Roses of May, The (The Collector Trilogy) MP3 CD – Unabridged, May 23, 2017

I read some of the reviews before starting Roses of May, so I was very much aware that this was not going to be a follow up to The Butterfly Garden (The Collector #1), only that there might be the same character ...or two. I knew it was going to be a new story-, plot- and characters - So I expected a standalone, even though it is listed as The Collector #2.Standalone it is not, and neither is it very good.Vic and Eddison are secondary characters, but the book is written in such a way the you keep feeling you missed something. Who are they...? Where did they come from...? And what happened to them...? The FBI is personally involved with Priya and her mother. Text and emails are exchanged, home visits are made, birthday cards are sent. You are not sure if something transpired of such importance to nullify the golden rule of "do not get personally involved with the victim/victim's family" or if there is just no regard for these rules? I cannot relate to this.Priya and her mother are primary characters, but their personalities and the relationship as mother and daughter is so unrealistic, you feel like you are still reading about a stranger half-way into the book, and by this stage, the primary character should feel like your hero/friend/maybe you (?).When it comes to the antagonist/villain, it's like reading an episode of Criminal Minds. You don't know anything about him, who he is, what he looks like, what he is feeling, thinking, planning... nothing, niks, nada! You need to wait for the very-personally-involved FBI to solve this one.The only relatable part of the book was the spattering of butterflies present and how they are struggling to fit into normal life, family and jobs. Inara/Maya seeks out Priya and they exchange letters on how to cope with everyday life.

This book picks up where The Butterfly Garden left off, sort of. The three musketeers, I mean, FBI agents, from book 1 are still there, and some of the Butterflies do make an appearance, though they’re not central to the plot. Instead we meet Priya, a seventeen-year-old whose sister was killed by a serial killer five years ago. The musketeers have been on the case since then, but can’t find the creep who keeps killing teenage girls in churches and laying different flowers around each one. Now it looks like he’s coming back for Priya, who is anything but fine even five years on. The writing is solid once again, but I have to knock it down a star for two reasons: the identity of the serial killer was SO obvious that it was almost insulting (a least make me question who it might be even once!) and that person’s age changed at least three times in the book. Late thirtysomething, then late fortysomething, but if I do the math he should be early thirties. Pet peeve sure but someone should have picked that up!

If you are wanting to read this book because of the first book The Butterfly Garden, DON'T! This book is slow and really doesn't tie into the first book at all. (Which was excellent!) I made myself finish the book because I had purchased it otherwise I would have never finished it.

This sequel was so hard to get through. I splurged and bought it because the first was so good, probably one of the best I have read. I had to go back and read it again in fact, to remember the characters. I ended up reading 3 other books and then returning to make myself finish this because I bought it. The book started to get a little bit interesting 1/2 way thru then I was forcing myself to stay awake and just read words, not actually absorbing the story. The last 20 pages were probably the best and even then, it was mediocre. I'm so sad and disappointed this was not a very good sequel. Really didn't have much to do with the first book.

This is such a poor second to The Butterfly Garden, which I gave 5 stars. If the author is trying to make a connection to that book it's a poor one. I found this book to be ponderous and almost quit after 30 or so pages. Nothing further on was redeeming. Most of the characters thought process and dialogue was unbelievable as to be uttered by real people; instead, it read cutesy and cliche. The young girls, on the other hand, spoke as if they were 70 year old sages, which was unconvincing and implausible. The relationships between the characters tended toward sickeningly sweet or uber cool, neither of which worked and came off as contrived.

I really do not understand the ratings for this book. The first book and this book have literally nothing to do with one another. Where the Butterfly Garden was face paced, interesting and creepy, this book moved at a snail’s pace and would not even make it to the screen as a Lifetime movie. I hate to write this, but it was just plain...bad.

Can't believe people are slating this for plausibility in comparison to the butterfly garden?! Like some rich fella would be able to keep human butterflies in a giant glass dome! I liked the continuation of the story (which is what it is) and the relationships growing as per trilogy rules and regs. It's not a 5☆ like TBG but a good read non the less.

Disappointing follow up to The Butterfly Garden. Well, not even a follow up really since it's only very tenuously linked; it needn't have had those "connections" at all really since they served no real purpose other than to maybe set up the third book (set in Paris anyone?).Unlike The Butterfly Garden, which was original and genuinely creepy, this was just a formulaic serial-killer novel, and not a partcularly good one. As soon as the main character meets the killer, you know it'll turn out to be him rather than the numerous, too-obvious, red herrings thrown in there.The main character, Priya, isn't particularly interesting - I wouldn't have minded if she did get murdered to be honest - and there are too many pointless characters who serve no purpose at all, like that whole chess club thing, who seemed to just be used as a method to intoduce us to a few potential killers.I'll probably still read the third one when it comes out, mostly to see whether The Butterfly Garden was just a fluke, which I suspect it might have been.

Oh my God, what did I just purchase? I gave up at 45% as it was just dragging on and on and on and on... I cannot remember the last time I read such a boring book. I wanted to like it after the Butterfly garden, but even the butterflies are rarely mentioned.Don't waste your money on this, it's not worth it.

I enjoyed The Butterfly Garden ,but this book is utter rubbish !!The characters are totally unbelievable ,the way of writing is strange and awkward,the relationship between the F.B.I and the family highly unlikely .The antagonist obvious ,the ending ridiculous !!In fact nothing much happens at all .I persevered to the end ,only because I hate giving up on a book ,but by the end nothing interesting had happened at all .The mother and daughter being vigilantes and the mother prepared to sacrifice her daughter for revenge just pathetic .Save your money there are far better books out there .Think any 5 star reviews must be from friends and family .

A long time ago I really enjoyed a good read, so good a read that I couldn't put the book down. I don't know what happened but personally I was finding those sorts of books less and less. Over the recent years I became disillusioned.But recently I found The Butterfly Garden and WOW I could not put the book down. I was hooked. The same for The Roses of May. A brilliant read. Dot Hutchison is now my favourite author and I have just bought another two books to devour. Thanks Dot, you're a saviour.