Where There Is Evil: An Extraordinary Quest to Find the Truth about the Disappearance of an Eleven-Year-Old Girl

by Sandra Brown

‘Completely gripping . . . Sandra Brown found evil in the person of her own father; and she confronted it as few could have done . . . Everyone will want to read this amazing story’ – Andrew O’Hagan, author of Caledonian Road

Sandra Brown was eight when her friend and neighbour, twelve-year-old Moira Anderson, disappeared from the small town of Coatbridge near Glasgow in 1957. Moira has not been seen since.

Twenty-seven years later, at a family funeral, Sandra’s estranged father confessed to her that he had been involved in the girl’s disappearance. Appalled by his curious half confession, Sandra began to delve into the case and in so doing discovered that her father was a child molester whose activities were known not just to everyone in Coatbridge, but also to the police.

The horrifying jigsaw she pieced together, along with the admission her father had made, ultimately convinced Sandra that he had been responsible for Moira’s death nearly fifty years ago. Where There Is Evil is the remarkable story of Sandra’s quest to unravel the mystery and see justice done.

‘Inspirational . . . This book is not only important but unique’ – Jimmy Boyle, author of A Sense of Freedom

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime, Mystery, Memoir, True Story, Biography

381 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 20, 1998

About the author

Sandra Brown is a Scottish campaigner and leading expert on child protection issues. She has also achieved wide recognition as a writer, broadcaster and actress.

Librarians note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[♥ Marlene♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

On Monday, March 19, 2007 I wrote about this book:

8 out of 10
Great read. Finished it in 1 day .I always hate when I finish a good book cause I have to start to decide which book to read next.

I still find it unbelievable how this story ended (won't spoil)

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Over the years I have read various newspaper articles about the disappearance of Moira Anderson without having a stronger opinion about possible events other than wishing she was found, for her family's sake. I remember when Sandra Brown first hit the headlines stating that she thought her own father was responsible and wondering what on earth had possessed her to turn against him so categorically. I also remember reading the news article that stated that Alexander Gartshore, Sandra Brown's father, was felt by the Crown Prosecution Office to be the person responsible for the disappearance and subsequent murder of Moira Anderson in 1957 but none of these things had more than a passing impact on me until I read this book.

I found the content of this book to be more than a little disturbing. I grew up with people like Sandra's mother who would never accept the evidence of her husband's predatory ways and who firmly believed that you didn't speak out against your own, thankfully with far less cause to speak out about. I grew up with the freedoms and responsibilities that children like Sandra and her friends had. Thankfully I never met anyone who ever meant me or those I knew any more harm than the odd skelp for some misdemeanour or other, mostly deserved.

I found the links to Fred and Rosemary West and the disappearance of Vicky Hamilton uncomfortable. I also found Sandra's unrelenting quest to prove her father responsible difficult reading, especially when she sought the services of a medium and hypnotherapist.

Overall this is a story that will stay with me but not one that will sit easily. In some ways I admire her tenacity and strength of purpose but in many other ways I found it hard to stomach. I am glad she was proved correct in the end because if there had been any doubts at all about her father's guilt her single minded pursuit of what she believed to have been true would have been even more uncomfortable to live with.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an eye-opening, but difficult book to read. I read a lot of true crime and murder mystery books, but nothing has ever affected me like this one has. The fact that evil was well known in the community, but over-looked then and still 50 years later is absolutely terrifying.

[Barbara · Rating 2 out of 5]

The absolutely horrible story of Sandra Brown's father, a child abuser, an alleged child murderer whose crimes were covered up and denied by the family, the community, and the law. In 1957, Scotland, a young girl disappeared. Many years later, memories surfaced pointing to Sandra's father as the murderer. She attempted to bring him to justice and provide closure for the family members still alive forty years later; the story of her attempt resulted in this book. Just sickening how everybody knew of the child abuse, yet nobody ever attempted to stop it.

[Pauline B · Rating 3 out of 5]

3-3.5 stars.
This was a difficult book to read; such an awful story and the way it ends makes you wonder what's justice nowadays ..
I really enjoyed this memoir (if that's one ?) and was startled by it. I can't imagine what the author went through all these years, fighting for the truth to be exposed, and never having it fully acknowledged officially.
The last 60 pages were a bit too long in my opinion and could have been shortened by half. I skimmed through all the justice jargon and was very frustrated by the way things ended for everyone ..

[wanderer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bought second hand in Romania, pre-ereader, out of desperation. True crime is much scarier than crime fiction so I don't read it often, but this book held my interest.

[Fishface · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot recommend this one highly enough. Wonderfully written, and what a story this author has to tell.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put this book down. I started reading at three in the afternoon and continued until four in the morning. I have passed my copy onto my mother and after her there is 5 family and friends waiting to get their eyes into it. Get yourself a copy because not only is it a wonderful read, it is testament to the hidden world of child predators, and how they can be one of your own family or friends. The lessons learnt from this book is that People out there lead secret lives, and people in power assist in the cover-up, we need to understand this to prevent similar incidents happening in our neighbourhood, to our families. This book would be interesting to anybody who grew up in Scotland in the 1950s as the author has not only written of the tragedy but also of fond memories of a Scottish childhood and the friendships formed. You will be left astonished by what you read, and of the authors courage in uncovering it.

[Stephen Mccollum]

I read this book because the Moira Anderson Foundation is opposite our church building in Airdrie and I wanted to know more about its work. I found the book harrowing, yet difficult to put down. The very nature of the topic is horrific. It is evident that there is evil in the world - not a surprise coming from a Christian worldview. Sadly there continues to be much abuse and the church needs to be prepared both to address it and to minister to those who have suffered and are suffering its traumatic and tragic consequences. The author shows how the influence of Freemasonry in the area led to a great injustice in this particular instance.

[Petra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wat een verschrikkelijk verhaal om te lezen. De achterflap geeft (net zoals de meesten wat mij betreft) helaas veel te veel weg. Het begin van het verhaal is wat sloom en omdat je al weet wat er gaat gebeuren (spoiler: haar vader blijkt pedofiel, een meisje verdwijnt en het hele dorp houdt zijn mond) leest dat nog slomer. Het verhaal zelf is niet alleen vreselijk, de schrijfstijl doet het verhaal helaas niet veel goeds. Desondanks las ik het laatste deel in een stuk uit. Ontzettend erg dat niet alleen het dorp niks doet, maar anderen elkaar ook een hand boven het hoofd houden. Daarom goed dat dit verhaal op papier is verschenen.

[Laura-Ashley Ryley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful book to read despite the difficult topic at hand.
Sandra's need to discover the truth even though it could possibly destroy her family was truly admirable, to then go on and write about what were evidently traumatic events in her life was inspirational.
The events in this book are truly harrowing and Sandra told them in a way that makes the reader feel the emotions of the characters involved. It took unexpected turns at many points within the book which kept you turning the page.

[Sonia Critchlow · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fantastic, I couldn't out it down. Sandra Brown tells of her life and of her father who was a monster. The story follows her life when children should be seen and not heard, a time when a family would rather ignore a terrifying problem then let the neighbours know what was happen because the shame was too great. A time when if a child spoke out against an adult it was dismissed. I recommend this book, it's well written and gets the story across with no waffling.

[Robin O'Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

It feels weird giving a true crime book 5 stars, but this is just that. So well done, easy to follow and the narrator was Scottish so it was enjoyable just to listen to her voice. The story is extremely sad but Sandra's determination to help the family of one of her father's victims was so moving and admirable. She has worked like her own child is missing and has done so much to help other families. Highly recommend.

[Douglas Osler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the account of one woman's determination to protect children by revealing the truth about a family member's abuse of children. It is challenging and disconcerting but acts as an important stage post towards protecting children and forcing public attitudes and officials to face up to the truth. It is very well written too.

[Avril Nel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very open account of a woman whose father was a rapist and peadophile, and how one's family, community and society at large work together to hush up, and gloss over, these horrifying crimes. The book also touches on the psychological effects such deeds have on the victims throughout their lives. A riveting read.

[Haley Strucke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't quite finish the audiobook as it lost my attention towards the end after I accidentally found out the current status of the case... (obviously not Sandra's fault as the rest of the book had me locked in)

Thank you Sandra for fighting so hard for Moira and standing up against evil regardless of familial relation.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow what a good read. It is sad to read what happened and that so many never knew the truth. It did take me longer to read than I planned but when I did read it I didn’t want to put it down. Now to see if I can find the follow on book that was mentioned towards then end.

[Deviki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Books I've read and provided detailed reviews over the years but all data is lost after accidental deletion and GD refuse to restore it back.

Adding books back to my library for my own reference and tracking purposes

[Mirjam Dijksterhuis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zo'n boek dat al jaren in de kast staat eindelijk eens gelezen. In twee dagen uit! Fascinerend en echt een heel erg verhaal, maar boektechnisch jammer dat het toch geen echt bevredigend einde heeft, hoewel dat dan weer juist de aanleiding was voor het schrijven van dit boek...

[Ibisette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mooi boek, waargebeurd en ondanks de "negatieve" of "teleurstellende" afloop wél de moeite om te lezen en geschreven te worden.
Ik hoop dat ze ooit Moira nog vinden en haar te rusten kunnen leggen... 💔
Vreselijk...

[Prashanth Bhat · Rating 4 out of 5]

don't read if you have a daughter. it will disturb u.

[Angela Sevilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a real page turner, and will definitely rob you of some peace of mind. It was an inspiring account of casting out evil, even if it lies at the closest place to one's self.

[Rita · Rating 3 out of 5]

***3***

[Simone Retro · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not finish this book. When she contacted a medium I lost interest... The book needed a better editor.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellently researched & written. A very personal investigation by author. A truly great read for true crime fans.

[Johanne Foley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harrowing....

I always wanted to read the book, but avoided it as I am local- very strange to recognise all the streets and familiar surnames. Sandra is to be commended for her bravery & I wish her peace xx

[José Van Den Hoogen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aangrijpend!

[Nicole Burgers · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wijd mij al veel te snel uit in allerlei details die ervoor zorgt dat het boek me niet meeneemt. Ik kwam er niet doorheen.

[Wendy Van den Branden · Rating 1 out of 5]

Niet uitgelezen. Kost me moeite

[Emily McCommon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very well told true story and definitely a good page turner but the ending was a little underwhelming.