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"The city seen from the Queensboro Bridge is always the city seen for the first time, in its first wild promise of all the mystery and beauty in the world." — The Great Gatsby

The isle of Manhattan has played host and muse to countless authors past and present. Many even call it home. With its steel canyons, dark alleys, and sea of citizens, it is a borough bursting at the seam wtih stories. 

Manhattan Mayhem, an anthology from Mystery Writers of America (and edited by Mary Higgins Clark!) hit the shelves this week. To celebrate the gorgeous tome, we asked some of the contributing authors to share their favorite local haunts, and give us a glimpse into their mysterious Manhattan. 

Ah, Hannibal Lecter. No other fictional murderer has captured the collective unconsciousness quite like Thomas Harris’s culinarily-inclined mastermind. What is it about sleek, erudite monster that makes him so indelible? Four novels, five films and a television show might have destroyed another character, or at the least made him over-exposed. Only classic nightmare fodder such as Dracula and Frankenstein’s monster seem to exist in that same rarified air as Hannibal, where repeated use does nothing to fade their own personal brand of darkness.

Part of Hannibal’s continued appeal must lie with the way Harris has chosen Hannibal’s antagonists. The women and men who go up against Hannibal Lechter are all formidable minds in their own right, and so Hannibal’s victories (and defeats) against them are always well-earned.

So how might Hannibal fare against some of the greatest detectives in literary history?

What does your favorite superhero wear into battle—body armor? Protective gauntlets? Some kind of sissy utility belt? Pfftt…why not fight crime in a bike helmet and knee pads, Caped Crusader? No, the truly dedicated hero doesn’t waste time zipping up a full-body costume when there are crooks and henchmen to punch. Those who completely commit to the lifestyle know that the only way to confront the forces of evil is the same way you came into this world: naked and howling. While complete nudity is a dealbreaker for characters pursuing mainstream success in the masked hero game, here are a few shirtless, skin-baring superheroes from The League of Regrettable Superheroes who are proud to let their beach bodies shine.

Horrostör by Grady Hendrix: $3.99!

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / iBookstore

Something strange is happening at the Orsk furniture superstore in Columbus, Ohio.

Haute Dogs by Russell Van Kraayenburg: $3.99!

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / iBookstore

"It's like geek heaven, you gotta check it out!" — anonymous guy on his phone at our BEA/Bookcon booth, who basically gave us the best endorsement ever.