BOOK REVIEW: The Butterfly Garden – by Dot Hutchison

Title: The Butterfly Garden
(The Collector #1)
Author: Dot Hutchison
Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
First published: April 26th 2016
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Finished reading: November 26th 2016
Pages: 288

“Some people stay broken. Some pick up the pieces and put them back together with all the sharp edges showing.”

I’ve been intrigued by this title ever since I first heard about it a few months ago, and the Goodreads Choice Awards were the perfect excuse to finally pick up my copy of The Butterfly Garden. And boy I definitely got more than what I had expected! This book is mentioned in the horror genre for a good reason, because this is without doubt one sick and messed up story. I will never look at my butterfly tattoo the same way again… The Butterfly Garden is a well written story, although the beginning and ending were a lot stronger than the middle part. In fact, the pace slowed down considerably at one point, almost dragged and it took me longer that imagined to finish it. I’m not sure if all of it is all that believable either (for example: why don’t those girls ever fight back?!?!). That said, it is without doubt one hell of a horror story and both the Gardener and the Garden itself very well executed. The Garden even sounds beautiful when you read the descriptions, until you start to think about the true horrors the place is hiding… Despite its minor flaws, I would definitely recommend The Butterfly Garden to anyone who enjoys a good horror read and doesn’t mind shocking and sensitive details.

The Gardener has build a beautiful garden nearby his isolated mansion, but his garden doesn’t only grow flowers and trees… A collection of ‘butterflies’ also live there; young women who have been kidnapped and intricately tattooed to resemble their namesakes. The Gardener is a brutal and twisted man, obsessed with capturing and preserving his lovely specimens… Until one day the garden is discovered. A survivor is brought in for questioning, and the FBI has a hard time piecing together all the details of what has to be one of the most stomach-churning cases of their careers. And the girl isn’t making it any easier for them… She seems to be hiding something, but what is it? And can her story be fully trusted?

This story definitely isn’t for the weakhearted: abuse, kidnapping and a very twisted story in general. For those who enjoy a proper horror story this will be an excellent read though. Sure, the middle part is a bit slow and takes a bit longer to read. Sure, the credibility of the plot might not be all that good. But there is one thing for sure: Dot Hutchison knows how to set the right atmosphere and create a pretty darn good creepy story.