Virion

by M.J. Groves

Before Ebola there was bird flu. After Ebola there will be bird flu. The question is not whether but when. If you think a deadly disease passed by body fluids is scary, wait until you encounter one that infects by the simple and necessary act of breathing. The last time avian flu unleashed a plague on humankind, it killed over 50 million people. It did not, and will not, spare America. The hurdles we face in protecting ourselves, as this glimpse of Ebola tells us, will be enormous. Welcome to the world of Virion, a gripping story of man versus virus. From the gleaming laboratories of the United States to the steamy deltas of Southeast Asia, the microbe taunts global experts to predict its behavior, just as the current outbreak of Ebola does. Drs. Ken Culp and Lou Symington set international leaders on a collision course as they race against time and each other to prevent an epidemic that will kill millions. Everyone fears the destructive virus, but the real threat may be the arrogance of man.

Genres: Dystopia

300 pages, Paperback

First published November 19, 2011

About the author

I am an actively practicing physician, professor, and author whose medical experience and scientific background are instrumental to the authentic ring of my fiction. In my day job I rely on the most up-to-date research to support my care of patients, and while I use the same intensity to inform my creative writing, it is so freeing to be able to make some things up for a change! (The science in Virion is real...but I confess to creating those giant mahogany doors at Geneva WHO Headquarters...)

The ongoing risk of bird flu lends itself to powerful story lines without the contrived hype that often dogs suspense genre. Reality in this case is scary enough: humanity remains woefully unprepared for epidemics that will periodically sweep the globe as long as we inhabit it.

The story was conceived not long after the new millennium started, triggered by the indifference, misinformation and hubris I saw as the first cases of H5N1 bird flu were reported from Southeast Asia. Microscopic creatures have been here far longer than we, with the advantage of billions of years of adaptation experience over our own. I personalized the viral particle to challenge my readers to think about infectious disease in new ways, and to respect the potential of so simple an organism to alter the destiny of the most complex life-form on Earth.


I am working on a second book and have a web site for updating my followers on what I find interesting and timely in the field of medicine. I am available for radio programming and community forums on health care topics of interest to the public. You can follow me or reach me at www.drmjisin.com .

With sincere regards,
Mary Jo Groves, M.D.

Reviews

[Jessica Mancini · Rating 4 out of 5]

As per the rules of engagement, I received this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway. This book tackles the weighty matters of the lack of preparedness for global pandemics, the death with dignity movement, corporate greed, and the ego of academia and business leaders. Dr. Groves did a wonderful job explaining the science of the matter to lay readers and giving them a glimpse at what the world has in store for them. The story is told via three main altering perspective (with an intertwined supporting cast). I found I enjoyed the epidemiological field work thread the most interesting. These were the chapters that I found myself eager to read and breathlessly awaiting the outcome.

I really enjoyed this book and hope that you will give it a read.

[Claudia Fett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book about a timely issue, that of viruses in our world and the reaction of the bureaucracy in our health organizations. The themes in this story include: Hubris: characters in the book believed that they were above the law. Power: the industrialized countries held back vaccines because they thought the poorer nations were over populated anyway. Unexpected: there are many little things that affect the final outcome. You can choose your actions, but you can't choose the outcome. This book was a great book club read!

[Linda Branham · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not quite sure how to rate this. I found the story very interesting - maybe because I have been interested in , and watched the progression of , H5N1 for a long time. It seems like something that could be a huge problem at some point - we are just waiting for the mutation to occur. The writing was a bit technical in places - but the author is a doctor and she wants all the science to be there - and correctly. Making us understand the very real threat. And all it would take is one unethical scientist and/or corporation

[David Edmonds · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent read from a fellow indie and GR Author. The science was well-explained and easy to follow, and acts as a character, maybe the main character, of the book. It also serves to balance the emotions experienced by the human characters. Can't wait to read more from M.J. Groves!

[Debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good biomedical thriller that's relevant to our global society. Full review original posted here

I've already mentioned that I love when science and tv/movies collide. I don’t come across as many fictional books that have science at its core, but Virion is one of those. The novel is an epidemiological thriller with accidental bio-warfare…. I’m guessing that’s a new book genre. If you’ve watched the movie Contagion that came out in 2011, you can think of this book as almost the other side of the story. Contagion covered dealing with the response to a viral pandemic and figuring out how the pandemic started. Virion covers a few hypothetical beginnings of a pandemic but focuses more on the actual start of one with very little regard to the fallout following the spread of the virus.

Avian Flu is the central player in Virion, and it’s addressed by two main story lines: the pharmaceutical storyline that deals with both development and distribution of vaccines and treatments for avian flu and the epidemiological storyline that deals with tracking avian flu and trying to predict the next pandemic. Personally, the second storyline was the most interesting, but as the book progressed, the drug distribution storyline took over.

Pharmaceutical – Ken Culp is at the center of this story. He is a viral vaccine researcher that has made groundbreaking strides in avian flu research and development. He struggles with balancing work, family, and money constraints and is continuously troubled with his moral obligations to his mother who is slowly dying with Alzheimer’s. He tries to no avail to convince the scientific political community that widespread vaccination against avian flu is necessary. His work/life/family struggles come to a head when his pleas continue to fall on deaf ears.

As I said before, this part of the story was the least interesting to me, mainly because I found Ken Culp insufferable and I couldn’t sympathize with him. His internal struggles are what drive the story forward though.

Epidemiological – The main character driving this story forward is Lou Symington, an epidemiologist with the World Health Organization (WHO). Lou follows avian flu outbreaks throughout Asia and the US and tries to determine the source and infectious level of each outbreak. With each outbreak, she must determine whether this will be the next major pandemic or whether the virus and surrounding community are in a controlled state.

These sections of the book read like a mystery novel where instead of hunting down and catching the person who murdered an innocent bystander, they’re tracking down killer that happens to be a microscopic pathogen. I think this mystery/thriller part of this storyline is what made it more interesting to me. Anyone who knows me knows that I hate irrelevant love stories, and unfortunately, this book didn’t escape from that trope. There is a love story that doesn’t do anything to advance the story, but as far as extraneous love stories go, this one is not the worst offender.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I would not only recommend it for anyone that enjoys a nerdy read every now and then, but just for anyone that enjoys a thriller. The book deals with ethics, politics, hubris, moral obligation, and the dire consequences of seemingly innocuous actions. Though it’s fictional, it’s quite relevant. There have been pandemic outbreaks in the past (ie. 1918 Spanish flu). With the rate of international travel that we have today, the risk of a global pandemic and the consequences from one would be on a much greater scale. The 2009/2010 H1N1 Swine flu pandemic gave us a glimpse of what can happen, but it could potentially be worse. The best science we have can’t accurately predict the next outbreak.


The down side to this book is, it will make you want to wash your hands 50 times a day, never touch anyone or anything that someone else has touched, and potentially make you agoraphobic to avoid a catching a virus. On that note…. have I convinced you to read this book? Would you even be interested in a biomedical thriller? Do you have any suggestions for other biomedical science-fiction novels?

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book for free in a Goodreads giveaway.
I put off writing my review because I wanted a chance to read this book again thoroughly to get a detailed opinion of the story in its entirety.
I really liked this story. I always like reading books like this because I want to go into the medical field and become a doctor, and this book revolves around influenzas that doctors have to deal with on a daily basis. From the first few pages when it describes in great detail how this virus killed and devastated many lives intrigued me to keep on reading to find out what ultimately happens in the end. I'm not going to spoil it, but the epilogue is pretty cool and provides a mysterious ending to the story.
This book is detailed so well and the events are written so they're actually realistic, unlike other books. The author really knows how to write a book, and knows how to keep the reader wanting to know more about what's happening within the story. The characters live lives that can be relatable to normal people in the real world. The setting, or settings for that matter, add on to the story and make it more believable.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book! I would recommend it to anybody who likes to read thrillers revolving around the medical genre.
I hope you enjoy my review and the book Virion by M.J. Groves!

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway.

I really enjoyed 'Virion'; the book was a great read. Groves was able to effectively weave in some scientific information/details without getting too technical, which really helped to set the scene regarding the severity of an outbreak of this nature.

I liked how the chapters and the In Vitro and In Vivio sections were divided, as well as the three separate stories that were going on simultaneously. It was very interesting to think of how events around the globe are now so interconnected. The very different treatment and communication of instances of communicable diseases in different areas of the world was also a noteworthy concept to think about.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Lou and Connor; it was nice to finally read about a woman who was strong, independent and not about to sacrifice her career over her affections towards a man.

Adding a list of book club discussion type questions was a fantastic addition!

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Virion is a fantastic story. Instead of concentrating on the world after a horrible outbreak this story concentrates on the beginning. More importantly it tells of the lives of the people who are influential to the study of the virus, and the people who make decisions that can either protect or fail the people they are suppose to protect. It is one of the few books I have read that does not make a horrible mess of different point of views. The author has done a great job of showing how connected all these different lives are and how even a small decision can have a great affect on multiple lives.
*I received this book through Goodreads first-reads giveaway*

[Rob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Action is fast-paced, and the main character, Dr. Ken Culp, is a fascinatingly complex, and tragic figure. Great read all the way to the end, or beginning, depending on your perspective.

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting book,
I really enjoyed it.