It sounds like a murder mystery. It is a murder mystery, but grisly with guts and ghosts.

At its core, this book is a stark reminder of how Chinese Americans were and still are treated concerning the 2020 outbreak. To take a step further it also dives into how Asian women in particular are viewed and treated in general, like disposable dolls. Something less than human. Now, if you want more insight into this specific discussion, I suggest finding a review written by someone of that demographic.

I found this was a great story on how fear has this incredible power and finding it within yourself to overcome those fears and take back your life. I love a book that teaches me something and getting a look into Chinese tradition and lore on ghosts. I truly believe you can tell a lot about a culture on how they honor their dead.

The serial killings are the main focus of the book but the haunting is what propels it and I personally found it unsettling. You get treated to these grisly crime scene descriptions, but the creatures watching from the shadows are what truly sets the tone. Has a great supporting cast with their own stories and shortcomings, but they strengthen the story and add just the right amount of emotional connection. I loved that there are moments of brightness and humor despite the bleakness.

🦇 Book Review 🦇

Holy hell. This was a lot to process as this horror is rife with social commentary. Set at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we follow Cora Zeng as she deals with an absolutely horrifying experience (ya'll, my jaw was on the floor and my stomach was queasy within the first few pages). Traumatized and lost, we later follow Cora as she navigates her new job as a crime scene cleaner, the demands of her aunts, and the upcoming preparations for the Hungry Ghost Festival. If that isn't enough, she starts to realize all of her recent cleanups at her job have been of East Asian women in Chinatown.

This is part true crime and part ghost story. Kylie Lee Baker covers a lot in here and this story centers around racism and sinophobia with the demonization of Asians during the pandemic and the rise of Asian hate. It also delves into mental illness and anxiety, exacerbated by the fears of an unknown virus. And to top it all off, it also explores Cora's struggles with identity as a biracial Asian American.

This is not for the faint of heart. I was deeply disturbed by some scenes and gruesome descriptions and had to skim a page or two. I think the scariest and most disturbing thing about this story is that these sentiments and scenarios are very very real and exist in our world. It wasn't long ago when a mass shooting took place at three Atlanta spas with primarily Asian staff members and our nation's leaders were giving the COVID virus xenophobic nicknames. This book is heavy and shocking and gory, but there are still moments of joy in Cora's unlikely friendships with her coworkers and her hold-no-punches Aunt Zeng. Still, I would strongly encourage readers to check content warnings. To those that proceed, don't miss the heartfelt Author's Note at the end.

Thank you to @netgalley and @_mira_books_ for the e-ARC. @kylieleebaker 's horror novel comes out in April 2025.

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker is a darkly captivating and inventive tale that blends folklore, identity, and self-discovery. Baker’s sharp prose and unique storytelling create a hauntingly beautiful world where Cora must navigate her past, her power, and the complexities of who she is. A must-read for fans of gripping, atmospheric fantasy with deep emotional layers.

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng will introduce you to a world where the visceral and the ethereal bleed into one another, creating a compelling narrative steeped in trauma, cultural mythology, and existential dread. Cora Zeng, a crime scene cleaner in Chinatown, is our unflinching protagonist. Haunted by the traumatic murder of her sister, Delilah, who was pushed in front of a train, Cora grapples with her own version of reality, as well as the ghosts—both literal and metaphorical—that linger in her life.
The novel begins with a chilling and disconcerting premise. Cora’s occupation, which involves cleaning the remnants of violently brutal scenes, serves as a profound backdrop for her unresolved grief and psychological turmoil. Instead of the gore, it’s the everyday horrors—like the germs on a subway railing or the strangers she encounters—that truly terrify her. The phrase “bat eater,” hurled by the murderer in her sister’s death, reverberates throughout the story, morphing into a shadowy symbol that propels Cora into turmoil as she tries to decipher the threat that looms over her.
One of the standout features of this book is its ability to blend crime fiction with elements of supernatural horror. The narrative skillfully interweaves Chinese lore surrounding the Hungry Ghost Festival, where the boundaries between the living and the dead blur. Cora's aversion to acknowledging her feelings and heritage deepens the story, as her refusal to engage with the ghosts of her past leads to a chilling realization: ignoring their existence only heightens their presence. The author expertly builds suspense, using the reoccurring bat carcasses found at the crime scenes as a metaphor for Cora’s suppressed grief and unacknowledged fears.
Cora’s struggles with mental health are poignantly portrayed, as her obsessive focus on her personal hygiene and the fear of contamination parallels her emotional state. This tension between her internal fears and the external chaos creates a rich psychological portrait that is both engaging and unsettling. The narrative navigates issues of cultural identity, familial expectations, and the heaviness of personal trauma, making Cora a deeply relatable and multi-dimensional character.
Overall, this was a remarkable read. It melds horror and crime fiction while examining the intricacies of grief, culture, and the unseen burdens that haunt us. With lyrical prose and a deeply sympathetic protagonist, the author invites readers to explore not only the mysteries of death but also the oppressive weight of unresolved feelings. It’s a chilling reminder that while we may try to clean up the messes left behind, the past has a way of refusing to stay buried.

Wow. I held my breath during the onslaught of the first chapter. The adult horror novel is set in New York during the Covid-19 pandemic. Cora Zeng and her sister Delilah, recently laid off due to the pandemic, are out buying supplies and waiting on a train when a man suddenly screams “Bat Eater!” and pushes Delilah in front of the oncoming train. Delilah is killed immediately and Cora is left stunned and traumatized by the horrific scene. After this, Cora begins working as a crime scene cleaner despite her fears of germs and uncleanliness. She becomes friends with her coworkers and trudges on with her life. They continue to clean up crime scenes of East Asian women which oddly include bats on the scene and fear a serial killer is on the loose. She continues going to church with her aunt who is paying her student loans, but she ignores the advice from her other aunt to prepare for the Hungry Ghost Festival. She exists and moves from one thing to another until she sees a hungry ghost herself and everything changes. Cora grapples with trauma, regret, shame, unresolved feelings, inability to hope for the future, fear, and racism.

The novel is dark and gruesome. I almost stopped reading several times and this is because of the many gory depictions. This is not the typical book I would read, but I’m glad I didn’t stop reading. I learned so much. This book is thought-provoking in all the right ways. From the author’s note: “ For me, no needle-neck ghost can compare to the way the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world— the way we sacrificed the elderly and disabled on the altar of capitalism, the way trust in the government and the CDC swiftly dissolved, and the way we proved we as a country still haven't learned not to scapegoat an entire race of people in times of fear.” Overall, I loved it and I thank the author for this important book. Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via Net Galley. All opinions are my own.

All I can say is WOW! Wow, wow, wow, This book was absolutely incredible. What a commentary on white supremacy, I learned and unlearned so much while reading this. It was eerie and chilling and also somehow so real. Do yourself a favor and pick this up. Check trigger warnings—it is horror and there is gore.

𝘽𝙖𝙩 𝙀𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙊𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙉𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝘾𝙤𝙧𝙖 𝙕𝙚𝙣𝙜
𝙗𝙮: 𝙆𝙮𝙡𝙞𝙚 𝙇𝙚𝙚 𝘽𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙧

𝙎𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙡𝙪𝙧𝙗: Cora Zeng is a crime scene cleaner, washing away the remains of brutal murders and suicides in Chinatown. But none of that seems so terrible when she’s already witnessed the most horrific thing possible: her sister, Delilah, being pushed in front of a train.

𝙌𝙪𝙤𝙩𝙚: “Closing your eyes doesn’t stop monsters from devouring you”- Cora Zeng

𝙁𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙧: Auntie Zeng this woman takes care of business! She even made me laugh a couple times during the horror of this book. I hope to be an auntie like her for my nieces and nephews.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙇𝙞𝙠𝙚𝙙: This book has it all! Horror, twists and turns, found family, supernatural mixed with real connectable events. There are definitely triggers so please check for them! I loved learning about the Chinese hungry ghosts and other pieces of their culture/religion. This was a fun book to read but very deep and sensitive at the same time, I think that’s what made it enjoyable for me. I relate so much to some of the internal struggles and fell in love with the characters!

𝙒𝙧𝙖𝙥 𝙐𝙥- I would recommend this book to anyone who can handle it. So again please check triggers! I’ve come to find out with the horror books I have read, that a lot of it is symbolic to our traumas and life struggles! I find it honestly beautiful and I have so much respect for those who can make these feelings relatable and shareable with the world.

Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing and Kylie Lee Baker for this arc!

Review is up today 11/22/24 on Instagram (link attached)

Holy hell! This was a wild ride! But it was a ride I didn't want to get off of! I read this book in less than 24 hours. I promise that you'll be instantly hooked! The themes that Baker was able to wind together throughout this book (trauma, grief, racism, and mental illness) was done so fantastically. By the end of the book, I was floored...in a good way. This is my top read of the year!

Thank you HTP, Mira, and The Hive for the gifted digital copy

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng
Kylie Lee Baker
Publishing Date: April 29, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What a complex and important story this was. Kylie Lee Baker somehow took gruesome ghostly horror and made it an emotional and impactful read. There are also sprinkles of humor throughout which provide much needed levity. The writing and storytelling was just really well done.

This novel takes place in 2020 at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Our FMC Cora is a crime scene cleaner who also struggles with what presents as anxiety/OCD, there are hungry ghosts at play, and a series of murders. All of which leads to the spooky, bloody, wild ride that was this book. But in truth, the real horror, is the racism faced by Asian people, which is a theme all throughout this story. It was uncomfortable and infuriating to look these truths, which are still unfortunately so prevalent, in the face.

The last bit of this book was one punch in the gut after another, and the final “reveal” was just so powerful and disheartening. This was the type of book and ending that left you feeling so many feelings and thinking about important things, and those are my absolute favorite. The heartfelt authors note at the end was icing on the cake. This was my first book by this author and it won’t be my last.

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zang by Kylie Lee Baker was an incredible read. It doesn’t come out until April 2025, so add it to your tbr now. Once again, the horror aspect of a book took me by surprise but a bunch of friends were buddy reading it so I jumped on the band wagon. I was so glad I did!

I won’t share much about the plot, except to say that this book begins March 2020 in NYC. I have successfully avoided all pandemic books, just didn’t feel ready. Too soon. But holy wow! The story follows an Asian woman who suffers a tragedy, then finds work as a crime scene cleaner. From this point on, we embark on a dark and horrific adventure. Her two sidekicks were funny and they all had great character chemistry.

I knew that during the pandemic Asian and other marginalized communities suffered more than others. But this book really shows the reader just how horrendous it truly was for the Asian community during the pandemic in the US.

While the novel is supernatural/horror fiction, it felt so real! The ending was brutal and powerful and the authors note just clinched the read for me. I ate this book up, just like all the hungry ghosts that were in it.

WOOF. Major commentary on 2020/COVID anti-Asian sentiments that swept across the globe. I was angry and exhausted reading this only because I could relate and hated how close to reality this felt. Highly recommend. Kylie Lee Baker continues to be a favorite for me.

As a horror fan and someone who lost people to the pandemic….wow, just wow. The imagery and prose were beautiful and haunting at the same time while painful in their references.

I'm an Asian immigrant woman, so Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng really hit close to home. From the more subtle forms of racism to the blatant hate crimes—one of them claiming Delilah's life—everything felt so viscerally real. Even the ghosts felt familiar, and as horrifying as they were, they didn't feel like villains that the protagonist had to exorcise. Wretched, disfigured, and voiceless, they represented victims, both fictional and real, that died because of misguided hatred. It makes sense that they would be hungry in the afterlife.

I personally enjoyed following Cora's arc and how she learned to step out of her sister's shadow, which loomed over her even in death. She found her group of friends in the most unlikely places (scrubbing crime scenes, but hey, we find our people where we can) and learned to lean on others for help, especially in the face of ravenous ghosts and mysterious killers.

I think it may have helped for the ending to be a few pages longer so the resolution could sit with the reader, but I was satisfied nonetheless and thought the book wrapped itself up pretty nicely. There's so many layers that I'm still digesting—spirituality, politics, grief—but overall, I feel incredibly seen. The racism is sometimes super obvious, but I recognize that what's apparent to me might not be for another reader. I highly, highly recommend people give this story a try, whether to vindicate their own anger or better understand the hurt that the AANHPI community experienced during COVID.

This book hooked me in immediately. I enjoyed the relationship between the characters and the incorporation of how Chinese honor their dead. The horror was perfect, but so was the social of commentary of the racism against Asians during the pandemic and throughout history. Not much has changed and in times of crisis, our country is still prone to use scapegoats.

Rating: 5/5 ⭐️
Gore: 3.75/5🩸

Holy shit, this was so good. THIS is the feeling I wanted to have when I read The Eyes are the Best Part. I am so sad people have to wait til April 2025 to read this!!

If you can stomach vicariously living through the pandemic again, this social commentary horror about racism against Asians (specifically Asian women) is jaw-droppingly horrifying and brilliant.

To have lived through the pandemic and experienced SO much of what Kylie wrote, I was feeling those emotions all over again. The anger, the fear, the horror of it all. Being treated like shit for just being Asian. The heart pounding feeling when you actually stand up for yourself against a racist POS. Kylie captured it all, along with the added layer of paranormal, blood-thirsty ghosts. She also provided a lot of heart and humor in this horror with a great cast of supporting characters (Harvey, Yifei, Auntie Zeng!)

This is a must-read for horror fans!!

Bat Eater … is a depressing cross between reality and fantasy. Unfortunately, it was just too much fantasy for me. The symbolism connected with COVID is well placed, the writing is free-flowing, and the author’s imagination is superior.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng.

American-Asian Cora Zeng cleans crime scenes for a living. When her sister, Delilah is killed right in front of her eyes in a most horrible fashion, Cora spirals into a hellish nightmare of dealing with the aftermath. Trying to come to terms with her own grief and trying to find her way alone she finds herself disinfecting crime scenes in the midst of the Covid pandemic and discovering most of the victims are Asian women.

If you like gory, dark, malicious ghost stories then this one is for you. Rich in Chinese culture and the legend of hungry ghosts you will be mesmerized by this remarkable woman as she tries to come to terms with the violence around her and the racist bigotry toward her Asian community.

I forgot to mention the bats……

"Everyone wants Asian girls to look pretty. No one wants them to talk."

This book was not what I expected, in a very good way. It's 2020, and Cora Zeng is trying to figure out how to function during COVID, just like the rest of the world, except she also cleans up crime scenes for work. Her sister was murdered in front of her with no killer to be found. On top of navigating a pandemic Cora is also left trying to come to terms with the loss of her sister and the Asian hate that is being directed at Asians across the country.

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng was a wild ride. Between the horror filled pages lies a story about racism, Asian culture, familial love and responsibility, and panic. The multitude of monsters that surround Cora - from the unseen germs of COVID to an actual killer - allow this book to come alive in the fear this generates. I loved every minute of this book and cannot wait to delve into Lee Baker's other pieces.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this book!

4.5 stars rounded up

In the wake of the Covid pandemic, biracial Chinese-American Cora Zeng is a crime scene cleaner, working to scrub away the worst of the tragedies New York City has to offer. But the blood and gore don’t bother her like most; Cora has already witnessed her sister Delilah’s gruesome death – when a man shoved her into a train with only two words: “bat eater.” The act was racially motivated, as fears of Covid-19 and anti-Asian hate mount across the US. Now, Cora lives with the grief and guilt of her departed sister and takes comfort in her obsessive compulsive cleaning tendencies, disguising them as good pandemic hygiene. But Asian murders are on the rise, as every crime scene Cora and her coworkers are called to involves the deaths of East Asian women with a possible serial killer on the loose. With everything going on, Cora is wholly unprepared to find herself haunted by a hungry ghost that is searching for vengeance.

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng is a brutally honest, poignant depiction of the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic and the racism that reared its head during those early fragile months. Bat Eater takes a stab (pun intended) at all the ugly moments of 2020, portraying a very realistic image of the isolation, fear, and hatred that permeated the population. Baker has a talent for writing beautiful prose juxtaposed with all the gory, grimy details - poetic and blunt. This writing is perfect for a horror novel and creates a sense of wrongness. While it does lend itself fabulously to the genre, my only complaint is that it feels omniscient and disconnected when focusing on a single main character, like we never actually get inside Cora’s head.

The book’s centering of anti-Asian hate is such an important point of view in a unique package. Bat Eater is a ghost story and serial killer horror with a great focus on the importance of culture and grieving your lost loved ones. While East Asians in America are being killed all over New York City, the Hungry Ghost festival is being celebrated - where the ghosts of the deceased visit their families to be remembered and fed. But what happens to those hungry ghosts who are forgotten? Bat Eater explores this idea in depth.

I really enjoyed this novel and am so glad I was accepted for an ARC. I think this is an important ownvoices story that offers a crucial insight into one marginalized group’s experiences in America during 2020 onward. Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/MIRA for my review copy.

<i>First, a thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an eARC of this book.</i>

<b>FINALLY</b>, a book to get me out of my reading slump. The past few books I’ve read haven’t really caught my attention, so I was a little hesitant going into this book, especially as I just read another horror book.

<i>Bat Eater</i> does not disappoint. Cora is a woman reeling after witnessing her sister be murdered as part of a hate crime. Cora is numb to the world and going through the motions, desperately trying to keep control over herself in a senseless and frightening world.

She slowly realizes she is being haunted by a hungry ghost - and what is she, someone who tries to maintain a rigid sense of the world and reality, to do?

I will say at times there is body horror and gore, but it isn’t overdone and you aren’t getting paragraphs of it all at once. It can be disturbing though, so take care of yourself, fellow readers. This book is also about Cora and her friends coming to terms with the threat of a serial killer who is specifically targeting Asian people, and mostly women - so, once again, take care of yourself and what you can read.

While some might say this book is “overdone” or “over exaggerating”, I want everyone who might think that and is not part of a marginalized community to really stop, and really listen. While this is primarily a horror novel - isn’t the true horror in how in our real world, there are humans who look at other humans and see something less than human?

I loved Baker’s writing, and I really enjoyed following this story through. It left me hungry (pun absolutely intended) for more.