now they are free. Because I felt very invested in what happened to the girls in The Butterfly Garden, it feels right somehow to be able to check-in on their well-being so to speak.

But the main focus of the book is Priya. She’s a remarkable young woman who has been trying to put her life back together since her sister’s murder when she was only 12, but that’s become almost impossible since it seems she’s now the serial killer’s latest obsession. Priya’s strong, yet vulnerable, but she has a super strong mom who is amazing (and a little scary).

Plus, the “Quantico 3”, Vic, Ramirez, and Eddison from Book 1 are back but even more so. Since they have been working to find this serial killer and were part of the investigation into Priya’s sister’s murder, they somehow have become like family to Priya and Deshani, her mom. You get to learn a lot more about the FBI agents in this book, especially Eddison, and he is especially more likable in this book because of the protective, big brother type role he plays towards Priya. I hope we learn more about the “Quantico 3” in the last book in the trilogy!

Also, I liked how the author really formed a relationship with Priya and some of the “butterflies” from Book 1; it was nice to see them develop a friendship considering the hell all of them went through, and I look forward to seeing how that plays out as well.

There is so much to like about this book if you can read it without expecting it to be just like The Butterfly Garden! Even as horrible as the serial killer is and as disgusting and repulsive as he is, he appears likable and trustworthy when you first encounter him until you are hit with who he is, and go “oh wait…wow!”.

One thing is for certain, if you enjoy a good suspenseful mystery, excellent writing, and a strong plot, then you’ll undoubtedly enjoy this book! I’m highly anticipating the 3rd in the trilogy!! Hutchison is a brilliant storyteller, and it’s great to see how her writing technique and style is only improving with time. I’m hoping she’ll surprise us and have another thriller on par with TBG to finish out her trilogy!

*** I want to thank NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and Dot Hutchison for the chance to read an ARC of The Roses of May in exchange for my fair and completely honest review. ***