Out of the Woods

A Girl, a Killer, and a Lifelong Struggle to Find the Way Home

By: Gregg Olsen

Narrated by: Karen Peakes

From a girl’s abduction by a serial killer to the harrowing aftermath—a gripping and heart-wrenching true-crime story by Gregg Olsen, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of If You Tell.

In May 2005, authorities discovered the Groene family murdered in their Idaho home. The family’s youngest members—eight-year-old Shasta and her brother, nine-year-old Dylan—were nowhere to be found.

As a community prayed for their return, Shasta and Dylan were already miles away in the woods of Montana at the hands of serial killer Joseph Edward Duncan. After a harrowing forty-eight day ordeal, Shasta was rescued. In many ways, her survival story was only beginning.

In the following years, while Shasta struggled to outrun her trauma, a pattern of self-destructive behavior shadowed her like an ever-worsening thunderstorm. She still had hope buried deep inside. Every bit as much as the little girl who had been held captive in the woods. This would be an all-new battle for Shasta. And she was determined not to lose.

Out of the Woods is the haunting and intimate true-crime story of one of the most notorious criminal cases in American history—and a young woman’s journey to reclaim her life in its wake.

©2025 by Gregg Olsen. (P)2025 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Olsen, a prolific and popular author of multiple true-crime books and fictional mysteries, became close to his subject over several years. His chief concern here is to tell the story of the therapeutic work Shasta did to try to find her way “out of the woods” of her trauma. He weaves that somewhat hopeful story together with the nauseatingly disturbing details of the crime, each parallel path unfolding through the book, dropping hints along the way of ever worse revelations to come.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Novelist and true crime author Olsen (The Amish Wife) paints a heartbreaking portrait of a woman haunted by her narrow escape from a serial killer…As in Olsen’s previous works of nonfiction, there’s plenty of rigorous research on display, but it’s his empathetic consideration of what happens to high-profile victims after news cameras stop rolling that sets this apart…It’s moving stuff.”—Publishers Weekly

“Prolific true-crime author Olsen offers another exemplary narrative of unimaginable trauma that packs an emotional punch.”—Booklist

The resilience of an eight year old girl.

Warning: This is a book about children sexual assault.
If you are not prepared to read about the heinous, horrendous, awful, unspeakable or shocking things done to children. Don’t read this book.

This book follows Shasta Greene from the horrific night in May of 2005 when Joseph Edward Duncan III murdered her family and abducted her and her 9 year old brother.

Olsen’s demonstrates his mastery again of True Crime story telling.

very difficult but so worth it

This is an incredible yet horrific true story of survival by a child who outsmarted a maniacalserial killer. The writing is excellent and gives great psychological insight. Shasta is an amazing human being and shows a strength beyond human understanding.

Disturbing but good

Some very raw and disturbing content, but because this is a true story, it gets 5 stars. No one should have to endure what this child went through.

SHOCKING!!!

The saddest story ever and I will pray for the little girl that had everything taken from her!

Excellent book/ account of events–brace yourself

Brace yourself to take in this story. I followed the events on the news from the time the children disappeared, and ironically ended up living part time in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. I have thought of Shasta many times since her rescue and wondered how her life must be now. I did not expect all that this book recounted and it's frankly quite hard to listen to. It's pretty graphic and difficult to imagine that one person could be such an evil f*cked up human who would do such unimaginable things to children. Luckily he's burning in hell–too bad it wasn't from justice under the law. Maybe burning in hell is his final justice. Shasta, to you I wish the very best of a calm, rewarding and fulfilling life of love and happiness. I'm glad you got to tell your story. To the author, well done. As a reader, I feel you gave a voice to Shasta.