Out of the Woods

Gregg Olsen is the #1 New York Times and Amazon Charts bestselling author of more than thirty books, including If You Tell, The Amish Wife, I Know Where You Live, The Hive, Lying Next to Me, and The Last Thing She Ever Did; five novels in the Detective Megan Carpenter series; and The Sound of Rain and The Weight of Silence in the Nicole Foster series. His work has received critical acclaim, numerous awards, and prominence on the USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and New York Times bestseller lists. Washington State officially selected his young adult novel Envy for the National Book Festival, and The Deep Dark was named Idaho Book of the Year. The Amish Wife was a finalist for the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime. Born in Seattle, Olsen lives with his wife in rural Washington State and is already at work on his next book. Visit him at www.greggolsen.com.

“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“An unflinching look at the aftermath of unimaginable trauma and a testament to the human spirit’s capacity for strength and healing.” —Oprah Daily“Victims of the most heinous crimes aren’t always at the center of the story when the news cameras, podcasts, and true crime aficionados rush in to document the case. Often these victims are never the ones telling their story and when everyone moves [on] they are forgotten while their perpetrators live in infamy. Author Gregg Olsen seeks to remedy this situation in his newest work which considers what happens to those victims once everyone else moves on. Out of the Woods: A Girl, a Killer, and a Lifelong Struggle to Find the Way Home, is a heartbreaking tale that forces readers to confront the unbearably grim reality of survival. More than just the graphic details that happened to Shasta Groene in the Montana woods, Olsen take readers through the aftermath of what it actually means to have survived the unimaginable…An honest story at what it means to be a survivor. A story of trauma and survival that will send true crime devotees through a roller coaster of emotions and leave them shocked to their core.” —Associated Press“This book makes a significant contribution to the literature of trauma. It’s masterfully structured for emotional impact, while also urging us into better-informed discussions.” —Psychology Today“Out of the Woods is Olsen’s most important work. What happened to Shasta Groene is horrifying, and not just in the company of a sadistic, remorseless, torturous serial killer. It’s hard to believe she’s survived. Don’t read this book all at once. Absorb it. Feel it, if you can. I’m grateful to Olsen for his patience, compassion, and talent. He’s gone into a dark, inhumane place to offer us a powerful story that should have influence well beyond the arena of true crime.” —Dr. Katherine Ramsland, award-winning author of The Serial Killer’s Apprentice and Confession of a Serial Killer“Out of the Woods takes you into the dark nightmare world of eight-year-old Shasta. Gregg Olsen portrays her ordeal with compassion, understanding, and hope, providing an intense look at trauma and its effect on victims and those who love them. Out of the Woods is a remarkable, heartbreaking story told well.” —Diane Fanning, author of Lizzie“In Out of the Woods, Gregg Olsen unravels the horrific story of Shasta Groene, the survivor of a serial killer who lived to tell her darkest secrets, exclusively to him. This tale is so outlandish and shocking, it will haunt you forever. True crime fans, you have a rollercoaster ride waiting for you, so be prepared to be glued to your seat. Olsen has written a masterpiece!” —Aphrodite Jones, New York Times bestselling author of Cruel Sacrifice