Anatomy of a Vampire, newly published by Palmetto Publishing, follows an FBI agent and an ageless protagonist into a hidden world where vampires are flesh-and-blood organisms rather than supernatural legends.
CHARLESTON, S.C., Oct. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Palmetto Publishing has released Anatomy of a Vampire, a new dark fantasy novel by author and illustrator John Matthias. The book, subtitled Present Day, is the second installment in the Anatomy of a Vampire series and delivers a genre-bending narrative that strips vampires of their supernatural mythology and rebuilds them through a naturalistic, scientific lens.
The story opens with the brutal killing of three world-renowned scientists along a remote hiking trail near Banff in the Canadian Rockies. FBI Special Agent Josh Cummings is called to assist the Canadian investigation alongside detective Jean Ramsey. Official channels attribute the deaths to a neurologically deranged grizzly bear, but the forensic evidence does not support that conclusion. No bear prints are found at the scene. The claw wounds suggest something with an opposable grip. A partial footprint recovered before a torrential downpour looks disturbingly human. A fourth man, barely alive, has been hurled against a boulder with no mauling wounds at all.
As the investigation deepens, the contradictions multiply. The violence was too precise and too purposeful for any known animal. Meanwhile, Ariel Lucard, a man who has not aged since a mysterious encounter in Romania in 1912, finds the events of the present pulling him back toward two enigmatic women and into a hidden world that has existed alongside humanity for centuries. Two ancient factions are emerging from the shadows, one committed to protecting humanity and one bent on domination. The veil between their world and ours is tearing, and the consequences may be irreversible.
Anatomy of a Vampire occupies a distinctive space on the shelf between dark fantasy and science fiction, appealing to readers who enjoy investigative narratives layered with speculative world-building. Fans of Justin Cronin’s The Passage, Deborah Harkness’s A Discovery of Witches, and the procedural tension of The X-Files will find familiar ground in its blend of forensic detail and genre reinvention. The novel features a strong female presence alongside its dual-timeline structure and morally complex characters, positioning it for a broad adult readership aged 25 to 55 and beyond.
Anatomy of a Vampire is available for purchase online at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com. For more information about the author, please visit any of their social media platforms.
About the Author: John Matthias is a writer and illustrator with a professional background in the biotech sector. This intersection of science and creativity defines his distinctive approach to speculative fiction, where rigorous, naturalistic thinking meets the boundless possibilities of fantasy. His vampire fiction strips the mythology of its supernatural trappings and reimagines these creatures through a scientific and biological lens, resulting in a reading experience that feels both grounded and thrillingly original.
Matthias lives in Ireland with his family and pets. The country’s verdant, mist-shrouded landscape provides a fitting backdrop for his imagination, and long walks through the countryside are a regular source of inspiration. He is equally at home penning ideas and sketching characters beside a pub fireplace, a dark pint close at hand. Follow John Matthias for updates on new releases.
About the Book:
Title: Anatomy of a Vampire
Author: John Matthias
Publisher: Palmetto Publishing
Publication date: 9/22/26
ISBN-13: 9798318839405, 9798318839399, 9798318839412
Available for interviews: Author, John Matthias
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SOURCE Palmetto Publishing
