The Roses of May by Dot Hutchison
Publish date:First published May 23, 2017
Genre: Crime thriller, mystery, horror
Content warnings: murder, stalking, grief, trauma, emotional manipulation, detailed discussions of violence against young women, themes of loss, survivor’s guilt, and family conflict, trauma, psychological tension
Short description: A chilling follow-up to The Butterfly Garden, Dot Hutchison’s Roses of May follows Priya, a young woman still reeling from her sister’s unsolved murder. As she struggles with grief and fear, she becomes the target of the same killer who has been hunting girls across the country. With the FBI watching over her, and her bond with Inara from book one offering quiet strength, Priya must find a way to reclaim her life while living under the shadow of a predator who always seems one step ahead.
This one follows Priya, a girl haunted by her sister’s unsolved murder, as she and her mom (too much of mom, IMO) search for justice while a new series of killings begins. I liked seeing how Inara, from The Butterfly Garden (book 1), tries to be a friend and anchor for Priya (book 2). But overall, this sequel didn’t feel as gripping as the first. Book 1 didn’t have any mystery, we all know what’s happening. Book 2 though made me expect some puzzles, but suspense wasn’t as sharp, and I found it easy to guess. Still, there were moments I enjoyed, and I’m curious enough to keep going with the series. Yaps.
Why and how I picked this book, and my first impressions
After finishing The Butterfly Garden, I knew I wanted to continue the series and see where Dot Hutchison would take the story next. I even read a classic that I thought was very close, but meh. The Roses of May doesn’t directly follow the same storyline but still carries over familiar characters, and a quick glimpse of what happened to our girls from book one, which pulled me in right away. The premise was this young woman haunted by her sister’s unsolved murder, mysteriously getting flowers. It sounded like a dark, emotional ride, so I went in expecting that same mix of beauty and horror I loved from the first book, and a sprinkle of “let me think about this” kind of mystery. I don’t know if it’s just me who hoped for one chilling puzzle, but unfortunately, it didn’t even give a chance to get confused who the killer was.Â
My reading experience
Honestly, the reading experience was a little uneven for me. At times, I felt pulled in by the intensity of Priya’s grief and the way the FBI agents cared for her like family. The diary-like parts or interludes from the killer’s perspective gave me chills, even though I sometimes wished they carried more weight. Don’t get me wrong. They’re awful. But I feel like I was missing some horror.
I also found myself growing frustrated with the amount of focus on Priya’s mom. Yes, she’s fierce and strong, but it sometimes overshadowed Priya herself, who should’ve been the emotional core of the story. I thought she’s had this big role or something, but nah.
And while I appreciated the inclusion of a potential found family/friends kind of thing with the chess men, I think it just made the ending feel soooo much predictable. Compared to The Butterfly Garden, this installment didn’t hit me as hard.
What I liked about the book was the emotional depth given to Priya and her grief. Even though the mystery was more predictable, the book still delivered powerful moments between (and within) characters. I liked seeing Inara and the other Butterfly girls step into a supportive role, forming a found family that gave Priya strength. I liked that that there were mentions of what’s up with the Butterflies and a kind of “closure” for Inara somehow.
Hutchison’s writing style still has that mix of haunting and lyrical that kept me turning the pages. I loooove that there are deep conversations, voicing out emotions and thoughts that are very difficult to put into words. It might not have the same shock factor as book one, but it gave me more personal moments that I appreciated. It’s still ew, though. Super crazy psycho killer here.
Themes, messages, overall impact
The book was heavy with themes of grief, resilience, and the many ways trauma shapes families and Priya, as a young lady. Priya was torn between her fear of becoming another victim and her need to claim her life back (and her fear of leaving her sister the second time), while her mother’s fierce protectiveness shows another angle of survival. Hutchison also keeps returning to the blurred lines between law and justice and how closure for families often doesn’t come neatly through courtrooms or police work. I liked how the story emphasized chosen family too, with the Quantico Three stepping in, when Inara being Priya’s penpal.Â
It’s not a bad book. It has strong moments and characters, but it doesn’t reach the same haunting intensity (and care, tbh) of The Butterfly Garden. I’ll keep reading the series because I want to see how it evolves, but this one didn’t stick with me as much as I hoped.
View my vlog about The Roses of May!
Picked up Roses of May again after putting it down for weeks, and this time I was out of the country for a workshop when I got back into it. Between long days and new surroundings, diving back into Hutchison’s world was a strange kind of comfort. I’m weird, I know.Â
Here are other reads if you liked or interested with The Roses of May
Click the book covers to go to Goodreads.
The Summer Children by Dot Hutchison
This FBI agent has come to expect almost anything—just not this…
When Agent Mercedes Ramirez finds an abused young boy on her porch, covered in blood and clutching a teddy bear, she has no idea that this is just the beginning. He tells her a chilling tale: an angel killed his parents and then brought him here so Mercedes could keep him safe.
His parents weren’t just murdered. It was a slaughter—a rage kill like no one on the Crimes Against Children team had seen before. But they’re going to see it again. An avenging angel is meting out savage justice, and she’s far from through.
One by one, more children arrive at Mercedes’s door with the same horror story. Each one a traumatized survivor of an abusive home. Each one chafing at Mercedes’s own scars from the past. And each one taking its toll on her life and career.
Now, as the investigation draws her deeper into the dark, Mercedes is beginning to fear that if this case doesn’t destroy her, her memories might.
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
The Lovely Bones follows the story of Susie Salmon, a fourteen-year-old girl who is brutally murdered and watches from her own personal heaven as her family, friends, and even her killer grapple with life after her death. Told through Susie’s perspective, the novel explores grief, love, loss, and the painful but inevitable passage of time, as she longs for justice and to help her family heal while remaining forever separated from them.
The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris
A serial murderer known only by a grotesquely apt nickname—Buffalo Bill—is stalking women. He has a purpose, but no one can fathom it, for the bodies are discovered in different states. Clarice Starling, a young trainee at the FBI Academy, is surprised to be summoned by Jack Crawford, chief of the Bureau’s Behavioral Science section. Her assignment: to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter—Hannibal the Cannibal—who is kept under close watch in the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane.
Dr. Lecter is a former psychiatrist with a grisly history, unusual tastes, and an intense curiosity about the darker corners of the mind. His intimate understanding of the killer and of Clarice herself form the core of “The Silence of the Lambs”—an ingenious, masterfully written book and an unforgettable classic of suspense fiction.
You May Also Like
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins-Reid
Betty by Tiffany McDaniel
