The Summer Children is a well-written book and written with such vivid detail and good characters. The author also explains the forensic & psychological aspects of the story well. I thought that the idea behind why the victims were targeted was interesting and very different. I loved the fact that Mercedes had taken her own experience with abuse and used it to help other victims, as an agent. However, this book was just ok for me, I think it could have been a timing issue for me but I have not read the other books in the series, so that could have been part of the issue, as well.

"Scars mean we survived something, even when the wounds still hurt."

The Summer Children is the third installment in what we all thought was going to be a trilogy, but surprise, Dot Hutchison announced that she is keeping the Collector series alive with a fourth, and I for one am looking forward to it. While this one wasn't my favorite in the series, it's not without it's shining moments.

It's evident that Dot is a beautiful writer. She has the ability to tap into something that is a very dark subject matter for many and take it to a level that exposes the reader in a way that can only be described as poetic. The words she uses carefully crafts a story that while risque at times it still finds it's way into the cocoon of emotions that we call our heart.

With The Summer Children, the story focuses around Agent Mercedes Ramirez as young children are mysteriously being left at her doorstep by what is only being described by the children as an angel in white, with mirrors for eyes. If that isn't creepy enough, each child is left with a teddy bear, and for Mercedes, that touches too close to home. We learn that Mercedes had a troubled childhood, and that she was in and out of foster care. Seeing these children suffer almost brings Mercedes to the breaking point.

Here is where this one didn't work for me... I think Dot began to focus far too much on the character development with Mercedes, and less on the storyline. Somewhere along the way, I felt the storyline was lost and it just became too much about Mercedes. While I enjoy good character development in a novel, I also enjoy when the plot and the character development seamlessly come together, and in this one, that just didn't happen for me. It became the memoirs of Mercedes, rather than the story of damaged children. AND... with that, I hate to say, but I really just don't care for Mercedes character. I didn't connect to her as much as I wanted to, not like I did with Inara in the first, or even Edison in the second.

Don't for one minute be discouraged though, like I said, Dot has a way with words, and this is a beautifully written novel, and underneath it all, there are some really touching moments that I very much enjoyed.

As for the fourth in the series, I don't know what this one is going to be about as of yet, but I would really like for this one to feature Inara and the butterflies, and even Priya in some way. I would love to have a story that somehow centers around them. Inara is such a powerful character, and I think that's what's been missing.

I want to thank NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and Dot Hutchison for allowing me the chance to read this novel in exchange for my review.

Hutchinson has a talent for unique, dark mysteries. This third installment in The Collector series begins when a young boy shows up on FBI Agent Mercedes Ramirez's porch in the middle of the night; he's covered in blood and tells her that an angel killed his parents and brought him to Mercedes so she could keep him safe. Like the first in the series, the mystery is less of a whodunnit and more focused on the development of the story and all the whys that build to the conclusion. Though a solid story, I feel it would have been stronger if Hutchinson hadn't limited herself to the world and characters from the first two books and instead had this book stand alone. The best part of the first two books was the development of Inara's character, and she is barely present in this story. But overall it's a solid sequel and I'm interested to see what Hutchinson does in the future with new series.

Butterfly garden was awesome.Roses of May disappointing.Summer children had a few really exciting parts,but I got bored.I just had no connection with any of the characters who were entirely uninteresting.A massive difference to the characters in the Butterfly Garden.There were so many 'incidents' that it got a bit repetitive.

I enjoyed reading this book. It had a strong message,that although horrifying,forced me to think about child abuse in a whole new way, I did find some of the characters to be underdeveloped and not really needed but overall I would definitely recommend reading this book. This novel made me want to become an advocate for victims of child abuse. Adults need to really think about children and what happens to them when child abuse occurs. In the context of a work of fiction there were many moments where I learned something about child abuse and its effects on families and th surrounding law enforcement. Read this novel and you will also become a more enlightened individual.

Cant say enough how much I love Dots books. The third book in the series kept me memorized just as much as the first.

Loved this book and series. Never a disappointment from this author. I cant wait for more from this author. I enjoy the characters very much.

If the Roses of May was a bit of a letdown after The Butterfly Garden, The Summer Children brought the level of the trilogy back up again. Told from Agent Ramirez’s perspective this time, this installment really brought home the agony that working with abused children must bring, particularly for someone who experienced it herself. I liked Mercedes’ point of view, and her connection to the “subjects” is heartbreaking. Bloodied children keep showing up at Mercedes’ door, after an “angel” killed their abusive parents in front of them. The killer is clearly someone who was abused herself, and she trusts Mercedes to take care of these kids after she gets rid of their abusers. The identity of the killer this time is still pretty obvious (obfuscation is not the author’s strongest skill) but the rest of the plot is well done. There is a new addition to the team as well, so maybe the trilogy will be expanded? One can only hope.

While I enjoyed the first book in the series the most, this one was very interesting and kept me on my toes as well. I really like the author's writing and hope to see more creepy series from her in the future!

Was a huge fan of the first of this trilogy. I enjoy a good serial killer and the author painted a very nice picture. Sad to see this end, but I can't wait to see the author's future stories.

EXCERPT: Once upon a time, there was a little girl who was scared of the dark.

Which was silly, even she knew that. There was nothing in the dark to hurt you that wasn't also in the light. You just couldn't see it coming.

ABOUT THIS BOOK: This FBI agent has come to expect almost anything—just not this…

When Agent Mercedes Ramirez finds an abused young boy on her porch, covered in blood and clutching a teddy bear, she has no idea that this is just the beginning. He tells her a chilling tale: an angel killed his parents and then brought him here so Mercedes could keep him safe.

His parents weren’t just murdered. It was a slaughter—a rage kill like no one on the Crimes Against Children team had seen before. But they’re going to see it again. An avenging angel is meting out savage justice, and she’s far from through.

One by one, more children arrive at Mercedes’s door with the same horror story. Each one a traumatized survivor of an abusive home. Each one chafing at Mercedes’s own scars from the past. And each one taking its toll on her life and career.

Now, as the investigation draws her deeper into the dark, Mercedes is beginning to fear that if this case doesn’t destroy her, her memories might.

MY THOUGHTS: I have never been scared of the dark, have never believed in monsters, but then, unlike the children in The Summer Children by Dot Hutchinson, I never had reason to.

Although this, the third book in Hutchison's Collector series - The Summer Children, lacks the gut-wrenching emotional punch of The Butterfly Garden (that is a book that I will never forget), it remains an excellent read. My next comment is probably going to sound very strange given that we are dealing with horrific stories of child abuse, but this is somewhat gentler in nature, in the way that it is written. Without going into graphic descriptions of the abuse, Hutchison still manages to portray the horror of what these children have endured at the hands of the very people who are meant to love and protect them.

FBI agents Brandon Eddison, Victor Hanoverian, and Mercedes Ramirez are the linking thread in this series of books, which I recommend are read in order. It is interesting to see the relationship development through the series, not only with one another, but with the victims they have rescued. They love and support one another, protect one another, even put their lives on the line for one another.

Hutchison gives us her all in her portrayal of the good and the bad, and the good gone bad. Because what starts out as one person's crusade to rescue children from their abusive lives, inadvertently takes a wrong turn and, in doing so, endangers the lives of more children, their innocent parents and, ultimately, members of the FBI team.

This writer knows her subject. Her characters have great depth, her writing is emotionally charged but beautifully balanced, her plotting faultless. I am glad to learn that this series, originally intended to be a trilogy, is to continue with a fourth book, The Vanishing Season, due for publication in 2019. My name will be at the top of the reserve list.

Thank you to Thomas and Mercer via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Summer Children by Dot Hutchinson for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the 'about' page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system.

This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.com https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...

4 - 4.5 stars

Dot Hutchinson has fully redeemed herself in the final book of the Collector Series, The Summer Children. I was fully captivated by The Butterfly Garden (review can be here: www.goodreads.com/review/show/1650757015) and I couldn’t get enough. So when Roses of May came out, I was beyond excited. While RoM was enjoyable, it just didn’t have the same “grip” factor. Review here: www.goodreads.com/review/show/1981148514

With all of that being said, The Summer Children had me hook, line and sinker. I was addicted. One of the most notable differences between this book and the other two is that it is being told in the POV of Mercedes and not the victim. This book was all police procedural, told from the side of CAC. Not that that is a bad thing, it is just different from the other books and weird to me to stray from the formula of the other books in the trilogy.

However, this book is engaging and past paced and I enjoyed every minute of it. It’s not dark and creepy like Butterfly Garden, but it is a well told story and I was very into it. I highly recommend reading this entire series, although you could read any of the books as a stand alone.

I absolutely love Dot Hutchinson and this series is one of my favorites. The summer children did not disappoint and had me aching to read more. I loved diving into the life of Mercedes and the inner workings of our favorite CAC agents. I found the stories of the children gutting and so real. I also loved the inclusion of the Butterflies throughout this series including this book. I would highly recommend this book!

The Summer Children is the final book in the Collectors Trilogy. This book focuses more on Agent Mercedes Ramirez who works for the FBI CAC division protecting children. Suddenly bloody traumatized children start showing up on Agent Ramirez’s doorstep saying The Angel dropped them off. The Angel is murdering abusive and neglectful parents and making their children watch before dropping them off with a teddy bear and her name.

I read this book before I read any of the other in the trilogy, and it was very easy to do so, you don’t need to have any background information to understand what is going on. I just have to say that I absolutely adored the characters in this novel, the little trio that makes up the team. I love the way that they interact and take care of one another, just like a little family. I also really enjoyed that they had sort of an extended family with some of the other girls that they had saved and adopted into their little crew. It makes them feel more real and human to me.

It is terrible to read about such a sad and awful topic, but Dot wrote about it in a way that didn’t make me feel icky for reading it and allowed us to have some hope for these children. Some of the descriptions are fairly graphic, so beware. This novel kept me interested throughout the entire thing, I just wanted to know more about all the members of the team and who was committing these awful crimes. I did enjoy the ending very much and how the story kind of comes full circle. Overall, if you like fast paced thrillers that are totally binge worthy – this one is for you!

This story once again returns us to Brandon Eddison, Victor Hanoverian, and Mercedes Ramirez. We also hear from our butterflies, Inara and Bliss. Priya Sravasti is still in contact and our favorite agent from Priya's case, Eliza Sterling, has moved over to Virginia to join our team too. We also get to meet a few new agents, including a friend of Mercedes that she was in training with and I'm hoping to see more of her in future books. As you can see, there are a lot of strong women included in the book, which is fabulous.

In this book, we are again faced with another serial killer. However, this particular killer is attempting to "save" children. As we move through the story, we find out why this person chose Mercedes to leave the children with and we also get to hear Mercedes backstory, why she joined the force to begin with.

I will state that some parts of this story can be difficult to read. This is a somewhat dark series in general and if you have issues with any type of child abuse or rape this is definitely not the book or series for you. Be warned, this series is about a team of FBI agents who work cases dealing with violence against children. It's not easy.

I love that the author added real life issues, such as eating, sleeping, makeup removal, breakups, sobering up after a night out, and who's going to drive my car? The characters are all flawed, which makes them more realistic. They have their own insecurities and tics. They pace and tap pens. They give each other crap, but they are there to support each other always. I think that those relationships are one of the best parts of the story.

However... the author has decided to add a romantic interest and I'm really hoping she doesn't mess up the whole mojo of the books moving forward. This could be good, I suppose, but it could also be really, really bad. Please, please don't mess it up. I was loving the way things were heading.

If you enjoy mystery / thrillers with a police (FBI) procedural aspect and enjoy the relationship banter of a team, I would definitely give this series a try.

I really enjoyed that this one was told from the agents perspective instead of the victims. Mercedes started out as my least favorite of the agents, but that quickly changed after reading this book!. If you are looking for a mystery that you can follow along with a try to solve, this probably isn't for you. But if you want a highly character-driven mystery with a lot of heart, then pick this one up!

Absolutely stunning end to the trilogy. I will always remember these books and the absolute brilliance behind them. Can not wait to see Dot Hutchison’s next adventure!

An amazing and thrilling ride, an emotional rollercoaster, sprinkled with laugh-out-loud moments, that come to a satisfying conclusion.

Book Review – The Summer Children by Dot Hutchison
JUNE 2, 2018 ~ FROST AT MIDNITE (AKA JAYASREE BHARGAVAN) ~ EDIT
Shifting between genres is a good thing. After I read Circe (Review) I read this book called The Hawkman. I did not enjoy the book as much. It was a historical and it was not evocative. All I felt was a sense of mild disappointment. Then I decided to take up another genre – a thriller. And it was The Summer Children by Dot Hutchison.

The Summer Children is the third book in the series The Collector by Dot Hutchison. Though I did read it as a standalone. There are characters that come and go in this book who have made their appearance in the previous instalments. The only inconvenience this causes is the curiosity and the want to read the other two books. The Summer Children is about an FBI team. Mercedes Ramirez is a part of a team, Crimes Against Children, at the FBI. She has been there for ten years and has helped more children than she can count.

The Summer Children by Dot Hutchison Review by Frost At Midnite

The book begins with Mercedes and her girlfriend returning to Mercedes’ home where they come across a little boy waiting for Mercedes. The little boy, Ronnie, is covered in blood and holding a teddy bear. He claims to be deposited on her porch by the angel who killed his parents. A few days later, Mercedes and her teammate Eliza Sterling return to Mercedes’ place to see three kids on her porch. Sarah, Ashley and Sammy with faces streaked with blood and holding a teddy bear say the same thing as well. All the children were brought here by the angel who killed their parents and deposited here because Mercedes would keep them safe. These kids had to watch their parents be killed, and then they were told they’d be safe with Mercedes. Safe because they are all victims of abuse. Ronnie was abused by his father while Sarah by her stepfather. As more and more children from similar backgrounds turn up at Mercedes’ place, the local PD asks to partner with the FBI to solve the crime. And solve it they do.

There is a good plot in this book. While abuse is a thread running strong throughout the book, certain sections of the book have a much horrific version than the rest. Stomach turningly horrific. There is evil in this world and sometimes we choose to ignore it willfully. This is something that a few characters do with aplomb in The Summer Children. But the CAC team tries hard to stop further damage. So, if you are someone who can not read about bad things being done to children, then skip this book. What I loved about this book was the team in which Mercedes works. A unit that works together in sync and a team that’s more family than friends. Office politics and other distractions do not hinder their investigations or stop them from pursuing criminals. Each of them, be it the head of the unit or the newest member, is involved in their job hoping to save one more child. A noble cause, for which they all have their own reasons to contribute to.

The book starts off sluggishly. But never does it get boring. There is a nice pace that begins once the children start arriving. The Summer Children is perhaps not filled with a rash of unnecessary crimes. It is a book that has blood, sweat and tears and makes us question rules and regulations, between right and wrong.

This is the third book in the Collector series – but the first I have written. In all honesty, that was a huge shame for me because at some points I floundered with the characters and reference to the earlier books. Clearly this can be read as a stand-alone but I am sure my considerable enjoyment of this book would have been enhanced had I read the earlier books.

The Summer Children was presented through the character of Mercedes Ramirez an FBI agent within the Crimes Against Children unit. Mercedes herself was subjected to abuse as a child, a fact that was ignored by her extended family from whom she is estranged to such a degree that she has to change her phone whenever they track her down. Her family is now her colleagues, an intriguing cast of characters, close-knit, dedicated and supportive of one another to the nth degree.

Returning home one evening she finds a boy, bloody and bruised waiting on her porch with a teddy bear. He has been told by the ‘Angel’ to wait for Mercedes who will keep him safe. What follows is a sometimes harrowing catalogue of crimes against children and the efforts made by the authorities to protect and save them.

This is a really well written book with strong characterization and staggering plot development and structure. I cannot praise it enough. However, I would urge you to read it as it is powerful and moving and just tragically sad.