Save Her Life kicks off Carolyn Arnold’s brand-new series featuring Sandra Vos, an FBI negotiator and single mom. In this installment, Sandra, faces her toughest assignment, negotiating for the life of her child.

Author(s): Carolyn Arnold
Series: Sandra Vos #1
Published by Bookouture on May 27, 2025
Pages: 348
Genre(s): Crime Fiction
Source: Netgalley
Format: eArc

Purchase: Amazon|Audible
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Series Rating:





The tears fall down the girl’s pale face as she desperately tries to struggle free from the ties around her wrists. The only sound in the room other than her muffled cries is the ticking of a clock. Her mother has less than one hour to find her alive.
It’s been more than thirty years since Special Agent Sandra Vos’s twin brother was shot dead, an innocent victim caught in a kidnap gone wrong. It devastated Sandra’s family, but it made her who she is today, one of the FBI’s most successful negotiators.
After dropping her teenage daughter, Olivia, at school, Sandra is alerted to a potential hostage situation at her local grocery store and races to the scene. A man has pulled out a gun and is refusing to talk or let anyone out of the building until his demands are met. The fate of dozens of lives rests in Sandra’s hands.
But as Sandra starts to make a breakthrough with the hostage taker, she receives a call that makes her blood run cold. Someone has taken Olivia, and their demand will push Sandra to her absolute limit. If it’s not met within twenty-four hours, she will never see her daughter again.
Sandra knows she should step aside, letting her team take over, but she doesn’t trust anyone else to bring Olivia home alive. Breaking every rule in the book, Sandra is ready to go into her most personal negotiation yet. But how much will she have to sacrifice to save her daughter?
A totally gripping new series which will have you turning the pages long into the night. Perfect for fans of Kendra Elliot’s Mercy Kilpatrick series, Mary Stone and Elle Gray.
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. A hostage crisis forces Sandra to choose between duty and family. 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. 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, one is compelled to turning the pages to see how she handles it. 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. This made 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. A compelling read. I can’t wait for the next installment!
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- Save Her Life: Carolyn Arnold - June 2, 2025
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- Bracing the Storm: J C Reed - May 27, 2025
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

This sounds like a great start to an intriguing new series. This isn’t an author I’ve read before, but I think I want to check this one out.
oh the start of a series. I should track this one down.
Wow! That would definitely be gripping.
Great review, Nadene. I did a read/listen with this one, and enjoyed it. I didn’t want to start a new series, but it is Carolyn Arnold.
This sounds fantastic!