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Can't Stop the Funk
The hurricane that riveted the world's attention has become the recovery nobody cares about. Five years have passed since a wall of water tried to wash away the Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans, and now a handful of real estate developers threaten to finish the storm's displacement of the city's poorest residents. Bill Avery, NOPD's Chief of Detectives, is willing to risk the unintended consequences of having Detective "Cadillac" Holland find out who is behind the offer to buy the home the Make It Right Foundation built for his favorite sous chef. It's an election year and condominium developers and the local king of gentrification have the backing of the district's City Councilwoman. It's up to Detective Holland, despite his 'talent' for making a mess of things, to find the justice in something that isn't even a crime while he avoids stirring the city's treacherous political waters.
- GenresMystery
278 pages, Paperback
First published November 4, 2015
1 person is currently reading
19 people want to read
About the author
H. Max Hiller
10 books24 followers My relationship with New Orleans began with a job cooking in a cafe on Bourbon Street at the age of seventeen. My foodservice resume now includes many of New Orleans’ iconic music and dining destinations. I no longer reside in New Orleans full time but I keep to the expat creed of “Be a New Orleanian wherever you are.”
A devoted reader of detective and crime novels, I have worked as a chef on a boat traveling the inland waterways since Hurricane Katrina and began thinking up stories about a detective living in post-Katrina New Orleans, which I now write in my spare time.
My life is divided between working on the water and preserving a Victorian-era home in Hannibal, Missouri that I share with my wife and our rescue pets, which include a neurotic wolfhound/terrier mix and too many cats.
A devoted reader of detective and crime novels, I have worked as a chef on a boat traveling the inland waterways since Hurricane Katrina and began thinking up stories about a detective living in post-Katrina New Orleans, which I now write in my spare time.
My life is divided between working on the water and preserving a Victorian-era home in Hannibal, Missouri that I share with my wife and our rescue pets, which include a neurotic wolfhound/terrier mix and too many cats.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
November 21, 2022
Another great thrilling crime mystery. I enjoyed all the twists and turns and all the different angles the story took and the characters involved.
August 28, 2017
This is the next instalment from Hiller and his Detective Cadillac Holland series. (I have included links below, for reviews of the previous books.) Again Hiller uses the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina as the back drop to this story, and it plays an important role in his stories. This one has a different angle for Cadillac to deal with, it is based around the Lower 9th ward of New Orleans. Developers are hovering like wolves to buy up land and homes to make a profit, some actually are doing this for the communities and other are aiming to price out the poorer families. The are various ways this can be done, as Cadillac soon finds out, as he his handed a case to look into. Nothing is actually illegal, but it is unethical. He has the help of his sister Tulip and also a family friend Kate, the team soon discover the various ways in which realty developers work, the ways property can be "flipped" and how underhanded people can be when money is involved, especially when a local man is arrested for a drugs offence.
There is something about the way this author writes that I really like, there is no flowery unnecessary extras or dramas, I think it is his almost matter of fact style that I like most, he gives all the information in a very clear, concise way, incorporating various plot twists along the way, making really great reading. Given the topic of property deals and property development, Hiller has managed to break them down into basic and manageable terminology without loosing any thread of the story. I think this is where his style of writing works really well, he has taken what he needs without going into information overload, but kept the details in layman's terms. The information is given by his characters as they learn the facts of the case and this makes it very readable. Hiller has shown how people are vulnerable and can so easily be taken advantage of, and how they could be seen as easy targets, but he also shows how they have strength when they are a community. He has developed his characters very well, and also added more details to the main characters from previous books, this ongoing development I really like. The pacing of the story changes according to the situation and suits the various scenarios. This is a not a blood and guts crime/mystery story, it is a well thought out and well laid out book, keeping me turning pages from start to finish. At the time of writing this, there is only one more book to go, I am really hoping that there will be more.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my thanks to the author for my copy of this book, my thoughts and review are my own and are honest and unbiased.
There is something about the way this author writes that I really like, there is no flowery unnecessary extras or dramas, I think it is his almost matter of fact style that I like most, he gives all the information in a very clear, concise way, incorporating various plot twists along the way, making really great reading. Given the topic of property deals and property development, Hiller has managed to break them down into basic and manageable terminology without loosing any thread of the story. I think this is where his style of writing works really well, he has taken what he needs without going into information overload, but kept the details in layman's terms. The information is given by his characters as they learn the facts of the case and this makes it very readable. Hiller has shown how people are vulnerable and can so easily be taken advantage of, and how they could be seen as easy targets, but he also shows how they have strength when they are a community. He has developed his characters very well, and also added more details to the main characters from previous books, this ongoing development I really like. The pacing of the story changes according to the situation and suits the various scenarios. This is a not a blood and guts crime/mystery story, it is a well thought out and well laid out book, keeping me turning pages from start to finish. At the time of writing this, there is only one more book to go, I am really hoping that there will be more.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my thanks to the author for my copy of this book, my thoughts and review are my own and are honest and unbiased.
October 5, 2017
Reviewed by Michelle Stanley for Readers' Favorite
Can’t Stop the Funk is from The Detective Cooter Holland mystery series by H. Max Hiller. Real estate developers offer exorbitant deals to residents in the Lower Ninth Ward, the poorest section of New Orleans. Detective Cooter Holland thinks the deals are questionable after his cook, Miss J, shows him her contract. He’s interested to know what the developers’ motives are regarding this neighbourhood.
Miss J’s nephew, Lionel, a candidate in the City Council elections, is found with drugs. The only way Cooter can help Lionel prove his innocence is to arrest him while investigating the case. The detective’s other problem is with a prosecutor, to whom he is attracted. How can he separate business from pleasure when the two sometimes overlap?
Detective Cooter “Cadillac” Holland is a former field operative whose military training is used to solve “special cases” that are passed on to him by his superiors. He is fearless, quick-witted and compassionate. His method of getting the job done is often disapproved. But the detective prefers to bend the rules according to his needs, not break them.
The plot is an interesting one that highlights the underhanded side of housing development and the greed that accompanies it. H. Max Hiller also gives a clear account of the damage Hurricane Katrina left behind, and how it has affected the victims who survived. Can’t Stop the Funk is the second book in The Detective Cooter Holland Mysteries. It is an engaging, light-hearted mystery from an author I like.
Can’t Stop the Funk is from The Detective Cooter Holland mystery series by H. Max Hiller. Real estate developers offer exorbitant deals to residents in the Lower Ninth Ward, the poorest section of New Orleans. Detective Cooter Holland thinks the deals are questionable after his cook, Miss J, shows him her contract. He’s interested to know what the developers’ motives are regarding this neighbourhood.
Miss J’s nephew, Lionel, a candidate in the City Council elections, is found with drugs. The only way Cooter can help Lionel prove his innocence is to arrest him while investigating the case. The detective’s other problem is with a prosecutor, to whom he is attracted. How can he separate business from pleasure when the two sometimes overlap?
Detective Cooter “Cadillac” Holland is a former field operative whose military training is used to solve “special cases” that are passed on to him by his superiors. He is fearless, quick-witted and compassionate. His method of getting the job done is often disapproved. But the detective prefers to bend the rules according to his needs, not break them.
The plot is an interesting one that highlights the underhanded side of housing development and the greed that accompanies it. H. Max Hiller also gives a clear account of the damage Hurricane Katrina left behind, and how it has affected the victims who survived. Can’t Stop the Funk is the second book in The Detective Cooter Holland Mysteries. It is an engaging, light-hearted mystery from an author I like.
October 3, 2017
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina – who is making money out of real estate in New Orleans?
Detective Cooter Holland means to find out…
My main mistake in reading this book (which is #2 in the series), is that I picked this up without having read the first one, ‘The Blue Garou’. This meant that the first half of the book seemed very dry, and I wasn’t very interested in the characters, and every time the back story is mentioned or explained, it seems a lot more exciting than what is going on right now in the current one. On top of that, there is a lot of reminiscing about the hero’s time on active service in the Iraq and Afghanistan etc in secret operations – which had me wondering if I’d missed a ten book ‘Cooter Holland Special Operations’ series – (which sounded like they’d be worth a read if they existed!)
That aside, the story is well written, and the issues tackled about the ongoing disregard and contemptuous treatment of the poorer citizens of New Orleans after the disastrous Hurricane Katrina, are issues that deserve to be highlighted and not swept under the carpet of passing time – especially in the light of the most recent devastating hurricanes that have swept across parts of the US and Caribbean. At the time of the New Orleans/Katrina disaster, I remember two older teenaged white girls explaining to a reporter what had happened to them – they were stuck, clinging on to the roof of their house, and the waters were swirling right up to the gutters, and a police motorboat went by and so they called out to it for help. The two white policemen in the boat shouted, “Show us your tits and you can get into the boat.” The girls refused, so the policemen drove the boat away, leaving them hanging on to the roof. And I remember thinking that if that’s how the white police were treating young white girls – how the hell were they treating the black ones?
The story starts out rather dry and technical, but, hang on in there – the story hots up, and there are plenty of twists and turns and revelations and satisfying come-uppances – resourceful hero, intelligent strong women (acting under their own agency, not just as background scenery to the male protagonists), guns, brawls, bikers, romance and lots of delicious food. I’m thinking of getting me to New Orleans just to trawl round the food establishments there. (Maybe the author could get a second income out of heading up a ‘Cooter Holland Food Tours Experience’?). I’m guessing the hero’s restaurant is purely fictional, but if it isn’t, please could someone send me the address?
One tiny last concern – which may not be fair as I haven’t read the first book, is this: There are plenty of characters of diverse ethnic backgrounds in this book and the race issues that were central to the post-Katrina scandal are tackled head on and are central to the plot, but ultimately in this novel, all the ‘goodies’ (the movers and shakers, and defenders of true justice) turn out to be the white protagonists – except for a couple who are portrayed as protesting hard but are ultimately powerless unless helped out by the educated white guys with access to the corridors of power, and thus the grass-roots activist pair come across as wallpaper in the plot. But maybe this is a valid reflection of how it feels to be poor and black and marginalised in New Orleans? As I say, I know nothing. I’m just British and thousands of miles away.
Detective Cooter Holland means to find out…
My main mistake in reading this book (which is #2 in the series), is that I picked this up without having read the first one, ‘The Blue Garou’. This meant that the first half of the book seemed very dry, and I wasn’t very interested in the characters, and every time the back story is mentioned or explained, it seems a lot more exciting than what is going on right now in the current one. On top of that, there is a lot of reminiscing about the hero’s time on active service in the Iraq and Afghanistan etc in secret operations – which had me wondering if I’d missed a ten book ‘Cooter Holland Special Operations’ series – (which sounded like they’d be worth a read if they existed!)
That aside, the story is well written, and the issues tackled about the ongoing disregard and contemptuous treatment of the poorer citizens of New Orleans after the disastrous Hurricane Katrina, are issues that deserve to be highlighted and not swept under the carpet of passing time – especially in the light of the most recent devastating hurricanes that have swept across parts of the US and Caribbean. At the time of the New Orleans/Katrina disaster, I remember two older teenaged white girls explaining to a reporter what had happened to them – they were stuck, clinging on to the roof of their house, and the waters were swirling right up to the gutters, and a police motorboat went by and so they called out to it for help. The two white policemen in the boat shouted, “Show us your tits and you can get into the boat.” The girls refused, so the policemen drove the boat away, leaving them hanging on to the roof. And I remember thinking that if that’s how the white police were treating young white girls – how the hell were they treating the black ones?
The story starts out rather dry and technical, but, hang on in there – the story hots up, and there are plenty of twists and turns and revelations and satisfying come-uppances – resourceful hero, intelligent strong women (acting under their own agency, not just as background scenery to the male protagonists), guns, brawls, bikers, romance and lots of delicious food. I’m thinking of getting me to New Orleans just to trawl round the food establishments there. (Maybe the author could get a second income out of heading up a ‘Cooter Holland Food Tours Experience’?). I’m guessing the hero’s restaurant is purely fictional, but if it isn’t, please could someone send me the address?
One tiny last concern – which may not be fair as I haven’t read the first book, is this: There are plenty of characters of diverse ethnic backgrounds in this book and the race issues that were central to the post-Katrina scandal are tackled head on and are central to the plot, but ultimately in this novel, all the ‘goodies’ (the movers and shakers, and defenders of true justice) turn out to be the white protagonists – except for a couple who are portrayed as protesting hard but are ultimately powerless unless helped out by the educated white guys with access to the corridors of power, and thus the grass-roots activist pair come across as wallpaper in the plot. But maybe this is a valid reflection of how it feels to be poor and black and marginalised in New Orleans? As I say, I know nothing. I’m just British and thousands of miles away.
September 11, 2020
In a post-hurricane Katrina New Orleans, H. Max Hiller brings us another installment of A Cadilac Holland Mysteries. When Detective Holland (aka Cooter) is presented with another case that appears on the surface to be perfectly legal. If something stinks in New Orleans, Detective Holland will most certainly keep digging, leaving no rock unturned. Teaming up with his corporate lawyer sister, Tulip, and his state's attorney girlfriend, Katie, they will persevere in clearing the name of a good man, exposing a local politician, and getting to the heart of exploitative housing practices.
Hiller's Cadillac Holland Mysteries are well paced, offering the reader scenes that are dialogue-driven with well-calculated decisions on the part of the protagonist-narrator on every turn. Sometimes, the reader doesn't know why he made the choice he did. But the reader can most certainly trust Detective Holland's instincts and Hiller's story-telling techniques. Read as Hiller sets the premise of the story, introduces all the major characters, then see how Detective Holland, with meticulous calculation and gut instinct, uncover the truth.
I highly recommend this story to the armchair sleuth looking to work alongside Holland in his masterful display of good, old-fashioned detective work. As an added bonus, the reader will enjoy many of the sights of New Cuisine and locations in this fun little read.
Hiller's Cadillac Holland Mysteries are well paced, offering the reader scenes that are dialogue-driven with well-calculated decisions on the part of the protagonist-narrator on every turn. Sometimes, the reader doesn't know why he made the choice he did. But the reader can most certainly trust Detective Holland's instincts and Hiller's story-telling techniques. Read as Hiller sets the premise of the story, introduces all the major characters, then see how Detective Holland, with meticulous calculation and gut instinct, uncover the truth.
I highly recommend this story to the armchair sleuth looking to work alongside Holland in his masterful display of good, old-fashioned detective work. As an added bonus, the reader will enjoy many of the sights of New Cuisine and locations in this fun little read.
November 27, 2022
“Okay so forget about romance and lose yourself in this crime detective novel. At first part of me wasn’t totally in love cause well I’m a romance kind of girl but the author develop such an intense mysterious and unique story that my detective side was hooked up! Shoutout for the mystery that involved corruption and some political implications that proved that everything has a reason to be.”
November 18, 2022
If you've read any of H. Max Hiller's books you know all of the Cadillac Holland Mystery books take place after Hurricane Katrina swept throught the city. The author does an excellent job of describing to the reader just how bad things have been after the storm for returning citizens.
Can's Stop the Funk dives more into the real estate problems that many people faced, but of course with a bit of a mystery.
The Lower Ninth Ward is where the poorest of New Orleans residents live. After the storm, rebuilding was funded by the Make it Right Foundation to help provide houses for the returning residents. It's only recently been discovered that there is interest in buying these houses and displacing the residents once again by pushing them away from the neighborhood. It's Detective Holland's job to figure out why the sudden interest in buying these houses, especially from an out of state contractor.
But nothing can ever be that simple for Detective Holland. Politics are at play with this latest move on the Lower Ninth Ward and it's up to Detective Holland to wade the waters between finding out the why's and not stirring up too much that he's taken off the case or booted out of a job.
I feel as if this story has more connections coming, maybe further into the series.
We have the political aspect that was solved and wrapped up pretty finely.
Then we have the local real estate developer Alex Boudreaux who seems to have ties to a mafia trying to worm it's way into New Orleans turf.
Last, but no least the out of town contracters. They played in with the Councilwoman's political gains but also had their own schemes going on as well. This was all finely wrapped up and tied with a nice bow =)
But I'm still curious what it is that had the mafia so interested in this district and these houses. Why make a play in New Orleans now?
Can's Stop the Funk dives more into the real estate problems that many people faced, but of course with a bit of a mystery.
The Lower Ninth Ward is where the poorest of New Orleans residents live. After the storm, rebuilding was funded by the Make it Right Foundation to help provide houses for the returning residents. It's only recently been discovered that there is interest in buying these houses and displacing the residents once again by pushing them away from the neighborhood. It's Detective Holland's job to figure out why the sudden interest in buying these houses, especially from an out of state contractor.
But nothing can ever be that simple for Detective Holland. Politics are at play with this latest move on the Lower Ninth Ward and it's up to Detective Holland to wade the waters between finding out the why's and not stirring up too much that he's taken off the case or booted out of a job.
I feel as if this story has more connections coming, maybe further into the series.
We have the political aspect that was solved and wrapped up pretty finely.
Then we have the local real estate developer Alex Boudreaux who seems to have ties to a mafia trying to worm it's way into New Orleans turf.
Last, but no least the out of town contracters. They played in with the Councilwoman's political gains but also had their own schemes going on as well. This was all finely wrapped up and tied with a nice bow =)
But I'm still curious what it is that had the mafia so interested in this district and these houses. Why make a play in New Orleans now?
November 16, 2022
In the aftermath of hurricane Katrina detective Holland is working on who is trying to buy the home that was built by a relief group. Chef Avery is ready to let Cadillac find out what is going on. It is time to get to the bottom of what is going on, even in an election year. It is time to find out what is going on while not trying to get involved in the murky political waters of New Orleans.
In book three of the series, we find detective Holland taking on the political agenda. Cadillac is a laid-back kind of guy who would sometimes just wants to hang out at his restaurant eating good food. He can figure out what is happening by just talking to the person over a good meal. He has a knack of knocking people off kilter with just a smile and a good talk. He has so many people around him to help him out on his cases. The characters are well constructed and complex.
This is one of those books that when you sit down to read be prepared to be lost in the story. I couldn't put it down until I got finished and that meant a very late night reading in bed. The characters are well written and complex and the story flows well. I love how the author uses the backdrop of New Orleans and the hurricane Katrina disaster. New Orleans is like its own character in the story. There is also a lot of talk of food and eating throughout this book, so have a snack with you because you will get hungry. This is a series is a fun read that will have you on the edge of your seat throughout. Check it out if you want a good detective book.
June 9, 2017
Beautiful New Orleans keeps fighting to build back and attracts all kinds of interest.
Cadillac's simple favor to a friend becomes a real estate challenge with Council meetings, political competition, opposing forces and questionable companies.
The former soldier unravels a net of corruption and murder that involves other states and powerful building companies.
Cadillac is faithful to his city and its inhabitant; the situation of the poor who survived Katrina's devastation is his motivation.
The outraging actions of people with no scruples cause surprising twists in the plot.
Cadillac makes unexpected allies-Criminals-and their interference is Paramount.
With his smart moves the soldier turned into a cop not only opens the can of worms; he destroys its chain of corruption and the poor get to keep their houses.
The man is smart enough to thread a dangerous path without compromising his position and his ethics.
Cadillac is my kind of hero. The situations he puts himself through are creative and smart. More than once I laughed at his solutions to puzzling problems.
The book is also funny.
Can't Stop the Funk is a Superb Cop mystery book.
November 21, 2022
Some things you can't stop but Detective Cadillac Holland is sure going to try. Post-Katrina New Orleans plays an important part in this series and even more so in this installment. Developers are making offers to the poorest residents of New Orleans but some of them will not go down without a fight. Cadillac is on the case and with the help of his sister Tulip and girlfriend Katie brings us on a wild ride as he dives into the corrupt side of city/state government and real estate dealings. A well-written, fast paced story with interesting characters that I recommend to those who love a great police drama.
January 2, 2018
This was a well-written, entertaining book. Detective Holland decides to investigate the sudden interest in housing development in New Orleans Lower Ninth Ward and unforeseen complications occur along the way. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others.
July 17, 2020
This was my first mystery read and while I think the mystery genre isn't for me I still really enjoyed this book! Anyone who likes mysteries will like this book. I loved that it made me think the whole way through!
March 30, 2023
Very complicated!
March 14, 2025
Oh wow I love a mystery and I love New Orleans, a book that has both yes please. This book was amazing. I will definitely be reading all the others.
April 3, 2023
For some reason, my review on Amazon didn't cross post here. This is a fun series that has a bonus of teaching you some of the post Katrina history of New Orleans.
May 10, 2016
H. Max Hiller has done it again. In this second installment of the Detective Cadillac Holland Mystery series, we are given an even more in-depth look into the aftermath and devastation of hurricane Katrina. New Orleans is left struggling to pick up the pieces and has begun to rebuild their homes for the many wayward citizens roaming from place to place. Big time politics come into play, and yet again, Detective Holland tries his luck at solving his next case.
When a well-to-do company begins buying up all of the land from the underprivileged community, Holland wonders why the company is so bent on owning the land. Land, which the mysterious company paid dividends well over market value for. Just why is this company offering way over price? And, why for that matter, does it seem they already have the backing of the local government? Will Holland be able to stay out of trouble long enough to solve his newest case?
Again, as a reader, I enjoyed the culinary undertones of the novel. The details of the culture of New Orleans is never a disappointment when it comes to Hiller's illustrations. Hiller pulls you in, and easily dazzles his readers with his talent for writing such interesting works of mystery. I can't wait to read more from this talented author, and recommend both books in his mystery series. You won't be disappointed.
You may view my review here: http://fanaticreviewsbyjess.blogspot....
When a well-to-do company begins buying up all of the land from the underprivileged community, Holland wonders why the company is so bent on owning the land. Land, which the mysterious company paid dividends well over market value for. Just why is this company offering way over price? And, why for that matter, does it seem they already have the backing of the local government? Will Holland be able to stay out of trouble long enough to solve his newest case?
Again, as a reader, I enjoyed the culinary undertones of the novel. The details of the culture of New Orleans is never a disappointment when it comes to Hiller's illustrations. Hiller pulls you in, and easily dazzles his readers with his talent for writing such interesting works of mystery. I can't wait to read more from this talented author, and recommend both books in his mystery series. You won't be disappointed.
You may view my review here: http://fanaticreviewsbyjess.blogspot....
May 3, 2016
New Orleans detective story about property speculation
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This detective novel deals with a Louisiana state policeman working within the New Orleans Police department after Hurricane Katrina had devastated the city. The plot involves three different sets of property developers interested in the same lower-income district of the city and our detective is wondering why. The dilemna of what happened after Katrina is well-explained and is vital to one's understanding of the story.
A third of the way through the book and I find it less than engaging. It gets more interesting about two-thirds of the way through and becomes enjoyable. If you're looking for a book with a body count, you'll be disappointed. Quite good in the end and worth a look.
Another gripe – and this often occurs in such novels – is the street directions given when someone is driving. These are meaningless and, in my opinion, pointless to anybody who does not live in the that city.
Finally there are missing words and extra words in this digital proof edition which I hope get ironed out in the final version as well as the split infinitives.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This detective novel deals with a Louisiana state policeman working within the New Orleans Police department after Hurricane Katrina had devastated the city. The plot involves three different sets of property developers interested in the same lower-income district of the city and our detective is wondering why. The dilemna of what happened after Katrina is well-explained and is vital to one's understanding of the story.
A third of the way through the book and I find it less than engaging. It gets more interesting about two-thirds of the way through and becomes enjoyable. If you're looking for a book with a body count, you'll be disappointed. Quite good in the end and worth a look.
Another gripe – and this often occurs in such novels – is the street directions given when someone is driving. These are meaningless and, in my opinion, pointless to anybody who does not live in the that city.
Finally there are missing words and extra words in this digital proof edition which I hope get ironed out in the final version as well as the split infinitives.
June 14, 2016
4.5 stars
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Another great book from this author.
Just before I read this story, I read the first book: The Blue Garou and both books are great reads. Highly recommend to readers who like a good detective story and to people who haven't found that genre yet.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Another great book from this author.
Just before I read this story, I read the first book: The Blue Garou and both books are great reads. Highly recommend to readers who like a good detective story and to people who haven't found that genre yet.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews