This is the third book in the Collector Trilogy but I think it would be fine as a standalone. I did read The Butterfly Garden but not the second book and anything mentioned from The Butterfly Garden was briefly explained. This book focuses on FBI Agent Mercedes Ramirez who was an abused child and who was rescued. She went on to go to college and become an FBI Agent. Someone is murdering the parents of abused children and leaving them on Mercedes porch. This was basically a good read but it dragged on in places and I did not care for all the Spanish phrases that were peppered throughout the book since my Spanish is very limited.

I loved this series from the first book so I was super excited to be able to read the conclusion to the series. This is the final book in the Collector series by Dot Hutchison. This book focuses on the life of the girls after they were freed from the collector. What I didn't like to much was that it also focused on an agent who was looking at the case and it was about the agent solving that cause which didn't have much to do with the butterflies
at all. I didn't feel that this one stood out like the first one did. I did find it sad however to see how hard the girls struggled to deal with a normal life after they were freed. I can't imagine how hard that would have been. Just like the first two books Dot has a way with her words that really pulls the reader in and gets them invested into her characters. Her story telling ability is immaculate and I'm glad I got the chance to see how she finished the series.

The Butterfly Garden was a brilliant book. The author should have stopped there. Book 2 was awful, this one I found slightly better but it was slow, boring and fairly repetitive.

The Summer Children is the third and final book in Dot Hutchinson's The Collector Trilogy. The entire trilogy is brilliant, the final act did not disappoint and I highly recommend the series. Dot Hutchinson brings an amazing cast of characters to life and is an amazing storyteller. This novel was full of suspense; I just couldn’t put down. This was bittersweet because I really enjoyed this cast of characters but knew that this was the final book. My favorite is still The Butterfly Garden as it was my first introduction to Dot's work and I was drawn in to that novels dark and creepy setting. Mercedes's backstory was painful and so very emotional but I enjoyed seeing her successful career and drive to help children. This series is over, I look forward to Dot's next thrilling creation and hope we don't have to wait to long.

I devoured this book, I was a little hesitant after not devouring the second, but this did not disappoint. I couldn't put this down. Dot does an amazing job at developing these characters from start to finish. The story keeps you interested and intrigued the entire time.
This pulled at my heart strings in ways they haven't been pulled in a while. I recommended the first in the series until I was blue in the face and I will do the same with this one.

This may be the third (and I believe final) book in the Collector series, however it can be read and understood as a stand-alone novel. Yes, some characters from the first two novels are featured in this one, however it is done in a way where the reader doesn't get lost or confused.

This novel does touch on some disturbing realities (mainly the abuse of children and how in some cases the abuse is overlooked and/or the system has failed a child), however I feel the author's strong writing style make it more palatable than it otherwise may have been. The sad reality is, sometimes these things do happen and occasionally we as readers need to be taken to a place of discomfort in order to face the reality of the worlds.

I loved getting to see team Mercedes is a part of interact with each other. The obvious bond they had showed just how much they had been through as a team, and what they were willing to do for one another. I will say that while all of these characters are complex and strong in their own ways, Siobhan was not my favorite. I feel as though she had a lot of unrealistic expectations when it came to Mercedes and her job. Also, I enjoyed (as hard as it was) to learn Mercedes background. I think it spoke a lot to her character and why she acted (and reacted) in the ways that she did.

I would definitely recommend this novel to those who enjoy well written police and "whodunit" novels. I will be reading more from this author!

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

I thought this book was okay. There were quite a few Spanish phrases making me wish I knew Spanish! The book alternated between present time from the perspective of FBI agent, Mercedes Ramirez and past events. Admittedly I am a bit confused as to the character that the past events were associated with - I thought it was Mercedes, but then later it seemed like it could be the killer (or perhaps the past events alternated between telling what happened to Mercedes and other chapters on what happened to the killer?) I liked that it wasn't immediately obvious who the killer was - there were a few possibilities which made the book more suspenseful. I received an ARC from NetGalley - my opinions are my own.

I thought I could read this third installment in the series but apparently no. This story involves some of the characters of the previous books (not too much) and I felt lost. I found myself thinking "what do I care about Prya?" (I think that's the right spelling of her name), and was skipping anythinh related to her and those characters, which lead to me feeling at loss regarding other things in the story.

I don't know why I insist in reading books about child abuse either if they depressed me!

Anyway, the book is good. I was totally digging Mercedes until I started skipping content because of past characters I couldn't connect with.

Thank you Netgalley for procuring me with a free copy of this title.

The Summer Children is the last in the Collector series and what a series it has been. I can remember beginning The Butterfly Garden review with O!M!G! And it was an OMG! type of book. The entire series has been and The Summer Children just neatly wraps up all the loose ends. I highly recommend this trilogy but you MUST start at the beginning. I feel somewhat embarrassed to have not realized the significance of the FBI family/team from the very beginning so I might have to go back and reread the entire series.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and Ms. Hutchison for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased opinion.

4 stars!

“Those who turn to violence don’t usually have solutions to offer. Or they tried, and lost, and think this is their only way forward.”
The Summer Children is the third (and final) book in the Collector trilogy. The three books even though they are part of a trilogy can easily be read as standalones, they mention previous characters but not enough for the reader to get lost. This one features Agent Ramirez who works at CAC (Crimes against Children), she returns home one night to find a young boy in front of her house, covered in blood and clutching a teddy bear. The boy tells her that the angel killed his parents and then drove him to her house because she would keep him safe.

The pattern continues with even more children showing up at her door over the course of the investigation, both girls and boys and even siblings. While her team is trying to investigate who the killer is, we get flashback chapters of a child narrating their own abuse story and in the middle of the investigation, Agent Ramirez is dealing with her own traumatic past and family fallout as well as her relationship with her girlfriend who is admittedly shaken up to have all these kids showing up in the middle of the night.

“Children don’t get hurt in your little world.”
Dot Hutchison once more delivers a thrilling horror book I couldn’t put down, or get any sleep afterwards. It deals with a lot of abuse against children and I won’t lie, I skipped a few paragraphs here and there even though the book doesn’t go into explicit details. But it is so beautifully written, and Mercedes is a character who is always truthful with the young kids – as they too, have dealt with painful situations – that made her character so likeable and sympathetic.

The Summer Children is not my favorite book in the trilogy, The Butterfly Garden is a hard one to top – in general for its genre, I absolutely loved it – but it’s not as mild as The Roses of May but each book offers something different. The Butterfly Garden gives us an inside of a killer’s mind and MO, the whys and the hows, The Roses of May a bit more mother-daughter dynamic in the midst of a horrific situation and The Summer Children dives into the detective work. Each book has interconnected characters, Inara and Bliss from the Garden are back and I love them. Mercedes with Eddison, Sterling, and Vic are a tight group and their friendly banter brings a levity to the dark genre with a few jokes thrown in as well. Definitely a powerful ending to a haunting trilogy.

This was an excellent wrap up to the trilogy. I really enjoyed seeing the "girls" heal from all their trauma while supporting the FBI team through their own tribulations. While the previous two books were well written and engaging, this one took the cake. Agent Ramirez's story completely came to life and on several instances I had NO CLUE who the perp was going to be. The relationships were well developed and you could practically feel everyone's emotions. I really hope we can get maybe a novella or something with everyone a few years down the line again. I'd love to see more of Sterling and Eddison, they remind me so much of my husband and I.

DNF, thought it was a continuance of the butterfly garden and realized I was wrong. Just didn't grab me like the first book did, but will give it a try later on.

It was a interesting mystery that showed how the sins of the past effect the present in various ways. It

I have been dying to read the third book since I knew there was going to be one! This series is AMAZING. And the book made me love the series even more.

First, this is the third book of this series, and I highly recommend to read the books in order to understand this one. Even though people, and past events are told in this book, they are explained so you don't feel lost. But in my opinion it's better to read the other novels first.
FBI agent Mercedes Ramirez is coming back from a date with a fellow agent as she pulls up to her house she finds a bloody boy on her porch. The boy said someone came into his house and killed his parents, and made him watch. Mercedes is part of a unit: Crimes Against Children. So whoever left him there knows what her profession is and also knows Mercedes has a dark past.
As time goes by more children are left at her house with their parents murdered. Parents who were not good to their children, abusive parents.
Are these murders connected to Agent Ramirez's past? Is this person trying to destroy her career? Her mental state?
Past characters from the other 2 series show up. Sometimes it could get confusing with them, because their pasts come up and it could be hard to follow. Sometimes I had to reread certain chapters to understand. The mystery and suspense is great. Thrilling, to understand the mind of this murderer.

Absolutely loved this book, read The Butterfly Garden, 1st in the series and became hooked. Would definitely recommend this book and look forward to any other titles by this author *****

This book is the 3rd book in the Collector Trilogy, told from Mercedes Ramirez's point of view. This one is better than the second, but not as good as the first. The first in the series are usually better. Once you get over it not being about the Butterfly Garden, you can really get into the books. I love the way you still see a few of the characters from the first two books, and the ending was just how I would want it to be!

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this novel in exchange for my review.

I read The Butterfly Garden when it was first released. I loved it, devoured it. There was just the right amount of edge to it, and I was fascinated by the premise. When the second in the series was released, I couldn’t wait to read it. Sadly, it fell a bit flat for me. I didn’t like the characters as much, and the story didn’t grip me the way the first book did. Naturally, when the final book in the series was first brought to my attention, I was a bit apprehensive but definitely wanted to check it out.

The Summer Children seems completely different to me than the first 2 books, almost as if the writers of each book were different. I enjoyed it more than The Roses of May, but not nearly as much as The Butterfly Garden. I was a bit more intrigued by this story, and enjoyed the way the characters were all brought together for a neat, tidy finale. One of my only major gripes about the book was the amount of Spanish with no translation. I don’t speak Spanish, so this was confusing for me, and I feel like some of the lines were lost in Google Translation. But the story was solid, the murder mystery was creepy, and I was surprised at the outcome.

Love The Collector trilogy and for me this one is the best so far. Dot Hutchison is a spectacular author, she brings a chilling subject right to the core of our hearts and then warms us up again with character you route for and love.
FBI Agent Ramirez is being sent children to look after, literally to her doorstep. They are being saved from bad families by a person the kids call "The Angel". Ramirez is stuck between her own horrific past and the present of helping these kids, who have been told she is their safe person.
The relationships between each character is just amazing and so well written because you never forget them, even after putting the book down each year. The characters are defiantly what make this book so great.
Huchison is one of my best go to author and this book just jumped right into the top of my top 10 reads of 2018. 5* all the way!

The third novel in The Collector series is narrated by Mercedes Ramirez, an agent on Victor Hanoverian's team. I love that there's a different narrator in each of these novels, and Mercedes quickly wormed her way into my heart.

The mystery of the "angel" rescuing abused children by murdering their parents immediately caught my attention and didn't let go. I especially enjoyed reading the parts from the killer's point of view, and how Mercedes' past made this case so personal for her.

I was also thrilled that the Butterflies made an appearance (I'd love to read a novella from Inara's point of view), and that we got to see a lot of Eddison, Vic, and the new agent, Sterling. Hutchison has never failed in making me fall in love with her characters.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and hope that Hutchison will continue the series, as it has become one of my favorites.