Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review.

I was absolutely excited to read this book. I have loved loved all the previous books in this series. They were all very well written, entertaining and kept me on the edge of my seat. This was an amazing conclusion to a wonderful series. I would advise that one reads the books in order as it will give you a greater understanding of the characters.

I am so sad to see this series end and I hope that she will write more books soon.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
A little girl is kidnapped on the anniversary of the disappearance of Eddison's sister, Faith, and the similarities between the cases bring back all the pain and guilt. When they start to investigate, they find a string of disappearances of blonde haired, blue eyed girls across the country.
This was such a great series. I loved The Butterfly Garden and The Summer Children best and I was so excited to get a chance to read the series conclusion early. I love how close the whole FBI team has gotten and especially the relationship between Eliza and Bran. I look forward to seeing what this author writes next.

I love this series and I really hope this isn't the last book! There seemed to be much tying up of loose ends, making me think this probably is the final book, but I hope I'm wrong.

Each of the four books in this series is narrated by a different member of the FBI team. How much I liked each book is directly tied to how much I liked each character, but I still really liked all of them. Every book is fast-paced, intelligent, and often quite funny (I laughed out loud at least a few times). Whether she continues the series or not, this author has a fan for life in me!

*CRY CRY CRY*

Why is this amazing series over!!!
What an ending though! What a series! What a series.
Anyone who has been with this group since day 1 (ME!) will be sad to see these old friends go, but what an amazing ride! I can’t wait to see what else Dot Hutchinson has planned for future novels.
I can’t recommend this series enough…and now I must go pout in the corner over the loss of my “friends”

This is the fourth book in what I thought was a trilogy and I'm so happy I was wrong with that! To get the very best from it, especially with respect to the relationships between the characters, you would be better off reading the first three books before this one.
So, it's coming up on Halloween. A tricky time for Eddison as it was when his sister Faith went missing. To cap it all, there's an open case; a young eight year old has disappeared. If that wasn't enough, missing girl, Brooklyn Mercer, is the spitting image of Eliza. But they are professionals so the team start to look into it. Things go very dark very quickly when an old friend brings them some startling information linking Brooklyn's case to other missing girls, going back many years, cross country. Can they figure it out in time to save Brooklyn and give peace to the other families devastated by their own losses?
I was so sad when I thought the third book completes this series as a trilogy. I was devastated to leave these characters behind. Although I now have to go through that loss again, as this is the last in the series, I am so very glad I had this book to reconnect with them all once again. I really hope that maybe, in some way, these characters pop up in future books; even as cameos. That'll do me...
The plotting in this book is excellent as always. Although the subject matter is harrowing, I devoured this book in only a day, so eager I was to get to the bottom of things. Characterisation was excellent once again - both with development of existing characters and introduction of new ones, The author definitely writes wounded characters very well and always manages to evoke a multitude of emotions from me - for victims, perpetrators and investigators alike.
As the definite last in series, we also have a lot going on personally for some of the characters and the final chapters were so emotional for me as I have invested so much in the characters. Although I will miss them, I am glad where the author took them on their journeys.
All in all, a cracking conclusion to one of my favourite (albeit short) series. I don't know where the author will go next but I do know that I'll be there! My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I was really happy to receive an ARC from NetGalley. I’ve read all the previous books in this series and think this was a great way to end this collection of stories. This isn’t one you need to have read the others to enjoy. I’ll be sad to not have any additional books from this series to look forward to, but everything was tied up nicely and it’s been a fun journey to take into this fun group of characters.

This series started as a trilogy, but was changed to a series due to this fourth book. It wrapped up nicely, so I don’t really expect a fifth, but I certainly would love to read it if there is one!

I love this group of characters so much. The first in the series is a bit different than the others, but the last three follow a similar format, but each with a different main character from the Crimes Against Children division of the FBI. In this story, the team is working on a missing child case and discovers that it may be part of a larger pattern of cold cases.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Lou Jacobs's Reviews > The Vanishing Season

The Vanishing Season by Dot Hutchison
The Vanishing Season (The Collector, #4)
by Dot Hutchison
M 50x66
Lou Jacobs's review Apr 13, 2019 · edit
it was amazing

There is not a woman or man alive who can read this gem without crying! This is the fourth novel dealing with heart rendering cases of the Quantico based Crimes Against Children division of the FBI. The warmth of their relationships of the four members shines through their everyday good natured chatter and ribbing. The team consists of Eliza Sterling, Brandon Eddison, Cass Kearney and Mercedes Ramirez. Lead agents Eliza and Brandon are thrust into the investigation of the disappearance of blonde haired , blue-eyed eight-year old Brooklyn Mercer . The resemblance of Brooklyn to Eliza is uncanny and extremely disturbing. And to make matters worse ... Brooklyn's disappearance marks the 25th anniversary of Brandon's sister Faith's abduction. During the course of their initial fruitless investigation the team is contacted by retired Tampa Police Department Detective , Ian Mats. Even though retired he has been tirelessly investigating the cold case involving Faith. He uncovers a disturbing pattern of abduction of blonde-haired, blue-eyed young girls dating back decades and spanning across the country .... involving at least 17 girls.
Dot Hutchinson proves to be an excellent storyteller and weaves a convoluted and harrowing tale that will grab the reader by the heart and soul. Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer Publishing for providing an Uncorrected Proof of this novel in exchange for an honest review. I intend to immediately download the first three novels of this series. However, this novel can certainly be enjoyed as a standalone.

I loved this book. It was almost as good as the very first in the series, The Butterfly Garden. I loved her characters and I was glad to see them develop as the years went by. I am saddened this was the last in the series. I would definitely recommend this book, and the others in the series.

Every book in this series has been an emotional rollercoaster and this final one lives up to it's predecessors. I laughed, cried, got angry, and smiled. Wrapping up the mystery of Bran's sister that has been an ongoing plotline throughout the series, this story wraps things up quite satisfyingly. Beautifully written with compelling stories and complex characters. The Butterfly Garden drew readers in with an emotional gut punch. The Vanishing Season closes things out with a bang and a sigh. Sad to see it end, I know this is a series I will reread many times.

This was better than the last two books in this four book series, but nothing will top The Butterfly Garden. This story seemed to drag on for me and I got bored easily. I won't be recommending this to others as the only one that I enjoyed was the first book.

Absolutely wonderful! I have read all four books in this group, and wish there were more to come. The main characters (Agents and young ladies from previous stories) in these stories are so lovable and absolutely like family. This story line was very sad and I found myself somewhat empathetic when things unfolded. This book brought out so many emotions.. I laughed, I cried (many times), and I found myself cheering at different times.
If you're searching for something that will touch deeply, this story, as well as the previous three are really good choices. I can't say enough about this series, except I don't want them to end!

I agreed to give a review for the chance to read this book, and I am very thankful to NetGalley for allowing me to do so. Dot Hutchinson, You Rock!


If I could give more than 5 stars, I certainly would!!!

This was a bit of a tear jerker for me. This is the fourth book in the collector series (The Butterfly Garden, The Roses of May and The Summer Children), and though it's part of a series, I think it could be read as a stand alone. This one starts off with the disappearance of a child, quickly thought to be a kidnapping and the specialized FBI Crimes Against Children Unit are brought in to investigate. The abducted child very closely resembles the sister of FBI agent Eddison who had also been abducted as a child, at a similar age, and with similar looks blonde/blue eyed. The team quickly determines that it's not a coincidence and there are many children taken at a similar age with similar looks that have never been found. The story moves along at a brisk pace, the perpetrator is identified fairly early (I thought). The latter part of the book is the real tear jerker part and I won't spoil it, needless to say I would recommend keeping kleenex close by. Overall I really enjoyed this series and and am sad to see it end. I will look for more from this author.

This is the fourth book in the series and is even more dark than the other three - wonderful conclusion to a great series. Can be read as a stand alone but I recommend reading all the novels to completely grasp the beauty in this macabre series. Well done Dot!

All I can say is wow! Best series of books I have read in along time! Be prepared to fall in love with these characters!

I am heartbroken that this is the end of the series.

Was so happy to discover there was a fourth book in this series! It was a perfect conclusion to the story and I laughed and cried throughout. One of the best series of books I’ve read, would definitely recommend!

An eight year old girl vanishes on her way home from school and the entire Crimes Against Children team are called into action. This case has struck a nerve with Brandon Eddison, one of the FBI agents, because it's the 25th anniversary of his little sister's disappearance. As the search begins to intensify, a figure from Eddison's past may have information that will blow this case wide open. Dot Hutchinson has created with "The Collector" books a core group of characters who as the series progressed expanded and developed into a non-traditional family that I love. She has cast a spell through her captivating and intriguing writing throughout the series and has delivered the perfect conclusion. Although disturbing and graphic at times, if you haven't read "The Collector" series I highly recommend it.

This is the last book in The Collector Series and Dot Hutchinson rounds it out nicely. The book can be picked up and enjoyed by new readers and it also flows nicely with the three other novels in the series. Readers finally get some long-awaited answers regarding one of the anticipated story lines that has arced over all four books. As this is the last book in the series, Hutchison mostly falls back on familiar characters and wrapping up their plot lines and giving a glimpse into their futures. It was a nice wrap up to the series and the novel was intriguing all on its own. 4 stars.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC of #TheVanishingSeason

The perfect ending to this series.

The Butterly Garden will definitely be my favorite but this book was an emotional ride and a very close second. Getting to know the agents through the first three stories gave this book such a different meaning. The team is brought in when a little girl disappears. Her resemblance to Eddison’s missing sister is apparent immediately. Their search for one girl uncovers more than they could even expect to find.

It may have to do with the fact that I’m a blonde haired, blue eyed girl but this book was eye opening to just how quickly life can be changed when a child is alone on the street. You’d care about her even if you didn’t know her. The fact that the case brings you so close to Eddison’s life it felt way more emotional. Over the course of three books he’s grown into so much more than a rough edged agent he was in The Butterfly Garden. Eliza’s envolvment brought the agent perspective we’re so used too. Her involvement with Eddison allows use to understand how truly difficult it can be working with the families of children who are missing or have been found with a less than ideal outcome.

FBI agents Sterling and Eddison are called in to investigate a missing child scenario. The child looks eerily like Eddison's sister who disappeared years ago and was never found. The missing child also is a dead ringer for Agent Eliza Sterling which may help or hinder the investigation. As the two try to race the clock and uncover other blond haired girls who have gone missing around the country over the past 10-20 years they must rely on each other and their teams to prevent any other young girls from going missing. Suspenseful, interesting and fast paced novel.