Save Her Life by Carolyn Arnold is the first book in her new Sandra Vos series. We meet FBI Special Agent Sandra Vos, who is a long-tenured negotiator. On her way home from testifying at a parole hearing, Sandra gets a call to help at a store, where customers are being held hostage in a tense situation at a grocery store. Sandra is determined to convince the man holding them hostage to free them, but a few hostages were hurt. Sandra does all she can to get him to give up, but hours pass, until she finally gets him to give up.

While Sandra is back in the office filling out her paperwork, she discovers that someone has taken her daughter, Olivia. With help with the FBI team, they try to figure out who is behind the kidnapping. Sandra has a very little time to find a way to rescue Olivia, and when they narrow down the possible suspects, she recognizes who the kidnapper is. The man who she attended the parole, turns out to be one of his cronies, and he wants the gold that only the imprisoned person knows where it is. The kidnapper demands Sandra to find where the gold his, and if she doesn’t find it, he will kill her daughter.

Sandra knows she should let her team take over, but she is desperate and insists that she needs to trust only herself to bring Olivia home alive. Sandra finds herself trying to fill two roles as an investigator and a mother. The pressure rises, as he ex-husband, Nolan arrives to help; and the FBI team escalates as they get closer. She has to race against time to save Olivia, not losing sight of the ticking clock.

Safe Her Life was a tense, exciting, emotional story line, that kept me glued to my kindle. Sandra turned out to be a fantastic heroine, especially with her whole team cooperating and sympathizing with her. Her ex-husband nearer to the end, also helped to save Olivia. Safe Her Life was so very well written by Caroyln Arnold. I suggest you read Safe Her Life was a fantastic thriller.

Having never read a book by Arnold before, what better way to start than the first in a promising new series featuring the FBI's Special Agent Vos.

I do love a book with a strong female lead. Sandra ticked all the boxes for that...she's works for the FBI for starters! Calm, collected and the memory of an elephant, she has it all!

She comes with a great cast of side characters and we get to know her on a personal level too with glimpses into her personal life and relationship with Eric. I'm invested already!

An enjoyable, engaging read.

A complete rush from the very beginning to the thrilling end!! Special Agent Sandra Vos, one of the most successful negotiators for the FBI, is called to a hostage situation. A man is holding approximately forty people in a pharmacy demanding the medication that his daughter needs. Having to contend with a lieutenant who wants to have SWAT rush the building, will she finally resolve the situation with a minimum loss of life? Finally able to leave the scene, she has an appointment with the parole review board in regards to the man who killed her twin brother in a hostage situation years ago. She is determined that others not suffer her brother’s fate. Later, trying to contact her daughter, Olivia, she is unable to reach her. As she continues to worry, her team searches video feeds near where Liv was last seen, Sandra realizes that her daughter has been kidnapped, but by who and why? Her team researches her previous cases for someone who has expressed a grudge against her and the hunt begins. Finally, contacted by the kidnapper will set her on a course as a negotiator for the most personal case she will ever handle. This is her daughter and she won’t rest until she is free, even if it she must sacrifice her own life! I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

Save Her Life kicks off Carolyn Arnold’s brand-new series featuring Sandra Vos, an FBI negotiator and single mom doing her best to protect lives—both on the job and at home.

From page one, this gripping thriller doesn’t let go. Sandra Vos, a top FBI negotiator and single mom, takes the lead in Carolyn Arnold’s newest series. When a hostage crisis hits close to home, Sandra is forced to make impossible choices—not just as an agent, but as a mother. This isn’t just another case... it’s a fight for everything she holds dear.

What starts as a seemingly standard hostage negotiation suddenly turns into something way more personal for Sandra. One minute she’s handling a crisis at a local grocery store, and the next, one phone call turns her entire world upside-down. The stakes are high, and as the pressure mounts readers experience it right along with her.

Arnold delivers the perfect balance of action and emotion. You’ve got mounting deadlines, tense standoffs, and all the high-stakes drama you’d expect from an FBI investigation—but there’s also a deep personal layer that pulls you in even more. Sandra may be a top negotiator, but she’s a mom first. And when that part of her life gets dragged into the chaos, you can’t help but keep turning the pages to see how she holds it all together. It’s not just about solving the case—it’s about seeing how far a mother will go when everything’s on the line.

Amid the chaos, readers are given intimate glimpses into Sandra’s personal life—her past and present—adding emotional weight to every decision she makes. Seeing aspects of the story unfold through the antagonist’s eyes adds an extra layer of suspense, making every twist feel even more dangerous. 

Save Her Life is not just a gripping crime fiction—it’s a tale of personal sacrifice, maternal instinct, and unshakable resolve. Carolyn Arnold has crafted a compelling series debut that blends heart-pounding tension with emotional depth. I look forward to the next book in the series.

Save Her Life by Carolyn Arnold is the 1st book in the new FBI Special Agent Sandra Vos. and I loved it. It was a completely addictive and gripping FBI mystery thriller and my earphones in all day listening to it to the very end. Great start to a new series and I loved FBI Special Agent Sandra Vos, character especially as she was mentioned in Book 13 in the brilliant Detective Amanda Steele series - which I enjoyed reading. So, I was very happy Carolyn the author started a series about her! Well Done. . .

First installment in a new mystery thriller series.

Special Agent Sandra Vos is a hostage negotiator for the FBI. She’s divorced and has a teenaged daughter, Olivia, and an ex who works for the Hostage Rescue team against counterterrorism. The beginning of the week finds Sandra trying to talk down a man who has holed up with a bunch of customers in a pharmacy. Then she has to attend a parole hearing for a man who killed her twin brother 30 years ago. The week gets worse when 16-year-old Olivia is kidnapped.

I had a hard time with this book. I feel like there’s no way Sandra would have been so involved in a case involving her own daughter. There were many parts of the book where I felt like I was reading a primer on negotiation and many parts of the story got bogged down by dialogue that didn’t advance the plot. I never got attached to any of the characters who were all very one dimensional. The action proceeded as expected and the ending was predictable. I don’t think I will read any further installments in this new series.

I listened to the audiobook while also following along in the e-book, both provided by the publishers. The narrator, Kathryn Akin, did an OK job but most of the voices sounded way too much alike. This could have benefited with a larger cast or at least a male voice as there were many male characters.

A new series for Carolyn Arnold. I was excited to pick this one up. Those of you that have been awhile know how much I love female law enforcement books.

Yes, this book is about the hostages and the kidnapping of Olivia, Sandra’s daughter. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see if Olivia would get home safely. But it’s so much more than that. Carolyn makes Sandra such a relatable character. We see her as she deals with the recurring trauma of losing her brother at a young age. We see her as a daughter to a mother with dementia. We see her as a single mom, and divorcee. And we see her as an FBI Special Agent. There are so many layers to Sandra.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for my copies of this book.

Arnold has done it again - a gripping tale with high stakes, and a mother’s dilemma that will have your heart in your throat. Sandra is an amazing woman, and in her shoes, I can honestly say I’d find it difficult to step aside as well if my daughter was taken. Getting to see things from the opposition’s side of view only heightened the tension we feel, and really tightened that twisting feeling in your gut, and got your heart racing even faster. The story moves along at a quick pace, and you’ll find it very hard to stop reading once you start, so make sure you set aside time to read this before diving in! With unforgettable characters and an opening that grabs you from the start, this is one thriller you don’t want to miss!

Save Her Life by Carolyn Arnold introduces a new character, Sandra Vos, who is an FBI agent specializing in hostage negotiation. We meet her as she is testifying against the parole of the man who killed her twin brother, years earlier when they were fourteen. A hostage situation gone bad. On her way back to town she was called back to relieve a negotiator who had been working all day. She always tried to resolve things with no one getting hurt. Not everyone at the scene shared that desire, but she was able to end it peacefully. She returned to the office to write it up and got a phone call from her daughter’s violin teacher. Olivia had not arrived. That kicked Sandra into overdrive and her partner, as well. That was to follow was several sleepless nights and a lot of panic as they raced to get to Olivia before the nut job that had her lost his patience.

Excellent police procedural. With the full force of the FBI behind her, Sandra looked at the video of her being snatched and recognized the culprit, who was not at all who she thought it was. They jut had to find him, now. To do that she had to speak to her brother’s murderer, but she would do anything for Olivia. She called her ex-husband, who was in Turkey, despite the fact she worried how he would respond. He tended to go off half-cocked. Sandra had a supportive boyfriend, Eric, who was a police detective. They kept their relationship quiet because of their related jobs. He was always there and helped where he could. It was a stressful time and Arnold got on the stress to the page. She also gave us some interesting characters for the future. Vos is going to be a good character. I am looking forward to more.

I was invited to read Save Her Life by Bookoutre. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Bookoutre #CarolynArnold #SaveHerLife

Special Agent Sandra Vos is an exceptional FBI agent known for her professionalism. She also has a strong bond with her daughter, Olivia. When Olivia goes missing, Sandra is determined to find her, putting aside her professionalism, often letting her emotional side take over.

Readers first met Sandra in the exceptional Amanda Steele series, and now she has her own series. Readers will likely be equally intrigued by this new series.

Sandra is certain that she will find Olivia. Her determination is fueled by the strong feeling that her daughter is not just missing but has been taken. Olivia’s safety is Sandra’s top priority, a relatable concern for any mother. However, as Sandra is one who has witnessed the worst that society has to offer feels utterly helpless with Olivia missing, the urgency and intensity of the book rise exponentially.

Listening to the expertly narrated audiobook was captivating. The side stories and their connections to the present were intriguing. I also enjoyed the setup of the Sandra Vos series and the character development. The alternating points of view from the kidnappers’ perspective added to the urgency of this compelling read by Carolyn Arnold.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

2⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an advanced copy of Save Her Life.

Sandra Vos is a FBI hostage negotiator and she is testifying in a parole hearing for the man who killed her twin brother. She makes sure he will stay behind bars. But when her teenage daughter Olivia is abducted she vows to do whatever it takes to get her back.

I liked certain aspects of this book but there was a lot going on and it was very overly descriptive which made the story drag.

Disclosure. This is a review of an ebook I was sent for free. All opinions are my own.

This is the first title in the new Sandra Vos series.

The prologue sets the scene, with a teenage girl being abducted from a busy street. How with people all around?

The main story begins 2 days earlier, where we are introduced to Sandra Vos, giving a statement as to why prisoner Darrell Patton should not be released early. Patton killed Sandra’s twin brother Sam over 30 years ago. Sandra is an FBI Special Agent with the Crisis Negotiation Unit, and she has barely got back from the hearing, when she is called into work to handle an armed hostage situation at a grocery store.

Its complicated and she’s treading on egg-shells as she attempts to negotiate a peaceful way out with the hostage taker.

Meanwhile we get flashbacks to when Sam died and updates on the verdict regarding Darrell Paton’s early release request. Is it granted or not? Plus Sandra’s home life is fleshed out, as we meet her teenage daughter Olivia, her adoptive mother who has dementia and her boyfriend Detective Eric Birch.

But then work and home collide, when Olivia goes missing en-route to her violin lesson. Her colleague Brice helps her search the area where Olivia’s phone last pinged, but all they find is the phone. Where is Olivia? Who has taken her and why? Can they find her in time?

I was soon hooked into this new series and didn’t want to put the book down.

My only tiny gripe is with having to guess what shorthand K-9 is, namely police dogs.

A compelling gripping tale. I’m really looking forward to the next installment in this series.

Intense suspense and heartwarming main character! Carolyn Arnold is setting the stage for so much good suspense to come with the first book in her Sandra Vos series. I loved Sandra and can't wait to see more. Her backstory is well developed and gives the reader a strong inclination to like the things that drive her to take down the bad guys. Her private life is intriguing with a teen daughter to raise, an ex-husband she has to make nice with and a boyfriend she doesn't advertise. The twists in the story made for lots of danger and excitement. I'm hooked!

This new series by Carolyn Arnold will take over your life from the beginning pages and not let go until you finish it. So, plan to read and do nothing else once you start it.

Sandra Vos is a top negotiator for the FBI. She has a unique ability to put the hostage taker at ease by making him or her feel that she truly understands their feelings. Her main goal is to prevent death and/or injury to anyone, including the hostage taker. This is very personal for Sandra because she lost her twin brother many years go in a hostage standoff. This is one of the many things that make her so good at her job.

Her skills are about to be truly tested. When she receives a chilling phone call that no parent wants to receive. Someone has taken her daughter, Olivia. Negotiating the release of perfect strangers is one thing, but negotiating the release of her own daughter is quite another. This will bring back every memory of that fateful day she lost her brother.

The tension is palpable and chilling at the same time. This book was part police procedural/mystery/thriller which made it even more interesting. It had the best of all of those types of books. Sandra Vos was made of pure steel. She is a very interesting character, and I look forward to reading more about her in future books. You can never go wrong with a book by this author, as she knows how to pull the reader into the story so that you feel as if you have lived there for a little while.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This kicks off with a powerful setup: FBI negotiator Sandra Vos finds herself at the center of a tense hostage crisis—only to learn that her own daughter has been kidnapped at the same time. The emotional intensity is undeniable, and the plot offers plenty of suspenseful moments that kept me turning the pages.

Sandra is a compelling character shaped by past trauma, and the story does a good job showing the emotional weight she carries. The personal stakes are sky-high, and that adds depth to the action. However, the pacing dragged at times, especially in the middle, and I found myself wishing things would move along a bit faster.

One major sticking point for me was plausibility. It strained belief that Sandra would be allowed to remain in charge of a case so intimately connected to her own family. While it made for an emotionally charged story, it also felt unrealistic from a procedural standpoint.

Still, if you’re willing to suspend some disbelief, this is a tense, emotionally driven thriller that delivers on character and suspense. Not perfect, but definitely worth a read.

This fast paced suspense ride grabs you from the beginning. Before I knew it a few hours had passed and I was at the end. I love Sandra. She's different from other female FBI characters I have read. I will be looking forward to the next book.

As the first in the series, I wonder how many of my issues stemmed from the fact that we are getting the background and set-up for the rest of the series. But I struggled to get into the meat of this story and found the beginning particularly slow moving. There were a lot of details in hostage negotiations, and it felt a bit tedious. I do appreciate that this is a different approach for a crime/police procedural, taking the perspective of a hostage negotiator. Once I read deeper into the story, I got hooked into the mystery and felt pulled along. I'm curious where the story will lead! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to provide my honest review.

Sandra Vos is as cool as a cucumber as a hostage negotiator for the FBI.
She’s in a relationship with a DC cop and has a 16 year old daughter.
I loved this new series because I’m addicted to crime fiction and love series that portrays women in law enforcement.
I learned a lot about the acronyms and tactics while reading this book.
I also loved that Sandra held her own in a testosterone filled environment.
Can’t wait for the next one!

A new series by Carolyn Arnold? Yes please!
Save Her Life is book one in the Sandra Vos series by Carolyn Arnold.
A compelling and addictive FBI mystery thriller story.
The characters were engaging and the plot was intriguing. The writing was fluid and the twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat.
The book had some great twists and was hard to put down.
Arnold takes her fans on a journey filled with mystery, suspense and shocking moments.

Thank You NetGalley and Bookouture for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Wooden shoes, wooden head, wooden listen.

That quote was from a colleague kidding Sandra Vos about her name. Interestingly enough, it was her name that caught my attention and helped me decide to try this new series. Why? Vos is a Dutch name that I recognized from my hometown and since I have almost 100% Dutch ancestry, I was intrigued.

Sandra Vos is a determined negotiator. She has perfected the art of convincing the Hostage Taker (HT) that she is on his/her side. The book begins with a tense hostage situation in a market. While the blow by blow is quite interesting, I found that at times Sandra is redundant on explaining to the reader why she is saying or acting in a certain way. If she were a man, I would accuse her of mansplaining.

The bulk of the book is an even more perilous case for Sandra's family with her daughter in danger. This was more showing and less talking. It was fascinating to see the team pursue the investigation and work against the clock to get Olivia back home.

I paired the DRC with an audio copy narrated expertly by Kathryn Akin -- she sounded just how I imagined Sandra Vos would sound. Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the audio and digital ARCs in exchange for an honest review.