A new virus has emerged, and is plaguing the country! It comes from the Guano of Rabid Bats (RBG), and it causes some victims to grow fangs, and to plague the night skies when there's a full moon. Mick and Carol are summoned to Washington by Dr. Grouchi - the Chief Medical Examiner to the President of the United States to try to figure out what to do about it. Next, they meet with Mayor deBozo and Governor Blowmo to focus on the problems that are occurring in New York.While many aspects of the virus remain a mystery, the political machines have a solution: control the law-abiders as much as possible. It changes society.This book is a modern Orwellian look into a real virus that has plagued us. All of us have been negatively affected by parts of this.
Reviews
Book Review 1
A great apocalyptic, intense yet humorous, and action-filled adventure that’s great for avid fans of sci-fi and comedy. Here again, we witness Dr. Philip Emma’s another compelling book of the life of Mick Maux and his wife Carol.
By this time around, a rumored virus appeared to be very contagious yet reported as not deadly by the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Little did they know that this virus actually could cause some to become undead or a wudi-wang vampire. When the pandemic spread, murders have slowly been committed by the vampires. However, the police are not yet ready to believe in the existence of vampires. In this series, the reader will witness again the skills and the wits of these lovely couples as they solve each murder mystery and ultimately stop the pandemic. We also see Detective Danny in action.
In all honesty, this book had me laughing throughout the plot. You could really tell that the author writes with humor and passion. Highly recommended!
Book Review 2
This great convergence of zombie, undead, vampire, and wudi-wang vampires turned private detectives, Mickey Maux and Carol Maux, into vampire hunters, and together with their detective friends Danny, they must find a way to stop the spread of the virus before the world will turn into hell.
Right after my very first read of the beginning chapters, I totally laughed out loud realizing that Dr. Philip Emma based the setting of the story on the real scenario of the Covid19 pandemic. I also commend the author’s ingenuity for making the characters look interesting, humorous, and intriguing. Dr. Grouchi was a fine character. He dominated the legions of vampires, yet he has complete submission to Mickey Maux. It just means that the protagonist has managed to display the attitude throughout the story. Although there were too many twists and turns, information, and characters that the reader needs to absorb in order to appreciate the whole story, every page is enthralling. I suggest reading it slowly to completely contextualize the whole plot and appreciate the book. Job well done, Dr. Philip Emma.
Book Review 3
Unpredictable, enthralling, and engaging book to read, perfect for sci-fi, apocalyptic enthusiasts with a twist of comedy.
Here again, we witness Mickey and Carol Maux for another adventure of their life. But this time, it’s a different atmosphere. Instead of solving mystery murders of mafia bosses and rich commissioners, this time, their skills and ingenuity will be tested with a pandemic of RGB virus from Wuhan, headed by the one and only Dr. Grouchi that would turn anyone into an undead, vampire or high bread vampires, and even zombies.
One thing that really cracked me up the whole time was learning the characters’ names. Starting from our leading man Mickey Maux, to President Trompe and Slow Hidin’. It was just a whole new experience of intense, horror, and comedy. I love this book.
Book Review 4
There’s a lot to say about this book. I guess this is one of the best books that Dr. Philip Emma has ever written.
From beginning to end, the author didn’t fail to entertain the reader, starting from the unique plot, funny names of the characters, and Mickey Maux's sense of humor. While reading, you would be engaged with Mickey Maux's strange math equations and scientific discoveries to solve the mystery. When a virus spread rapidly from Wuhan China, people were less warned about the danger of the virus that could bring into the world. However, Mickey Maux had second thoughts about the threat of the virus as he learned that China and the U.S. stopped international flights. As a private detective and scientist, Mick Maux has another job offer from the lead scientist of Wuhan Institute of Virology, Dr. Grouchi. This time, instead of fighting criminals, Mick Maux is fighting vampires, zombies, and undead.
Personally, I love the book's unique plot and funny characters. When I got to the part where I read the U.S. President's name, I had a good laugh. This book is one of the best books on the shelf.
Book Review 5
From start to finish, The Wuhan RBG Virus by Dr. Philip Emma is gripping and will appeal to fans of horror, thrillers, science fiction, and comedy alike.
Sometimes, things may not seem to be what you expect. In this new series of the private detective and scientist, Mickey Maux, the author will bring a whole new content of antagonists. This time, Mick is fighting zombies and vampires. However, the police are still skeptical about the existence of these creatures. It’s time for Mick, Carol, and Detective Danny to prove to society the realities. The fun part began when Dr. Grouchi hired Mick for a special job that he didn’t expect to happen.
I loved this book. The vampires and zombies looked believable and well-drawn. They were backed up with science and experiments. So, in order to solve the Wuhan RBG virus that could potentially turn anyone into an undead, they must find a way to stop the spread before it’s too late. An excellent read.
Book Review 6
A book that I did not expect I would enjoy. At first glance at the title, I thought that this was a book about Covid-19. But when I read the author, I realized that it’s a book where we get to see another series of Mickey Maux and his very dangerous profession. I totally loved everything from this book.
We see Mick Maux in action once more. Together with his lovely wife who’s filled with wit and sense, Carol, and the detective, they are all to accomplish a mission, which is to stop the spread of the Wuhan RBG Virus that started in China at Wuhan Institute of Virology. And once again, we see Mick using Math and Science equations to solve the pandemic. A virus that could potentially turn anyone into a zombie or a vampire. To preserve the plot, I’m not going to spoil anything in this review, I’ll let the reader discover the twists and turns of the plot.
Honestly, this book is brilliant. The place and the characters’ names just perfectly coincide with some names and places in real life which had me laughing the whole time. I also enjoyed the conversation, especially the conversation of Mick Maux and the secretary of Dr. Grouchi. I am happy to rate this book a perfect five stars overall.
Book Review 7
An epic story of zombie and vampire apocalypse where Mick Maux's talent is once again tested by the Wuhan RBG virus.
This book is a mix of humor and horror, and I’m loving it. When the world was threatened with a virus that could potentially turn a human into zombies or vampires, Mick, Carol, and Detective Danny’s help are once again needed in order to solve the mystery and the murders. Blood-sucking vampires are rampaging the city, killing people and leaving police in confusion. While Mickey Maux already had a little idea of what was going on at first, the police are not yet ready to believe vampires and zombies. However, when a swift murder was committed, everyone was in deep confusion including the police. As they interviewed the woman who screamed at the murder scene, she was sure that a bat touched her before the attack.
In all honesty, this book left me in awe. When Dr. Grouchi, the head of the Wuhan Institute of Virology passed away, Mick was all well and ready to give everyone the anti-virus before it was too late. One of the highlights that I like personally was the names of the characters and the places. Surely, Dr. Philip Emma knows how to write with humor. This is a book that epic sci-fi and comedy fans will absolutely enjoy. I definitely recommend this one.
Book Review 8
A book that would have you on the edge of your seat. A unique novel where everyone can become potentially undead without knowing it. A virus that spreads like wildfire and is being kept secret. No one expected that a virus could turn someone into a vampire, wudi-wang vampire, or zombie. Every murder was a mystery and only a handful of people knew the real dangers of the virus, and that includes Mickey Maux. The police just couldn’t figure out how someone could easily die from loss of blood. On the other hand, Dr. Grouchi, the doctor and scientist of the Wuhan Institute of Virology, revealed everything to Mick Maux but at the same time fed on his blood. When Dr. Grouchi died, Mick was now ready to take matters into his own hands.
After reading the 270-page novel, I came to the conclusion that this book has one of the coolest attributes of a good book. It perfectly brings you the intensity and horror that you are looking for without compromising the humor of the book. Reading the characters’ names for example is already eye-catching. I’m sure you’re going to love every bit of the book.
Book Review 9
An exciting book with engaging characters and funny names that demonstrates wit and humor, mixed with romance and horror in an apocalyptic plot.
Mick Maux, a private detective and scientist, is being hired by Dr. Grouchi of the Wuhan Institute of Virology. His mission was to develop a vaccine to save the city from this deadly Wuhan RBG virus that can turn a human being into a zombie, vampire or wudi-wang vampire. Together with his wife Carol and friend detective Danny, they had to solve the murder mystery while forcing to develop and implement a vaccine.
I tell you, every scene is very unpredictable and will surely make you think deeply and connect the dots together in order to form a senseful crime scene that the police could digest because the police are very skeptical of the presence of vampires and zombies. It’s a fast-paced book that brings a whole new level of experience. In all honesty, I finished reading this book in just a couple of days. The book is nearly 300 pages long but it’s one that’s hard to put down.
Book Review 10
A humorous, absorbing horror and suspense book is an easy pick for fans of sci-fi novels. Imagining being called undead without you knowing it is totally surprising.
When a virus breakdown spreads like wildfire, Mick Maux just knew exactly what to do. But he couldn’t do it alone, he needs the help of his lovely wife Carol and the smart, bad-ass detective, Danny. Mick is being called by Dr. Grouchi, the head of the Wuhan Institute of Virology, with regards to the new RBG virus from Wuhan, China. Anyone who gets affected by this virus could potentially become an undead, zombie, or vampire. Now, we see the protagonists headed by Detective Mickey solving mystery crimes that involve blood sucking and without any trace of foul play. When Dr. Grouchi died, Mick knew exactly what to do. Will he be able to save the world from the spread of the virus and provide a cure on time? Find out from this beautiful and funny adventure of Mick, Carol, and Danny.
I love the idea that the author used real places and almost real people’s names to bring life to the story. I totally laughed so hard reading the Slow Hidin’ mental breakdown. I’m glad to recommend this book. Rest assured, you can’t stop laughing while feeling afraid.
Book Review 11
Fight wisely: sophisticated, humorous, intelligent with a heavy dose of horror. A virus outbreak that started in Wuhan China has been kept secret. People that get infected by the virus will either turn into an undead, zombie, ordinary vampire, or wudi-wang vampire. What’s the difference between a wudi-wang vampire from an ordinary vampire? Wudi-wang vampire can be acquired without you knowing it through bat meat. Dr. Grouchi was the very first wudi-wang vampire who taught Mick everything. Vampires eat and suck blood on people. The fun part began when the police got involved and more crimes had been committed unexpectedly and mysteriously.
I admire the author’s dedication and passion for writing such a stimulating novel as always. This book deserves five stars in total. The scenes were brilliant and funny. The plot is matched with science and math equations that would really have you think deeply, and the characters are very well developed. Overall, this book is top-notch. I’m glad to recommend it.
Book Review 12
The more clues gathered, the more complex the case becomes. This book is not going to make you fall asleep, it’s hard to put down. When threats from the RBG virus loomed the society, well-known and brilliant Mick Maux's presence was highly needed in order to help stop the spread of the virus and provide anti-virus to the affected before the whole world would become zombies or vampires. Through math equations, it’s amazing how the author brings once again humor and tests your knowledge and skills in order to find out the real culprit behind everything.
I had a good laugh reading this book. It totally caught my attention, and everything that happened in the book stuck in my head the whole time. The names were also funny, and every time Mickey opens up a conversation, I crack up every time. However, his book holds a perfect adventure that’s surely going to fill you up with humor, action, suspense, and horror.
Book Review 13
It’s a deep horror, humorous, and romantic adventure of Mick, Carol, and Detective Danny’s story as together they solve the mystery of missing people or people being murdered from time to time, and they must prove to the police the presence of vampires, zombies, and the undead.
Mick Maux was hired by Dr. Grouchi in order to perform experiments and solve the missing pieces in order to form a senseful conclusion and ways to present vampire and zombie ideas to the public without compromising their safety and security. This book is an easy pick for horror, comedy, and romance enthusiasts. I’m pretty sure you’re going to love the conversation as much as the characters. It’s really going to entertain them in the most amazing of ways.
Book Review 14
More than a horror story, this is a story of a man who solves mysterious cases from other people with the help of a few honest and determined friends.
Mick is an on/off private detective that works for highly noble and wealthy people in New York City for their private matters. But this time, it’s a different adventure for Mick. Following the outbreak of the virus, Mick was surprised about the threats of the virus. He was quick to think that the virus is far more dangerous than what is being reported in the news—determined to find a way to return everything back to normal.
The element of surprise from this book is second to none. The plot is unique and the characters were very engaging and interesting. Each protagonist displays an act of bravery and courage, especially Mick Maux. Only a couple of things that I noticed that could be removed from the book were the unnecessary twists and turns of the plot. I am not good at remembering so I found the scenes confusing at times. However, the experience of reading this magnificent book can’t be paid with money. It’s not every day that we get to see and experience a book as good as this one. I highly recommend this one.
Book Review 15
Brilliant! That’s surely one of the best words that I could describe to this book. Reading this book had me laughing and cracking-up the whole time. Don’t get me mistaken, this book is about a widespread infection of the Wuhan RBG virus that could turn people into undead, vampires and zombies.
I just love the fact that Mick Maux stayed on character the whole time and he is filled with humor. His conversation with other people is a comedy. Unquestionably, Dr. Philip Emma knows how to be a comedian. In all honesty, I was surprised to find out that this book is about zombies and vampires. Dr. Philip Emma is a fine writer. I’ve read some of his books, like the “A Pair of Identical Murders”, and more. But this book is simply one of the best of his works. The ending was unexpected, and Dr. Grouchi’s passing had me broken hearted too. But I’m elated Mick has never been better in remembering details which made him unique from other detectives. Will they be able to save the world from the pandemic? Will the vaccine suffice the demands? What about the mysterious murders? I’m not going to spoil anything. It’s a quick read that you owe to yourself for no other reason than a good laugh and horror experience. Surely recommended.
BEGINNING OF THE BOOK
Prologue:
Pardon! Pardon!
Ladies and gentlemen, forgive me for appearing alone.
I am the Prologue!
Since the author is putting on the stage again the old ‘Comedy of Masks,’ he would like to revive some of the old customs, and so sends me out again to you. But not to say as of old: ‘The tears we shed are feigned! Do not alarm yourselves at our sufferings and our torments!’
No!
The author instead has sought to paint for you a scene from life. He takes as his basis simply that the artist is a man and that he must write for men. His inspiration is a true story.
A horde of memories was one day running through his head, and he wrote, shedding real tears,
with sobs to mark the time. So you will see love, as real as human beings' love. You will see the sad fruit of hate. You will hear agonies of grief, cries of rage and bitter laughter!
So, think then, not of our poor theatrical costumes but of our souls. For we are men of flesh and blood, breathing the air of this lonely world just like you. I have told you his plan. Now hear how it is unfolded.
Come: Let us begin!
(Prologue from “Pagliacci”; opera by Ruggero Leoncavallo – English translation)
____________
Dr. Grouchi, in his capacity as the Chief Medical Advisor to the President of the United States, was visiting the Wuhan Institute of Virology in the Hubei Province of China. Dr. Grouchi was funding certain classified research being done at the Wuhan Institute. It was all very hush-hush.
Dr. Grouchi was there visiting his longtime friend and research associate, Gao Fu-Yousef, the Director-General of the Chinese Center for Disease Control. The two had worked together throughout their illustrious careers, and Dr. Grouchi had arranged for funding to the Wuhan lab to do a very unusual study. It had to do with a certain virus found in the guano (excrement) of rabid bats. This piece of research was code-named “RBG.”
The “RBG” moniker stood for “Rabid-Bat Guano.”
“Fascinating,” Grouchi said. “You’re telling me that the guano contains a new virus – a mutated bacterium – that will cause people who are infected to crave blood. But other than that, it has no symptoms?”
“As far as we’ve been able to determine,” Gao said, “there are no other symptoms.”
“I’ve never heard of a virus like this before,” Grouchi said. “What good is it? Why would we care whether people crave blood if they’re healthy otherwise?”
“I don’t know,” Gao said. “We probably don’t care. But we’re still studying it.”
“This sounds like useless research,” Grouchi said. “As the person who is funding it, my suggestion is that you simply write a paper or two, and then move on to something else.”
“I understand,” Gao Fu-Yousef said. “Let me show you some other work that we’re doing.”
The two of them toured the lab, and Gao introduced Dr. Grouchi to many of the people that worked there.
As they were finishing the tour, Gao gave Grouchi the Chinese fist and palm salute. He made a half-fist with his right hand, and put it into the palm of his left hand. He raised his hands to his brow, lowered them back to his waist, and did a slight bow.
“Dr. Grouchi,” he said. “Would do me the honor of coming to my home for dinner tonight?”
“It would be my honor, Gao Fu-Yousef,” Dr. Grouchi said, and he returned the salute.
“Come at about 6:00,” Gao said.
They bowed again, and Dr. Grouchi left the lab.
That night, Dr. Grouchi took a taxi to Gao’s home. He’d brought a small gift with him, which he’d bought in his hotel’s gift shop. They’d wrapped it for him.
It was a large house. Dr. Grouchi rang the bell, and Gao answered the door. Dr. Grouchi entered, took his shoes off, and handed Gao the gift that he’d brought. Gao brought him into the kitchen where his wife was cooking their dinner, and introduced the two of them. Dr. Grouchi did a slight bow.
There was tea waiting, which Gao poured for all of them. He saw all of the prep work that Gao’s wife had done: lots of chopped vegetables, some chicken, and some fish. And the rice-cooker was on, cooking their rice.
New to Dr. Grouchi were the bats. Gao’s wife had some bats soaking in a pot of water. They were going to be part of the dinner. He had never had bats before, but was eager to try them. He’d been told that they had the flavor of mutton and the texture of chicken. He found that hard to imagine.
Gao invited Dr. Grouchi to come sit in their living room while his wife finished making their dinner. They sat and talked and drank their tea. When dinner was ready, they all went into the dining room.
Gao’s wife spoke a little bit of English, but wasn’t fluent. Gao was. And Dr. Grouchi spoke a little bit of Mandarin. With Gao there to interpret, they all had a nice dinner and a pleasant discussion. Dr. Grouchi enjoyed his dinner very much. While he thought that the bats had an interesting flavor, he wasn’t going to put them high up on his “favorites” list. As he’d been told, they had the flavor of mutton with the texture of chicken. Even having now tasted it, that was still hard to imagine.
After dinner was over, Gao and Dr. Grouchi went back into the living room, and Gao poured them a couple of glasses of very good brandy.
“Ganbei ,” they both said, bowing toward each other. They did not down their drinks in one swallow (as might be the custom with this toast). You’d never do this with a good brandy.
They sat and chatted some more until Gao’s wife came to join them.
After another brandy, Dr. Grouchi got up, thanked them both, and said goodnight.
CHAPTER 1: The Rabid-Bat Virus
The morning was a morning like every other morning. And then I turned on the TV.
In addition to all of the news stories about what celebrities were sleeping with what other celebrities, there was a new story about a virus that had come here from China.
So far, no one was sick. It sounded innocuous. So what? A virus? We’ve had them before, I thought.
The anchorman assured us that there was nothing to worry about – yet. We should all carry on as we had carried on yesterday, and the day before, and the day before that.
A spokesman from China assured us that scientists there didn’t know where the virus had come from. They thought that perhaps it was a disease that had effected a large colony of bats. And the Chinese eat bats. Apparently, they’re yummy when cooked right: they’re even better than tuna eyeballs, or chicken testicles.
The part of Wuhan that they were reporting from – Wuhan, was the city in China that first saw the disease - was right where their open markets are, and bats are one of the many delicacies that are sold there. Those, along with bee pupae, wormwood dumplings, chicken feet, cicadas, and sea slugs.
While they said that disease affected bats, so far there was no evidence that it affected people in the same way, nor was there any evidence that it was either deadly, or communicable. We really had nothing to worry about. It really shouldn’t even be a story.
So why was it a story?
It was true that Wuhan had a biological laboratory in the neighborhood that adjoined their open markets, but the spokesman assured us that the disease hadn’t come from that laboratory. That laboratory abided by the highest standards when handling viruses, and this particular virus – the bat virus – had no relationship to anything being studied there.
So why they had bothered with this story? A disease that didn’t affect people that was local to the bat-market in a city in China? A disease that wasn’t deadly or communicable? So?
I went into the kitchen to fix myself a cup of coffee, and left the news on. Maybe they’d get to something important – like who was sleeping with whom. I couldn’t wait to hear.
My name is Mick Maux. The last name is French, and it’s pronounced like it’s “Mouse.” Occasionally, this causes trouble for me: people don’t believe me when I tell them my name.
I’m a scientist. Rather, I’m retired. I studied hard, and math always came easily to me. So my professional work was always in science. I’ve lived and studied in Boston, in California, and in Texas. I’ve worked in private industry, I’ve taught at universities, and I’ve worked for the government. Once I’d made enough money to retire, which I did when I was relatively young, I came back to where I was from: Connecticut.
In Connecticut, we have the four seasons. In the spring, the daffodils come up, the grass turns an emerald green, and the forsythia turns a golden yellow. And in the fall, the leaves become a panoply of vivid colors before they fall from the trees. While the summer is hot, it’s not nearly as hot as it is down South. And while the winter is cold, it’s not nearly as cold as it is in the Midwest.
In the Northeast, we have our seasons, which cause me to cycle through my many perspectives of life. And the states here are small. It is an easy drive to New York City, and an easy drive to Boston. While the population density is high, the population is diverse. There are many wealthy people, and many poor ones. And they all make a living, somehow.
Along the way, I’d met Carol. We married several years back, and she accompanied me through my professional journeys to eventually come here to Connecticut. She’s a lovely woman with beautiful hair and a statuesque presence. And she has what I don’t: raw intelligence, and common sense.
While I was always an “outside the box” thinker, Carol has an unusual perspective: wisdom. And she has a real sense for how other people think. This is a perspective that’s lacking in me, and sometimes, it’s caused me to do embarrassing things. Although I was never embarrassed, Carol has occasionally told me that I should have been.
Since retiring, I’ve only taken on detective cases that I thought were unusual and challenging. I have a perspective (and some computer expertise) that the police lack, and I can be discrete. Together, Carol and I have what it takes to crack difficult cases. While our fees are high, we make them high just to make sure that our customers are genuinely interested in the results.
Carol came downstairs, and poured a cup of coffee. She was still in her bathrobe, and the news was still on. “Good morning,” she said.
“Good morning,” I replied, lifting my coffee cup as if making a toast.
She looked at the TV. “Any news this morning?” she asked.
“Nope,” I said. “What’s-’is-name is sleeping with what’s-’er name. Other than that, nothing.”
“That’s the same as yesterday,” she said.
“Well, there was a weird story about a bat-virus in China,” I said. “But it only effects bats, and maybe the people that eat them. They said that there’s nothing to worry about.”
“So why did they waste time reporting on it?” Carol asked.
“Good question,” I said. “You’d think that they’d report real news.”
I was in the family-room, sitting on the sofa, reading. Our kitchen area opens up into a dining area, which opens up into the family-room. It’s what might be called “open concept,” although we do have a separate (formal) dining room, a living room, a foyer, and a pantry. These are not open-concept.
Carol came in and sat with me so that we could watch the news together.
As she sat, the story about the Chinese bat-virus came on again. They showed the very large open markets in China again, which looked very unsanitary. It showed merchants putting items down on the ground to hack them up. And it was all open-air, with no air-conditioning.
The same Chinese spokesman came on to again say that the virus did not come from their lab, and that it did not effect humans. There was nothing to worry about.
This time, a new character came on. His name was Dr. Grouchi, and he was introduced as the chief medical advisor to the President of the United States. He looked like a miniature, beady-eyed vampire.
Dr. Grouchi explained to us that the Chinese virus was called “RBG,” that it might have come from rabid bats, and that it might have come from the Chinese labs. This was the opposite of what the Chinese spokesman had said, although we all know that (unlike our government) their government lies. Again, the name “RBG” stood for “Rabid-Bat Guano”; the presumed source of the disease.
Dr. Grouchi said that the virus was not dangerous to humans, and that even if it was, there was no need to do anything in particular. We should keep a “safe distance” from people that we didn’t know, and not exchange saliva with them. And there was no need for wearing masks, since masks didn’t work anyway.
Dr. Grouchi gave us a hungry-looking, ghoulish, vampire-smile, then he started steepling . And finally, he signed off.
“It sounds like there’s nothing to worry about,” Carol said.
“Outside of Dr. Grouchi, there probably isn’t,” I replied.
“He looks like a vampire,” Carol observed.
“A miniature, beady-eyed vampire,” I added.