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. ***

**** ARC kindly provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ****

Warning: I am not a robot! I have feelings, thoughts, likes and dislikes and this review is based on that. You should read the book to form your own opinion/thoughts. Read on!

Rating: 4.75 Rose Stars!

The cover, I love it, I know is just a simple background with a rose, but it represents everything of the book.

”Guilt doesn’t have to make sense; it just is.”

The story, it is no secret that I loved The Butterfly Garden, it was just amazing and when I saw that there was a sequel I didn’t even think about it before I was clicking “Read Now”. This is a 2 story book that connects through the characters.

It’s been four months since all the butterflies were released and are now “flying”. Every butterfly is trying to live and understand the outside world, some can’t. Inara is still strong but she is not trusting the justice system, everybody loves The Gardener, they don’t believe he will do something like that, he is rich, powerful and has a lot of contacts. He could get away with everything. Desmond still confuses me, he tries to reach out to Inara, and he thinks he loves her. We have a lot of going on with that story, I love how this author shows you that even though they found the kidnapper, the survivors do not get to live happily ever after, is a long process that affects everyone involved. She kept me riveted.

Priya is a survivor too, not of being in the hands of a serial killer/kidnapper, she lost her sister to a madman, she found her sister and because of it she doesn’t make friends, is angry at the world and tries to be invisible. The killer that took her sister is preparing to take another, he only takes one a year, so when Priya starts receiving flower bouquets in the same order of all the victims including her sister the FBI thinks the killer knows her and has been watching, and they think this is the time to get him. Priya and her mom want this to be over, they see how The Gardener is not getting what he deserves, so they decide to get justice of their own.

It was riveting, kept me on edge, and took me a while to figure out who was the killer. Every character in this book was important for the story and they made it even richer, even the ones that made me want to yell at them. I am becoming a fan of this author and she will now be on my “no questions asked, just read it” list.

The romance, there is no romance. I think Vic told it perfectly, ”Some people stay broken, others put themselves back together with all the sharp bits showing”

Characters, i loved everyone, even the ones that I hated.

Overall, did I like the book? Yes, I did. I want to see more of these characters. Would I recommend the book? Definitely, if you enjoy great writing and suspense, you will love this book. Though you should read “The Butterfly Garden” first, otherwise you will feel that you don’t understand a lot of things.

Excellent story, fast paced. Strong characters. I like how they tied book 1 into book 2 BUT can be read alone.

I really loved the butterfly garden and was very excited about the roses of may.I thought it was well written,but it didn't get me hooked like the butterfly garden.I wasn't as interested in Priya and it didn't have the suspense element.I didn't dislike it and would read the next one of Dot Hutchinson's books,but would prefer a bit more of the excitement that was in the butterfly garden..

I haven't read the first book of the series. So I was a little lost in the beginning of this book. It is a gripping, captivating story, and now I want to read the first one!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-copy of this book.

“How do you put yourself back together when the pieces permanently lost are the only reasons anyone’s looking at you?”

3.5/5 STARS

I honestly feel like I have drowned in the River of Disappointment. I fell right in and just kept on sinking to the point where there was no hope for life and I ended up just dying.

Yeah, thats pretty much how this book made me feel. AND NO, not dying in a good way.

This is just such a let down, and it doesn’t even begin to compare to its amazing predecessor, The Butterfly Garden. I didn’t know that the author was writing another book to the series and when I saw it on Netgalley, I was beyond stoked. BUT this book doesn’t feature the same cast as The Butterfly Garden, so yeah that was a disappointment right off the bat. It doesn’t follow the same characters or the same plot line, so it felt like a random book. And also, the killer in this novel was so plainly obvious. And did I mention I was let down? No, okay well I was.

Now The Butterfly Garden is by far, one of the most memorable and creepiest books i’ve ever read. It isn’t for the faint of heart or weak of stomach because MAN, THAT ONE IS DISTURBING. It made me not want to ever step foot outside again because it was that TERRIFYING. SO I came into this expecting something just as terrifying and umm yeah no I didn’t get that. BUT I also do think that Ms. Hutchison was kind of pressured into writing this one because of how popular Butterfly Garden got. This one whole series is supposed to be a trilogy, and if Book 3 doesn’t feature the Butterflies getting revenge on their captor then I’ll be sorely disappointed. BUT anyways, on with this very short review.


Plot:
Now with Roses of May, we do have the same trio of detectives from the FBI. And they do still keep in contact with Inara and Bliss from The Butterfly Garden, but none of them are what this novel is about. We meet a new girl named Priya, who has been friends with Eddison and Victor since her sister was murdered a few years back. Now, her sisters killer is back in full swing, since he only murders once a year in springtime. So pretty much the whole setup for this novel is finding out who killed Priya’s sister. 300 pages of finding the killer who is honestly right in front your face the whole time. There isn’t much to say about the plot besides the killer. This book is split between three perspectives: the detectives, Priya, and the Killer. AND the killer’s perspective is the BEST. It’s written in second person and it takes you through everyone that he’s killed. It’s kind of sick and twisted being in his head but it’s also really enjoyable! But for some reason, the Killer thinks it’s his mandate from God to kill all the “unpure” girls, or girls who are in danger of being “unpure.” He’s weird okay, just weird. AND when he kills them, he leaves them naked and adorned with a crown of flowers. So that set-up was interesting with him, but otherwise I was just bored 96.8% of the time.

Writing:
Now Ms. Hutchison’s writing has improved 10000% person. She has such an amazing way of describing some scenes, and has a kind of twisted way of describing the murder scenes. I think the shining point in this novel would have to be the fact that her writing improved tenfold. Her writing was quite honestly, the only reason I continued with the book because it pulls you in and makes you read. But seriously, ask anyone and they’ll you that I was super ready to quit this like as soon as I started it AHAHA

A Couple of Good Quotes:

“There’s more comfort in realizing we want to stay, that this is a good thing we’re allowed to have. That we’re allowed to be happy. I’m still working on that, but in the meantime? We’re allowed to be broken. We don’t have to feel ashamed of that.”

“Some people stay broken, others put themselves back together with all the sharp bits showing.”

“We love her; that means that it isn’t possible for us to leave her behind.”

How hard it must be to write a novel after the first one is so special , but congratulations I couldn't put this one down either ! Loved 're visiting the original characters and the storyline was gripping from the start !

A slow burn that is wholly different from its predecessor; while not as engaging as The Butterfly Garden, I felt The Roses of May held a certain magic of it's own in it's telling of Priya's story. A satisfying read that fell heavily in the crime fiction genre.

I loved The Butterfly Garden so much that I was worried this second installment wouldn't be as good as the first. After finishing Roses of May I've fallen even more in love with Dot Hutchison's writing.

This one does have overlap with characters from The Butterfly Garden, but it mostly focuses on Priya. When she was 12, Priya's sister was murdered by a serial killer who continues to kill a teenage girl every spring. Priya is such a beautifully crafted character. I absolutely hate when characters are too perfect or too flawed, Priya is so balanced with her strengths and weaknesses.

I must say, I was a bit confused in the beginning with the shifting POVs, but I caught on fairly quickly. The italics detail the serial killer's reasoning for killing previous victims, the first person POV is Priya's account of what's currently happening, and the second person POV is what's currently happening with the FBI agents. Once I caught on, it actually made the book more enjoyable to be able to see everything through different perspectives.

This book can't be read as a stand-alone.
The Butterfly Garden was amazing and even though the writing style was a bit complex, the story flowed perfectly.
The Roses of May starts with so many characters and names that confuse or makes it hard to follow the thread. As you make your way to about 30% it becomes predictable.
I think this could have been great if there is no mention of the butterflies and focus on the serial killer attacking in this book.
Also, the term collector is not suitable in this case since there is just a pattern and a theme (flowers), he doesn't take a anything from the victims.

The Butterfly Garden was a book that stuck with me. It was dark, it was disturbing, it is the kind of book you just don't simply forget about. Though I remembered the plot well and most of the characters, I re-read it before this one. Not only to refresh my memory, but because I just knew I'd genuinely enjoy it again. I'm glad I did, and would really recommend you start with the first book before this one. Though it adds new main characters, several we met in the first feature as well.

This one is slower to get started than it's predecessor, and it took me awhile to get into it. The new characters are intensely likeable and the story is interesting. Don't go into it expecting another Butterfly Garden. This one also focuses on a serial killer who forms strange attachments to the young girls he kills and has several strong and inspiring female characters, but that's where the similarities end. While the first book focuses on imprisonment and escape, this one focuses mostly on a young girl named Priya dealing with the tragic death of her older sister. The murderer has never been caught, and the investigation is ongoing. He strikes the same time every year, and that time is approaching...

The book also focuses on the "Butterflies" we met in the first... the women who escaped the madman that stole them from their lives and kept them practically in a gilded cage for his own pleasure. They've been free for a few months but the media attention still swirls around them and they're all having difficulty adjusting to the outside world.

The same agents from the first book are still working on the case of the Butterflies, and now bracing for another victim from the murderer who has left the bodies of girls in churches around the county. They have a special affection for Priya, having met her after she found her sister. They'd protect her at any cost, and now that May is creeping closer, they may have to.

I received an ARC of this book from Net Galley and Thomas & Mercer, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.

It was a solid sequel to the Butterfly Garden. I really enjoyed once again Dot Hutchinson's writing style as well as the First Person narration of the Serial Killer.

This book, The Roses of May, is the second in The Collector Trilogy by Dot Hutchison. The first one, The Butterfly Garden, was excellent and had me hooked. This one, while not specifically a sequel, is also a very good mystery/thriller. The writing is just as good as the first one and the characters are well developed and believable. I found this book so hard to put down, as I wanted to know what was coming up. This book also deals with a serial killer, but different from The Butterfly Garden. Don't expect this to be a continuation of The Butterfly Garden. It isn't. While it does intertwine a bit, but it is a separate story of it's own. And it is a good book, one I highly recommend.

After reading (and obsessing over) The Butterfly Garden earlier this year, I was elated to find out that this book would be a part of a “collector” trilogy. The Roses of May, by Dot Hutchison, is the second novel in this trilogy. Not knowing whether or not this one would start where the first novel left off or if it would focus on a new set of “collections”, I was eager to find out.

The novel did have some reoccurrences of original characters from The Butterfly Garden but also has a whole new serial killer and new female lead.

The novel opens and dives right into the story. Taking place a few months where the first novel left off but in an unconventional way. The Butterflies are awaiting the trial of the Gardener and a few of the girls, unable to handle the trauma of the garden, have completed suicide. The police officers from the original case are dealing with this and also find themselves being pulled back into a different investigation involving a serial killer who murders girls and adorns them with flowers. When a sister (Priya) of one of the victims’ finds herself a target, the investigators must use their knowledge of the past and what they learned from the garden to find the perpetrator before he collects around victim.

My favourite part of The Butterfly Garden was the narrative style and the creepy events that took place in the garden; I found that this one read more like a police procedural. Instead of being character driven, this one focused more on the police investigation and the officer’s relationships to the victims.

Initially, I was slightly confused by what was going on and there were moments throughout the plot where I found myself not fully understanding some of the plot’s importance or struggling to understand the relationships between some of the characters. I feel like someone who hasn’t read The Butterfly Garden would feel completely out to lunch. Although it is not a direct sequel, it still relies heavily on the basic knowledge of characters and plot points from the first novel to drive the story.

Although I appreciated The Roses of May for what it was, it was completely not what I was expecting. I will absolutely continue to read other books in the series, but I absolutely found this one less addicting than the first.

At first, I was very confused with this novel. I was under the impression that this book would be a sequel to the first book, and I wrongly assumed that the serial killer mentioned in this novel was somehow connected to the Butterfly Garden. However, that was not true; these 2 novels, while sharing the same themes, are not really connected in terms of plot. Once I realized this, the novel began to make more sense. The author still made mention of the Butterflies, but it was more in passing than anything significant.

I quite enjoyed the story here, with its similar yet unique plot. Once again, we read about a madman who hunts women, but the reasons behind his behaviour are different from the madman in the first book in the series. The novel has excerpts from his perspective, but is mostly told through the voice of Priya and FBI agent Eddison, both likable characters. I had a vested interest in Priya and could understand why Eddison and the other FBI agents wanted to protect her so much.

The plot itself wasn't as dramatic or as dark as The Butterfly Garden. In fact, this book resembled more of the usual thrillers that you see. It was still very well written and highly engaging, which is why I couldn't stop flipping the pages. However, it lacked some of that dark maturity that I associated with the first book, and I missed that. There were also some recurring themes that were a bit overdone; literally every page was filled with something related to the theme and I couldn't help but roll my eyes at times. The other flaw in this novel is the completely unrealistic relationship between Priya and her mother. It just ... didn't make sense. I understand that the author wanted Priya's mother to be more like a friend; my own mother and I are very close, and we bicker and fight like best friends/sisters. However, a mother is still a mother and there are certain behaviours and actions that a mother would never approve of or do. While the relationship between Priya and the FBI agents was also quite unbelievable, I didn't mind it as much because it worked.

Overall, this novel was a compelling read that was fast-paced and thrilling. However, it wasn't as dark or mature as its predecessor and had certain characteristics that were a tad bit far-fetched. I would give this a 4/5 stars and would recommend it to anyone looking for a dark thriller on serial killers!

Right off the bat I'm going to give my trigger warnings for this book, although it isn't necessarily a comprehensive list. I will not be discussing these triggers in my review. Content warning for The Roses of May for: eating disorders, stalking, and sexual assault.

I was STOKED when I saw this on NetGalley. I had just read The Butterfly Garden a month or two beforehand and couldn't believe my luck in stumbling across an ARC of the sequel. I gave The Butterfly Garden five stars and was really looking forward to what Dot Hutchinson was up to next.

Let me just start off by saying that even though I hyped this book up in my mind, it completely lived up to it. I didn't even read the plot summary because I was so sure that Dot would pull out another wonderful work. It was kind of nice to go in cold and without much in the way of expectations as far as plot goes, but I will briefly cover the story.

The Roses of May is definitely a sequel to The Butterfly Garden. I think I've seen a few folks say it could work as a standalone piece, but I really disagree. I mean, it's certainly possible to read it without any context, but I just don't think it'll hold up as well. A lot of the characters carry over and their stories are so closely tied that I don't think it would do the story justice not to have that background.

The Roses of May focuses on a young woman named Priya whose story is largely unrelated to The Butterfly Garden, save for the fact that the same group of FBI agents had worked a case close to her. Dot Hutchinson uses this connection to weave Priya's story in with that of the Butterflies'. This book follows Priya's life five years after the murder of her older sister. Naturally, the killer returns and the agents are on the case. It sounds a little cheesy, but it's really well done in my opinion.

Dot Hutchinson's writing is fantastic, per usual. I remembered being struck by her writing in The Butterfly Garden and was glad to experience it again so soon! The story was immersive, the characters were wonderful, and it was almost impossible for me to put down. It was also wonderful to read a book with women of color as the main characters! There are also two notable lgbt women, which I was super excited about! There are so many complex women in Dot Hutchinson's books, I love it. It was also great to see a really nice mom-daughter relationship, which I feel like we don't see enough of.

Overall, The Roses of May was a fantastic read that I would highly recommend to anyone interested, but would probably be best for lovers of thriller and crime. I can see why it wouldn't work for some people, but I loved it!

3.5 stars

Roses of May is a psychological thriller about a young girl seeking closure for her sister’s murder.

Priya Sravasti’ is being targeted by a serial killer; the same killer that murdered her sister several years ago. The majority of the narrative is told through Priya’s POV. She is struggling to cope with her sister’s death, her father’s abandonment, and her desire for revenge.

At the same time, Priya is being protected by the Quantic0 3, a group of FBI agents on the hunt for the serial killer.

The reader also gets glimpse into the killer’s mind, as some of his previous murders are detailed.

The Roses of May is the follow up to The Butterfly Garden, which I did not read, so I might have a different perspective than other readers. I found it to be slow moving and I felt like I was just waiting to get the end for the inevitable to play out. Also, there some things that happen that are totally unbelievable and just didn’t work for me--I won’t name them because I don’t want to include any spoilers. However, Priya was an interesting enough character to keep me invested.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.