What do you think?
Rate this book
Against Her Will: The Senseless Murder of Kelly Ann Tinyes
Describes the senseless and brutal murder of thirteen-year-old Kelly Tinyes and the arrest of Robert Golub, a neighbor's son, for the crime, in a case that tears a once-peaceful neighborhood and community apart. Reissue.
Paperback
First published June 1, 1995
144 people are currently reading
345 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
September 10, 2017
Dreadful story of a 13-year-old girl snatched off her own street and killed by a creepy, creepy, creepy person. This was towards the end of the Satanic Panic and that flavored the proceedings, along with a level of public outrage that you rarely see in any criminal case. This story will be hard to put behind you after you've closed the book.
April 7, 2016
The killing of a 13 year old girl
A once close neighborhood is torn apart when a young girl is savagely killed just four houses down. Which of the four males in the house at the time did it?
A once close neighborhood is torn apart when a young girl is savagely killed just four houses down. Which of the four males in the house at the time did it?
September 21, 2018
I finished Against Her Will: The Senseless Murder of Kelly Ann Tinyes by Ronald Watkins about the murder of a 13 year old girl by her next door neighbor, Robert Golub. It was a bit of a disappointment as their wasn't much background information and seems to be mostly taken from reports and transcripts. One thing I found amazing was how the people in the neighborhood harassed the family and in turn they harassed them back. How sad that neighbors couldn't help and support each other. I wish there would have been more interviews to try to understand why this happened. I was disappointed that not one person was interviewed for this book.
January 4, 2016
On March 3, 1989 in the township of Valley Stream, in Nassau County, the state of New York, all seemed to be peaceful as would and could be expected in this middleclass community. Horton Road was a typical street in the neighborhood, lined with attractive houses with well maintained front yards. No one knew the horror that was about to befall this street and this community.
Thirteen year old Kelly Ann Tinyes was looking forward to her fourteenth birthday that she would celebrate with her friends in a couple of days. She asks her father, Richard Tinyes if she can go ice skating and is told that she must look after her younger brother until her mother returns home. During the afternoon she receives a phone call and tells her brother that she is going out for a few minutes and will be back; he was never to see her alive again.
When Kelly didn’t return home, concern matured into panic as all searches and quarries provided no answers. Late in the evening, the police were contacted and eventually an official search was underway. Based on tips by a few witnesses that saw Kelly enter the house at 81 Horton Road, they received permission and a signed waiver from the family Golub that lived there. The contrast between the outside of this house and the inside couldn’t be more marked. Elizabeth Golub wasn’t a housekeeper and the piles of clothes and junk that literally filled every space attested to this fact. The chaos within the house made investigating it difficult but eventually a discovery made in the basement would change the street and its inhabitants forever. The mutilated body of Kelly Tinyes is found, stuffed in a sleeping bag and, although the victim is found, the mystery is about to begin.
I am not particularly drawn to true crime murders as I cannot easily rationalize them. With fiction, no matter how heinous the crime, no matter what the victim suffers and no matter how the body is mutilated, all I have to do is remind myself that it isn’t real but a work of fiction; only born from the mind of the author. True crime is another animal entirely. What you read is what really happened to someone of flesh and blood. These stories trouble me long after the book is back on the shelf.
In 1989 DNA testing is just being known and recognized in the legal system. The O.J. Simpson trial is still in the future and the public is largely unaware of the recent advancements in forensic science. Although the worldwide impact of this trial can’t compare to that of the Simpson’s trial a few years later, many similarities can easily be seen. The meticulous explanations concerning blood typing, DNA testing and forensic gathering and analyzing is presented by the prosecution and evidence protection, possible false or planted information by the police and the reliability of this new DNA science are brought into question by the defense.
In spite of the lingering feeling of unease this story has left me with (I can’t really say I enjoyed reading, in graphic detail the butchering of a young girl), I can imagine that this story would appeal to a large number of readers; with stronger constitutions than mine.
Thirteen year old Kelly Ann Tinyes was looking forward to her fourteenth birthday that she would celebrate with her friends in a couple of days. She asks her father, Richard Tinyes if she can go ice skating and is told that she must look after her younger brother until her mother returns home. During the afternoon she receives a phone call and tells her brother that she is going out for a few minutes and will be back; he was never to see her alive again.
When Kelly didn’t return home, concern matured into panic as all searches and quarries provided no answers. Late in the evening, the police were contacted and eventually an official search was underway. Based on tips by a few witnesses that saw Kelly enter the house at 81 Horton Road, they received permission and a signed waiver from the family Golub that lived there. The contrast between the outside of this house and the inside couldn’t be more marked. Elizabeth Golub wasn’t a housekeeper and the piles of clothes and junk that literally filled every space attested to this fact. The chaos within the house made investigating it difficult but eventually a discovery made in the basement would change the street and its inhabitants forever. The mutilated body of Kelly Tinyes is found, stuffed in a sleeping bag and, although the victim is found, the mystery is about to begin.
I am not particularly drawn to true crime murders as I cannot easily rationalize them. With fiction, no matter how heinous the crime, no matter what the victim suffers and no matter how the body is mutilated, all I have to do is remind myself that it isn’t real but a work of fiction; only born from the mind of the author. True crime is another animal entirely. What you read is what really happened to someone of flesh and blood. These stories trouble me long after the book is back on the shelf.
In 1989 DNA testing is just being known and recognized in the legal system. The O.J. Simpson trial is still in the future and the public is largely unaware of the recent advancements in forensic science. Although the worldwide impact of this trial can’t compare to that of the Simpson’s trial a few years later, many similarities can easily be seen. The meticulous explanations concerning blood typing, DNA testing and forensic gathering and analyzing is presented by the prosecution and evidence protection, possible false or planted information by the police and the reliability of this new DNA science are brought into question by the defense.
In spite of the lingering feeling of unease this story has left me with (I can’t really say I enjoyed reading, in graphic detail the butchering of a young girl), I can imagine that this story would appeal to a large number of readers; with stronger constitutions than mine.
January 10, 2016
At the heart of Against Her Will is an appalling, gruesome crime - the murder and mutilation of a 13-year-old. This sort of crime brings out the exploitation writers of the true crime genre. Fortunately, Ronald J. Watkins devotes these pages to the investigation and impact on the community, not on salacious details of the crime.
This book was written outside in. It does not appear that Watkins interviewed either family involved. That leaves readers observing the victim's family and the family of the accused from a distance. We see them in pain, we hear their anguished cries, angry outbursts and words crafted for public consumption. Watkins gets us closer to the investigating officers but only in the context of their work. There are no fashion tips from the men and women in blue.
In some ways the distance is appropriate to this case. The families turned on each other in a manner reminiscent of Lord of the Flies. The ghastly murder became quickly subsumed in the outrageous, petty, hateful, hate-filled, frightening acts they perpetrated against each other. While some of the neighbors join in, others watch in disbelief as their quiet little street turns into first a scene of horror and then a scene of daily emotional savagery. The war between these two families ends up being just as shocking as the crime that inspired it.
This book surprised me. I was expecting run-of-the-mill decent true crime. Watkins keeps the pace going without shorting on the emotional impact of the crime. He doesn't indulge in homilies to the victim's utter perfection, he shows us an average 13-year-old girl through the eyes of her friends. Watkins has an eye for the perversely amusing detail, the phrase [b]"former nun turned police officer"[/b] will stay with me. Even the chapters devoted to the trial aren't the usual slog although I'd guess that the author wasn't in attendance. Watkins manages to paraphrase testimony in a way that illuminates and moves the narrative along.
All together this earns Against Her Will four stars. Solid, readable true crime the reminds us that crime itself is often the beginning of the story.
Kindle note: There are no photos in the Kindle version.
This book was written outside in. It does not appear that Watkins interviewed either family involved. That leaves readers observing the victim's family and the family of the accused from a distance. We see them in pain, we hear their anguished cries, angry outbursts and words crafted for public consumption. Watkins gets us closer to the investigating officers but only in the context of their work. There are no fashion tips from the men and women in blue.
In some ways the distance is appropriate to this case. The families turned on each other in a manner reminiscent of Lord of the Flies. The ghastly murder became quickly subsumed in the outrageous, petty, hateful, hate-filled, frightening acts they perpetrated against each other. While some of the neighbors join in, others watch in disbelief as their quiet little street turns into first a scene of horror and then a scene of daily emotional savagery. The war between these two families ends up being just as shocking as the crime that inspired it.
This book surprised me. I was expecting run-of-the-mill decent true crime. Watkins keeps the pace going without shorting on the emotional impact of the crime. He doesn't indulge in homilies to the victim's utter perfection, he shows us an average 13-year-old girl through the eyes of her friends. Watkins has an eye for the perversely amusing detail, the phrase [b]"former nun turned police officer"[/b] will stay with me. Even the chapters devoted to the trial aren't the usual slog although I'd guess that the author wasn't in attendance. Watkins manages to paraphrase testimony in a way that illuminates and moves the narrative along.
All together this earns Against Her Will four stars. Solid, readable true crime the reminds us that crime itself is often the beginning of the story.
Kindle note: There are no photos in the Kindle version.
Read
July 26, 2011This is a short book which describes the circumstances surrounding the disappearance and murder of thirteen year old Kelly Ann Tinyes in surburban Valley Stream, New York.
Watkins makes it very easy to understand the sequence of events and the location of all the players when the crime occurred. Also, the science of DNA was not as commonly known at the time of this writing, and Watkins does an excellent job of making the complex science very understandable.
The main players – the victim and the perpetrator as well as their families are well drawn and their motivations examined in the course of the story. The details of the crime were compelling enough reading, but the additional levels of the reactions of the two families and the persons who chose to align themselves with either camp took the emotional aspect of this story to another level.
I found the discussion of the crime, investigation, arrest and trial, complete with the alternatives put forward to be interesting reading. However, when the book focused on the fallout of the crime including the harassment accusations brought by the parents of the victim against the parents of the perpetrator, I began to lose interest and to wonder whether anything good could ever come of it.
I was left with a feeling of bitterness, and while I understand that the Kelly Ann’s parents have the right to remember what was done to her, I couldn’t help thinking that her memorial was sad and depressing.
Watkins makes it very easy to understand the sequence of events and the location of all the players when the crime occurred. Also, the science of DNA was not as commonly known at the time of this writing, and Watkins does an excellent job of making the complex science very understandable.
The main players – the victim and the perpetrator as well as their families are well drawn and their motivations examined in the course of the story. The details of the crime were compelling enough reading, but the additional levels of the reactions of the two families and the persons who chose to align themselves with either camp took the emotional aspect of this story to another level.
I found the discussion of the crime, investigation, arrest and trial, complete with the alternatives put forward to be interesting reading. However, when the book focused on the fallout of the crime including the harassment accusations brought by the parents of the victim against the parents of the perpetrator, I began to lose interest and to wonder whether anything good could ever come of it.
I was left with a feeling of bitterness, and while I understand that the Kelly Ann’s parents have the right to remember what was done to her, I couldn’t help thinking that her memorial was sad and depressing.
October 16, 2012
this was a really good book; scary, depressing and if your a parent, horrifying. Now my daughter knows why I fear her walking alone in the neighborhood. How well do any of us know really know our neighbors? this book will make you really stop and think...and possibly shudder...Its sad to know that even though the detectives had all the evidence that the person convicted NEVER admitted he did it...but he's locked away and his brother?! well, lets just say after reading this, I think his brother was in on it as well....
August 1, 2013
Although this could have been a sensational book, the author did nothing to humanize either family. There were no backgrounds to the people involved , and very little effort into showing how their lives had changed. Given the option to read something else by this author, I would not.
September 30, 2013
this story is true and it was chilling, it was more focused of the actual event and the families involved..there really wasn't any retelling of the families histories but that's fine by me it went from the murder and on..very very quick read..but absolutely chilling.
May 8, 2014
The story was interesting, but I found the book itself very bland and boring.
February 7, 2016
The senseless murder of a thirteen year old. This book focuses around the murder itself. There are some graphic descriptions.
April 15, 2023
Well, I gave the book 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ It was a good book and well written. The author wrote in detail the murder as well as what happened in the trial. I never heard of this crime but it was a gruesome murder but the behaviors of the people in the neighborhood of where the crime was committed was even worse. The victim was a 13 year old beautiful girl named Kelly Anne Tinyes. May she
RIP. The author wrote a lot of what happened in court. Normally when the author starts writing about the trial it gets a little bit boring but the author didn’t dwell a lot on every single detail but wrote enough for the reader to understand what was happening but not getting the reader to start getting bored. Nonetheless, it was a good book about a beautiful young girl that fell victim to a young man that was using steroids that later caused him to have roid rage 😡 Thankfully, that young man is in prison for the rest of his life so that he doesn’t hurt another young girl.
RIP. The author wrote a lot of what happened in court. Normally when the author starts writing about the trial it gets a little bit boring but the author didn’t dwell a lot on every single detail but wrote enough for the reader to understand what was happening but not getting the reader to start getting bored. Nonetheless, it was a good book about a beautiful young girl that fell victim to a young man that was using steroids that later caused him to have roid rage 😡 Thankfully, that young man is in prison for the rest of his life so that he doesn’t hurt another young girl.
January 10, 2016
The title of this book is perfect. Not only was the murder itself completely senseless, but the effect it had on the residents of the neighborhood is simply crazy to me. There are also so many questions left to be answered from this atrocious act against a 13-year-old girl. While the events are morbidly fascinating, I wish the author spent more time describing Kelly Ann herself. Her story seemed to get lost in the drama that unfolded after her life was taken. I didn't like the writing style very much either. I often thought I was reading an incident report or the transcripts from the trial. There are still a lot of loose ends that may sadly never be answered, which makes this story even that much more unsettling.
March 9, 2015
I somehow just realized that rating true crime books may be distasteful. I mean, I am entertained (fascinated) by someone else's loss. That is terrible of me, and maybe the industry as a whole but people and their motives/actions are very interesting.
I'm totally going to read more true crime.
This book was well researched and detailed; I could have done without some of the personalization by the author (describing people as mean or ugly or lazy). I like books about the facts of cases and the backstory and knowing where they are now. The last update to this was 2010 - the convicted person had a parole hearing in 2014 which I only found out about after googling it to see if there were updates and to see what this dude looked like.
I'm totally going to read more true crime.
This book was well researched and detailed; I could have done without some of the personalization by the author (describing people as mean or ugly or lazy). I like books about the facts of cases and the backstory and knowing where they are now. The last update to this was 2010 - the convicted person had a parole hearing in 2014 which I only found out about after googling it to see if there were updates and to see what this dude looked like.
December 23, 2015
Sad & horrifying...
I read true crime, not for the disgusting details, but to try and get an understanding of why anyone would commit such a terrible crime. And this one was horrible.
I have read that this man finally admitted guilt. Has claimed use of steroids or "roid" rage. Maybe, but was there something else going on with him to actually cause the damage inflicted on this young girl? Guess we'll never know.
The author did a really good job with this story and I particularly enjoyed the emotions and dedication of these police officer that were portrayed.
Thanks for a good read...
I read true crime, not for the disgusting details, but to try and get an understanding of why anyone would commit such a terrible crime. And this one was horrible.
I have read that this man finally admitted guilt. Has claimed use of steroids or "roid" rage. Maybe, but was there something else going on with him to actually cause the damage inflicted on this young girl? Guess we'll never know.
The author did a really good job with this story and I particularly enjoyed the emotions and dedication of these police officer that were portrayed.
Thanks for a good read...
February 22, 2014
I enjoy true crimes but this was not written well at all. It lacks lots of commas and sentence structure is horrible throughout. I couldn't wait to finish and actually found myself skimming through lots of the trial testimony because the information had already been given to us before. I definitely had to make myself finish this book...The summation was pretty good however there was one unanswered question...who called Kelly and had her come over and what did they say to make her go???
January 15, 2015
This was a good recounting of a horrible event for the Tinyes family. The telling of this event was not sensationalized rather it was straight forward but not as though one were reading a news story. The telling of this through, primarily the eyes of the officers who worked the case which provided an interesting insight. The conclusion made sense and while not exactly satisfying, was true to life rather than a fairy tale ending.
October 27, 2015
Okay
This book is interesting partly because I'd never heard of this case but the murder is very gruesome. The writing is a bit stiff and like most true crime books somewhat repetitive but I think it is a factual, unbiased telling of the story. The thing that really struck me is how disgusting the family of the young murder victim behaved. The family of the killer reacted badly also but they were not responsible for what their son, brother or friend did.
This book is interesting partly because I'd never heard of this case but the murder is very gruesome. The writing is a bit stiff and like most true crime books somewhat repetitive but I think it is a factual, unbiased telling of the story. The thing that really struck me is how disgusting the family of the young murder victim behaved. The family of the killer reacted badly also but they were not responsible for what their son, brother or friend did.
December 3, 2015
A Real Page Turner
I love the way the author was able to draw me in and make me feel like I was right there in the courtroom during the trial. This will take you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions and it being true makes it even more so. I only have one complaint and that is that during the court preceding that it was somewhat boring. I would recommend this to anyone who likes a good true crime mystery.
I love the way the author was able to draw me in and make me feel like I was right there in the courtroom during the trial. This will take you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions and it being true makes it even more so. I only have one complaint and that is that during the court preceding that it was somewhat boring. I would recommend this to anyone who likes a good true crime mystery.
June 10, 2017
A young girl goes missing, and her mutilated body is discovered in a neighbor's house the next day. A decent true crime book, though plenty of questions remain at the end (motive, for example). The book description above says the murder took place in 1999 but it was actually 1989. DNA forensic techniques, new at the time, are described in detail, as is the science of fingerprint identification. There is an afterword for the 2012 ebook edition, but it's a single page with limited information.
October 13, 2016
The shocking story of Kelly Ann Tineys is recounted sensitively in this book. Written not to sensationalise the horrific details, but rather it explores the impact had on both the victims and young murderers families, both living on the same street. A neighbourhood destroyed in one horrific moment of senseless brutality. A real though provoking book.
March 6, 2015
A good read!
I chose a three rating because personally I was not as engrossed in the story as I wanted to be. It was a good story and took place in a location I know of personally which helped me visualize the story and it's characters more clearly. A very sad case with no "ideal" conclusion.
I chose a three rating because personally I was not as engrossed in the story as I wanted to be. It was a good story and took place in a location I know of personally which helped me visualize the story and it's characters more clearly. A very sad case with no "ideal" conclusion.
November 6, 2017
Fascinating read
No one is safe, even in their own neighborhoods. I still do not know why this guy killed her, and the manner in which he did it. Secrets behind closed doors. A better proof job, is in order though. Run on sentences, lack of punctuation, being the cause. Careless spelliing errors, too.
No one is safe, even in their own neighborhoods. I still do not know why this guy killed her, and the manner in which he did it. Secrets behind closed doors. A better proof job, is in order though. Run on sentences, lack of punctuation, being the cause. Careless spelliing errors, too.
January 6, 2014
There are some books as a parent you should not read. This is one of them. Extremely well written & thoroughly researched (a little too researched as I found the trial section a bit long), but the details of the crime will haunt you.
February 21, 2015
One of the most shocking and disgusting crimes I’ve ever read. I kind of wish I hadn’t but I’ll consider it a tribute to the dead that I did.
It’s no fault of the author though. The book is well written and researched. It’s just I like my criminals charming.
It’s no fault of the author though. The book is well written and researched. It’s just I like my criminals charming.
January 10, 2015
A+++ true crime
Fast read. Lost one star for drawn out DNA information. Easy to flip through to get back to the story. Gruesome details not for those sensitive to Gore. True crime lovers book.....
Fast read. Lost one star for drawn out DNA information. Easy to flip through to get back to the story. Gruesome details not for those sensitive to Gore. True crime lovers book.....
January 29, 2015
wow my only words to describe this story
It's crazy that we have people like this living among us. I can't fathom what would go through someone's mind to commit such a crime. He was truly a animal. Thanks for a great book.
It's crazy that we have people like this living among us. I can't fathom what would go through someone's mind to commit such a crime. He was truly a animal. Thanks for a great book.
March 11, 2015
The poor storytelling got in the way of this story and that's too bad. VERY poorly written and at times difficult to read. The author appears to have ADHD and can't stay focused on one stream of thought. I finally got frustrated and read about this case online.
April 10, 2008
Just remembered this book. This was such a sad story. 2 families whose life would never be the same.
June 17, 2014
Another sad true murder.
This story is probably one of the saddest true murders I have ever read.The level of violence and the motionless murder makes it so sad.
This story is probably one of the saddest true murders I have ever read.The level of violence and the motionless murder makes it so sad.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews