Jason Brad Berry @ American Zombie :

This book is a snapshot into the sordid politics and rampant corruption that define New Orleans. Set in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, or as locals call it. the "Federal Flood," Hiller peels back the onion to give us an insider's perspective of the rampant corruption that haunted the city in that period. A mixture of disaster capitalism and "backroom" Louisiana politics, Can't Stop The Funk captures the hidden side of race, real estate, government corruption and family ties that definethe most unique city in America. While reading the book, I caught myself backtracking on real stories I've worked on that closely resembled the ones Cadillac was unravelling. This book could easily be non-fiction. I can't wait for the next Detective Holland adventure.

Jason Brad Berry

http://www.theamericanzombie.com/

What draws you to a novel? The cover? The blurb? The genre? Or all of the above?

Can’t Stop The Funk by H. Max Hiller. Characters that are so real, you suddenly realize the events that unfold could be based on a true story. A real life event – Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans. We all remember. But life goes on and the tragedy of a city under water, people forced onto roofs and taken to the Super Dome for weeks with little water or facilities seems to fade into the distance. We continue with our lives, but what happened to those in the Lower Ninth Ward? Those who lost family members and their homes. Barely making a living wage before the storm hit, and afterwards? Insurance payouts that would not be enough to buy a used vehicle, let alone rebuild their homes. Can’t Stop the Funk is a detective/mystery novel, but it brings back the unflinching look at Katrina’s devastating impacts while sweeping you into an entertaining web of corruption at the expense of families trying to recover just five years post destruction. A police officer who could be your best friend, your next door neighbor, someone you respect to take a look at a piece of mail. An offer to purchase your home for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Only your home is in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans…

“You know the Government and City Council wanted to keep us from moving back here after the storm. Now the city started in to bulldozing people’s houses if they ain’t moved back yet. I think offering to buy our house is part of a bigger plan to get rid of everyone down here once and for all.”

“What ought to be illegal ain’t always a crime.”

Can’t Stop the Funk – a well written, entertaining novel. Highly recommended and a worthy five-star rating.

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.