A Deliberate Act of Violence: A Vampire Thriller

The Assembly, Book 2

By: Steve McHugh

Narrated by: Derek Perkins

An undead investigator hunts a recently turned vampire with a lust for violence in this dark urban fantasy from the author of the Riftborn series.

The peace between humans and vampires balances on a knife's edge, ready to descend into murderous chaos at any moment. It's up to the Assembly to discreetly clean up conflicts and track down criminals before bloodshed becomes a cause for concern. That's where Miles Watson comes in. As an Arbiter, he has free reign to find, adjudicate against, and punish perpetrators. And he operates just far enough outside the law to make sure those who break it get what's coming to them.

But even with unlimited scope and centuries of experience, Miles's latest case has his back against the wall. A series of murders are sweeping through the streets of London, and all evidence points toward a new, young vampire as the perpetrator. The only problem: the vampire in question is also the son of a very powerful businessman backed by the Assembly.

Now Miles must navigate not only the Assembly's usual red tape but also a twisted web of politics, underground crime, and dangerous alliances to stop the villain before the body count gets too high—or the powers that be catch wind of what he's up to.

Bestselling author Steve McHugh blends the best of horror with classic detective noir in this unforgettable continuation of the blood-curdling adventure that began with Those Who Dwell in Darkness.

©2025 Steve McHugh (P)2025 Podium Audio

I love this series

Miles and church are back and boy did I miss this snark. Exciting new story, action packed and the narration was great. I cannot wait to listen to the next one. I dove right in and finished in record time, to then do a Re-listen of both books. What a great world to visit. Thanks Steve

Hooked again

I am such a fan of Steve McHugh and his writing. I always find that I am smiling or laughing throughout. I am invested in Miles and his utter devotion to Church! I can not wait until the next book.

awesome

I loved the flow of the story . The MC is a funny , sarcastic and caring vampire.

Love Miles and Church!

4.5 Stars 🌟

As usual, I never know what to expect when I pick up a Steve McHugh book, I just know that I am going to be entertained. This book was no exception. For whatever reason, I had a hard time remembering the first book in this series, so I just decided to jump right into the second book. Honestly, I think it would be absolutely fine to read as a stand alone because I had no issues with feeling lost or thoughts of confusion - I was just along for the ride.

In this book, we are focused on Miles Watson, who is a vampire and who is an "Arbitor" for the Assembly. Apparently, in this world, vampires are out and co-exist along with the humans fairly peacefully. There is a governing group called the Assembly - who handles vampire crimes and issues in order to try to keep the peace with the humans.

So Miles. He is an extremely funny and sarcastic MMC with a very dry wit and apparently has the ability to back up what he dishes out. He has a side kick - an absolutely wonderful dog/vampire named Church. She is amazingly intelligent and loyal to a fault, and scarily effective. There were some scientists working with combining vampire DNA with canine DNA and the result was Church and one other litter mate. Miles love of her and is protectiveness of her takes his character up a level. The two of them together are awesome.

So- the case. Miles starts investigating a couple of cases that do not seem to be relate at first and then all of a sudden, it becomes apparent that there is more going on than meets the eye. What started as several separate cases end up all being related and before you know it, Miles, Church and team are desperately trying to stop some really bad people/vampires from releasing some crazed vampires into London.

This story was more like a crime or detective storyline. Miles is involved and then gathers additional help from friends that he trusts as it becomes apparent that the scope of the crimes is much bigger than first thought. I loved the comradery between friends, the craziness of the plot and in the end, the build to the climax.

All in all, another great series - but really, did I ever doubt it? Nope.

Another great series from Steve McHugh!

This is a different world than Hellequin or the Ravens.

A little darker, a little more noir.

And so far, the series is more a detective series, which I really like!

While I still enjoy the Hellequin novelas and hope for more about the Ravens, I am really looking forward to the next book in the Assembly series.

Derek Perkins does a great job too!

Can't wait for the next one!

McHugh!

Loved it! If you enjoy McHugh story telling you won't be disappointed. The story arc is new and intriguing.

Good sequel

I really loved the first book in the series and the main character and his side kick dog. This sequel did not disappoint. It was action packed, introduced new characters, and kept true to the prior characters. So if you enjoy fast paced, violent, vampire stories I strongly suggest this book (but listen or the read the first in the series first).