GOOD GIRL GONE BAD by Karin Tabke

I recently selected Karin Tabke's GOOD GIRL GONE BAD for review on behalf of Romance Junkies, not realizing that I had read the earlier work of Ms. Tabke in the anthology entitled THE HARD STUFF. Her story was Stakeout and was very good. I'd be lying if I said that I enjoyed the other two stories in that anthology as much, I just didn't. I am happy to gush and carry on about books that I like, but I'm not going to spout made-up gushes about those that I don't! Ms. Tabke's upcoming release (April '07) is simply titled SKIN and I'm already anxious to read it. Her writing thus far centers around the lives and loves of men and women who work in some capacity on the police force. Below is my Romance Junkies review for GOOD GIRL GONE BAD:
Police officer Philamina “Phil” Zorn met then Sgt. Ty Jamerson three years ago when she was working in Internal Affairs, investigating a brutality charge against Ty. Now a Lieutenant, Ty is investigating a string of kidnappings, all happening at Klub Kashmir, a high-end strip club, where Ty is working undercover as floor manager. Phil, with her killer body, is set up as a cocktail waitress, complete with a sexy, skimpy “uniform.” It isn’t long before Phil and Ty become intimate, and they soon find it increasingly difficult to maintain cool heads, given the erotic surroundings of their undercover operation.
Phil is very inhibited due to a strict upbringing under the thumb of a preacher/police officer father, and an unpleasant sexual experience in her teens. While Phil wants to nab the kidnapper and find the missing women, she also wants to find out the facts behind her father’s alleged suicide, facts that Ty alone can tell her. The problem is that Ty isn’t a man of many words, preferring to let his actions do the talking, especially when he’s attempting to help Phil lose some of those pesky inhibitions.
Phil and Ty literally smoke on the pages. The story behind their history is heavy and deep; there is no fluff to be found in this book. Ms. Tabke offers interesting glimpses of the sometimes desperate, often dark, world of erotic dancing, and an eye-opening look at the questionable goings-on behind the police force. I enjoyed this book not just for its eroticism, but for the powerful storytelling. It is obvious that details were well thought-out and researched. Kudos to Karin Tabke!
Thanks as always for stopping by!
Laurie