Book Review: “The Roses of May” by Dot Hutchison

The Roses of May

But for the FBI agents, the impending thaw means one gruesome thing: a chilling guarantee that somewhere in the country, another young woman will turn up dead in a church with her throat slit and her body surrounded by flowers. 

Priya Sravasti’s sister fell victim to the killer years ago. Now she and her mother move every few months, hoping for a new beginning. But when she ends up in the madman’s crosshairs, the hunt takes on new urgency. Only with Priya’s help can the killer be found—but will her desperate hope for closure compel her to put her very life on the line?

The Roses of May by Dot Hutchison is the second book in the The Collector series, and … well … I didn’t like it nearly as much as the first book, The Butterfly Garden.

To me, this was just another run-of-the-mill serial killer book. There was nothing special or different about it. Just another story about a guy who had issues with women because of what happened when he was a teenager and who was now running around the country killing more women.

So … yeah.

Okay, so, to be fair, I think why I’m being so hard on this book is because the first one was SO unique and interesting, I simply expected more. But, with The Roses of May, it was like the series landed with a thud—right back down to earth with a typical serial killer story.

Now, if you LIKE this genre, by all means get this book. Dot Hutchison is an excellent writer.

But, it’s no Butterfly Garden.

You also should know it’s not nonstop action (like some of the books in this genre). There are places where the story drags a bit. I also felt like the flower thing was a bit forced—something Hutchison did to make this book fit into the Collector theme and tie it back to the Butterfly/Garden angle.

And, as is typical of this genre, we also spend time in the killer’s head.

Anyway, all of that aside, I’m giving The Roses of May 3 stars as it read to me as an average, competent serial killer book.

You can grab your copy on Amazon right here: