Sandra Voss is a negotiator with the FBI whose brother was murdered. His killer is in prison and the story starts off with Sandra speaking at his parole hearing, against his release. She is soon called to a tense hostage situation while awaiting the parole boards decision. The next day her daughter is abducted and the story fully begins.

The story was enough to keep me interested and I enjoyed the twists and turns along the way. I enjoy and appreciate learning about the inner working in police procedurals, however I felt there was a bit too much explanation in this book and it took me out of the story.

Overall, the story was engaging and kept the suspense flowing. I think I would give it a higher rating had there been a different narrator. The narration did not work for me and detracted from the enjoyment of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the arc.

Save Her Life - Carolyn Arnold
Format: Audiobook
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Oh my greatness! What an incredible action-packed book! @authorcarolynarnold had me on the edge of my seat straight from the first chapter. The different scenarios that we get included in all add up to the exhilarating epic conclusion of the debut novel. Sandra Vos is my new favourite FBI agent, a hostage negotiater, which is such a welcome change to just your normal familiar agent. She is a calm yet terrifying person with an incredible mind. I loved that Arnold set each scene for us in such detail, and we get to experience the inside of these hostage situations from the law's side. I have to give credit to @kathrynakin01 for her phenomenal narration skills! She knew exactly what to do and how to say it, which added so much value to the book. I felt the tension, I could hear the suspense and fear! The only negative thing I can say is why have I only now discovered Carolyn Arnold!! She has an impressive list of novels behind her name, and I am so excited to see what else she has for me! Guys, if you are looking for an action-packed, suspenseful female FBI series.... this is the one! I suggest you run to the shops right now, go on, go!!!

Thank you to @netgalley and @bookouture for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

#fortheloveofreading📚❤️ #fortheloveofbooks #justonemorepage #bookscapemember #booksarebetterthanpeople #tiffanystales ##SaveHerLifeSandraVosBook1 #netgalley #netgalleyreviewer #carolynarnold #kathrynakin

This was okay—I enjoy a good mystery / police-procedural and this one had an added component: everything the female lead did, she mansplained to the reader immediately, so if you’re into learning, getting the ‘why’ in an investigation, you may find this interesting.

I found it interesting at times, and redundant at other times. I did, as a CJ major, find the bulk of it to be plausible, which is always a good touch.


Hostage negotiations.
Missing person.
Abduction.
Police procedural - federal level.

Overall:
Very slow-paced and I just didn’t care about the characters enough to get super into it.
But not bad by any means. 3 stars.


🎧 Audio:
Overall sound quality: a bit choppy.
Narration: robotic. Not good.

Carolyn Arnold delivers a gripping, high-stakes thriller in Save Her Life, a novel that masterfully blends intense action with emotional depth. At the heart of the story is a skilled negotiator whose professional expertise is put to the ultimate test when the life on the line is her own child’s.

The premise is both compelling and chilling, placing a unique twist on the classic suspense narrative. Arnold keeps the tension taut from beginning to end, crafting a story filled with sharp turns, psychological pressure, and an undercurrent of maternal desperation that adds emotional weight to every scene.

Fast-paced and relentless, Save Her Life is an edge-of-your-seat read that refuses to let go. It’s a powerful reminder that even those trained to defuse crises aren’t immune to becoming entangled in the most personal of stakes. This is a thriller that grips tightly and doesn’t let up until the final page.

Save Her Life
Sandra Vos #1
Carolyn Arnold
Special Agent Sandra Vos is a member of the FBI’s Critical Incident Response Group and the Crisis Negotiation Unit. Over thirty years ago Sandra’s twin brother was murdered. He was an innocent victim caught in a kidnapping gone wrong. The incident changed Sandra’s life; it is the reason she joined the FBI and became one of their most successful hostage negotiators. This tale begins with Sandra at a parole hearing for the man that shot her brother.
Sandra drove her teenage daughter to school. She is called to a possible hostage situation. A man in a grocery store has a gun; he refuses to allow anyone to leave the store until he gets his daughter’s medicine. As a hostage negotiator Sandra calmly talks to the HT. She is there for hours. As the HT surrenders, she receives a call, her daughter, Olivia, didn’t show up for her violin lesson. Olivia has been abducted. She has twenty-four hours to meet their demand. While Sandra knows she is too close to the case, and she should step down, but this is her daughter. Even knowing her daughter’s life is at stake she remained calm and allows her training to kick in.
I enjoyed listening to Save Her Life. I stayed glued to my tablet not wanting to miss a moment of the action. The character of 47-year-old Sandra is well developed. She is strong and calm although inside she was terrified. I look forward to learning more about her boyfriend. Her ex-husband was overconfident, egotistical and arrogant. I liked the way her team were there for her. The book had a feeling of tension. The grocery store hostage situation set the atmosphere. The story is told by the third person. The genre of this story is thriller, and suspense.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Safety info, content warnings and tropes down below.

I freaking love suspense novels, especially with law enforcement. It has been forever since I read one without a romance as well as a suspense plot though. Usually I need both to keep me invested (and I simply love romance), but this was really engaging and interesting. I was invested throughout the book and enjoyed it a lot.

It’s always more intense when a main character’s child is involved, and I loved exploring the MC’s struggle between reacting as a mom and staying professional through trauma. Sandra is a really badass main character; a crisis negotiator for the FBI. Although this isn’t a romance, she does have a lovely boyfriend/partner who supports her.

The narrator — Kathryn Akin — did a really good job with the story and all the emotional and suspenseful moments.

This works great as a standalones as there’s no cliffhanger or unsolved plot, but I might pick up the next one whenever it’s out anyway.

Thank you to NetGalley for this audio ARC.

Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️

⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
FBI negotiator
Single mom
Teenage daughter
Crisis negotiation
Suspense
Divorced MC
Action
Mystery thriller

⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Death of sibling (past, child murder)
Mention of parent deaths (past)
Parent with Alzheimer’s
Parent suicide (past, few details)
Hostage situation (unknown hostages)
Gun violence
POV chapter from intoxicated bad guy
Alcohol consumption
Death of hostage
MC’s teenage daughter abducted
Teenager held captive
Teenager drugged on page (chloroform)
Teenager injured on page (hit)
Side character murdered on page
Sexual harassment (forced to strip)
Suicide bombing — successful
Underage drinking

⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 3rd person, multi
Genre: Mystery thriller
Pairing: M/F
Strict roles or versatile: N/A
Main characters’ age: 47
Series: Series, standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 348
Happy ending: Yes

Save Her Life (Sandra Vos Book 1)
By Carolyn Arnold, narrated by Kathryn Akin

Special Agent Sandra Vos has had more than her share of ups and downs. She and her twin brother were orphaned at a young age but they were adopted by a loving and incredibly wealthy couple. But more thirty years ago Sandra's twelve year old brother was shot and killed and that event fueled Sandra's career choices. Now she is one of the FBI’s most successful negotiators and the loss of her brother is always on her mind when she's thinking of those being held hostage and their families waiting for them to be released. Anything but success feels like Sandra has failed her late brother.

The story starts out running, with Sandra taking over the negotiation of a hostage situation from someone else. But Sandra's TV exposure during the negotiations draws the attention of extremely unsavory characters and Sandra's daughter Olivia is kidnapped. With a 24 hour deadline, worries by others that she's too close to the case (such an understatement) and her daughter's extremely overbearing dad doing his best to up the overbearing quotient, Sandra's fighting losing battles on a number of fronts. But she also has some good people supporting her. It's hard knowing the suffering going on with the early group of hostages and then Sandra's daughter.

Kathryn Akin does a very good job with the narration, handling all the character voices adeptly. Since this book is listed as book #1, there should be more and I'm looking forward to seeing more of wealthy Sandra's massive "apartment".

Thank you to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for this ARC.

At the beginning I wasnt sure as this was my first exposure to this narrator but I soon got into the story and had to keep listening until late in the night . The female lead worked well and kept me engaged. I liked the dynamic with the ex-husband.

All in all a really good start to the series and looking forward to seeing how this develops

This is the first book in a new series featuring FBI Special Agent Sandra Vos. Sandra is alerted to a hostage situation at a local grocery store and races to the scene after the initial negotiator needs to leave. A man has pulled out a gun and is refusing to talk or let anyone of the building until his demands are met. Later, she gets a call - Sandra’s teenage daughter Olivia didn’t show up for her violin lesson. The abductor makes demands that push Sandra to the limit. While she knows she should step aside, she only trusts herself to bring Olivia back alive.

This is a page turner, suspenseful thriller that kept me fully engaged till the end. Arnold’s writing style pulled me into the story from page one. The plot is very interesting with great character development, specially being the first book in a series. Also the atmosphere and tension in this novel were fantastic. I really count put this down.

If you enjoy fast-paced thrillers, full of action, this is for you.

This is a non-stop nail-biter of a novel about an FBI hostage negotiator who entered the field after her twin brother was an innocent victim killed in a hostage negotiation gone wrong. We get an inside look at the psychology behind hostage negotiations plus some FBI “all hands on deck” scrambling to find a missing person. The stakes are high and time is running out. The writing and audiobook narration is good. It’s compulsive listening.
The story mentions then drops one line of inquiry (using dogs to find the missing person), and something very lucky happens at the end so everything is tied up with a nice bow. Those are my main nits with the book that slightly diminished my enjoyment. It’s the first in a new series, so it will be interesting to see how the characters develop.
My thanks to the author, publisher, @BookoutureAudio, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook of #SaveHerLife for review purposes. Publication date: 27 May 2025.

Thank you @bookouture audio and @NetGalley for the advanced listener copy of this audiobook.

The book sets up with a parole hearing, a hostage negotiation and a kidnapping, All unrelated events, or are they tied together in some way? Our female main character is a FBI special agent and hostage negotiator. She also has tragedy in her past.

While the hostage negotiation pace was a bit slower, the rest of the book clips along at a faster pace. I did enjoy the storyline and our strong female main character, however I didn’t feel the tension I would expect during a hostage negotiation or high stakes search for a kidnap victim.

This book is set in the DC area, but our narrator has a strong Canadian accent which created a bit of a disconnect for me. There was also reference to using the washroom, which further diminished the authenticity of the setting.

I rate this book at a 3.5/5, which for me is good but not great - some parts better than others. Rounded up to 4⭐️’s on platforms with “whole size” option only.

I do think going for the physical/ebook choice would be better for this one. I would consider checking out book #2 when it publishes in that format.

3.5 🌟

Save Her Life is the first instalment in a new detective series and we are introduced to FBI agent Sandra Vos just as she’s leaving the parole hearing for the man who murdered her brother, she’s barely got back to the car when she called in as negotiator on a hostage situation, as she’s wrapping up the scene, she received a call, it doesn’t take long to realise that this time, the case is personal.

I enjoyed that the author gave full descriptions of negotiation tactics without over simplifying or patronising. I enjoyed the character development and the history that makes Sandra the agent she is today, and I’m looking forward to seeing what’s next in the series.

Great narration by Kathryn Akin 🎧

Huge thanks to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ALC 🎧

4.5/5 start

Save her life follows Special Agent Sandra Vos who goes from handling a hostage situation to trying to track down here daughter who has been kidnapped. How far will she go to save her daughter and get her home safely?

This audiobook was fantastic!!! The story got me hooked right from the start and I finished it in two days. This book had twist after twist and was fast paced. It was easy to follow along and was one of the best books I've read/listened to this year.

Sandra’s twin brother died 33 years ago. He was shot in a kidnap gone wrong. This incident was very hard for her family and it made her join the law enforcement. Now she is one of the most successful negotiators in the country.

Sandra gets a call for a job. There is a hostage taker and the police can’t get in contact so she is now going to try to deescalate the situation and get the hostages out safely. She was making a lot of progress with the hostages and the hostage taker but then she gets a call that changes everything.

Sandra’s daughter, Olivia, didn’t show up for her violin lesson, so her violin teacher called to ask where she was. Sandra called around but nobody saw her daughter today. It started to dawn on Sandra that her daughter Olivia was kidnapped. She shouldn’t work on this case but she couldn’t do nothing when her daughter was in danger. She is breaking all the rules and crossing lines she shouldn’t cross, all in the hope that she can find her daughter in time.

This book was very suspenseful and I couldn’t put it down. The book was fast paced. There was always something happening or they found out something new.
This book was written in dual POV so you get the story from the side of Sandra and the person who took her daughter. This gave you both sides of the story.
I really liked Sandra’s character and how she grew as a person.
I listened to this book as an audiobook and the production was really great. I really liked the narrator and it was all very clear.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Bookouture Audio, the author and NetGalley for an ALC in return for an honest review.

The first 12 chapters of this book are full on...and then you realise that was just scene setting - it gets even more fast paced from then on!

FBI Special Agent Sandra Vos was first introduced to readers in a supporting role in <i>Hidden Angels, the 13th instalment of Carolyn Arnold's Detective Amanda Steele series</i>. She has now been given her own series and deservedly so! <b>Save her life</b> is the first thrilling instalment, scheduled for release on 27th May, closely followed by the sequel <i>Every last one</i>, kindle edition due to be released later this year on 18th November.

This is definitely one of my favourite books of the year so far! Carolyn Arnold is a new author to me but I will definitely be seeking out her books from now on. This fast paced thriller had me enthralled from the get-go, there was hardly any room to breathe as tension remained high throughout. I listened to it in one sitting whilst gardening, (Roo Day would be very proud of my habit-stacking!).

At 47, Sandra Vos breaks the mould in a genre that often leans toward male or youthful female leads. The author's choice to focus the story on a middle-aged, emotionally complex woman adds depth and realism to the overall story and makes a refreshing change. I quickly became invested in the personal and professional challenges of this strong female lead.

Very few novels can claim to be perfect, you can always find something not to like, whether it be plot holes, lack of momentum, bad characterisation or a weak ending. I can honestly say that there is nothing wrong with this book. In my eyes it is perfection!

#SaveHerLifeSandraVosBook1 #NetGalley

Title: Save Her Lifer
Series: A Sandra Vos Book #1
Author: Carolyn Arnold
Narrator: Kathryn Akin
Format: 🎧
Publisher: Bookouture Audio
Genre: Mystery
Audiobook Pub Date May 27, 2025
My Rating: 3.4 Stars
Pages: 346

Story starts with Special Agent Sandra Vos attending a parole hearing of Darrell Patton- a man who killed her fourteen old brother Sam an innocent victim caught in a kidnap gone wrong. Darrell has been sentenced to serve fifty years- however after thirty years he is pleading release as he has learned his lesson and is a changed man. The brother’s death devastated Sandra’s family, but it made her who she is today, one of the FBI’s most successful negotiators.
Sandra remains calm in stressful situations, is empathetic, sets a high standard for herself, and has an infallible memory. She’s dating a Washington D.C. metro police department detective, Eric Birch. Eric is extremely supportive and understanding of Sandra and they both have high profile and stressful jobs.

Sandra has a teenage daughter, Olivia. She dropped her off at school when she got a call from her boss regarding hostage situation nearby. A man has gun and is holding several people hostage at a local grocery store. He refusing to talk or let anyone out of the building until his demands is met.
Sandra is a good negotiator even though the local police would rather not have the FBI interfering.
Sandra is successful and the hostage taker does turn himself in.
Sandra is happy that it is over additional she gets a call that the parole Board did not grant Patton’s request.

Aww life is good.
However, the next day, Sandra gets a phone call from her daughter’s after school music teacher. Olivia has not shown up nor answers her sell. Sandra calls her best friend that yes they were together after school and Olivia left on time for her music lesson. Sandra asks if there was any reason why Olivia wouldn’t be answering her phone. Her friend thinks about the creepy guy who was watching them and gave a bad vibe. When Sandra finds out that a man has been release from prison that she helped capture.
Sandra is mow fearful Olivia, has been taken.

Next there is a demand that needs to be met within twenty-four hours, or she will never see her daughter again.

Story had me curious. I did like the info about Sandra’s home and personal life and I really liked the ending.

Want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for this audiobook.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for May 27, 2025.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the free audiobook in exchange for my honest review. Kathryn Akin does a great job narrating this story and making it an interesting listening experience.

Saundra is a FBI hostage negotiator and the story opens with her working a hostage situation at a grocery story. Just as this concludes, Saudra's daughter is kidnaped by former criminals that she arrested. The story focuses on Saundra's race to save her daughter.

This is the first book of a new FBI procedural series. It is well written, medium paced, and has likable characters. If you like police procedural stories, you will want to read this. I did not find that there was a strong tension build up so while not a cozy mystery, its not a strong suspense. Recommend!

In this first outing for FBI agent Sandra Vos, she is in a race against time to save a kidnapped teenager, who happens to be her own daughter. What a fabulous way to introduce a character, challenging all of her morals and ethics from the get go. I can't wait to hear more because I have questions, questions, questions...

What a great read! I devoured this audiobook in record time. This mystery thriller was captivating, entertaining and really interesting - from the hostage negotiator's perspective. I felt like I was being educated whilst also in the moment with the main character from the very beginning.

The narrator of this audiobook was the highlight. Sometimes it can be easy to drift away slightly when listening to an audiobook but this was not the case for this book. I also really enjoyed the wholesome relationships in this book. Though they didn't dive deep into each relationship, you had a sense of the depth between the characters.

I would recommend this to anyone looking for an interesting mystery to follow along with.

Thank you so much to Bookouture Audio for the advanced reader copy!

*ARC Review*

What a fabulous book! This is my first book by this author, but it won’t be my last.
“Save Her Life” is a gripping and thrilling novel and I couldn’t put it down! The characters are rich and the story is exciting. I was drawn into the story from the first chapter and it just kept getting better. I highly recommend this book!