Don't let the cover fool you!!!! This is an amazing horror/murder mystery/thriller novel set during the COVID 19 Pandemic as we follow Cora, a crime scene cleaner (and trust me the gore and blood is explained in perfect detail <3). The first chapter starts off with a literal bang as we witness a hate crime unfold in front of Cora in the New York subway. Her sister is targeted and thrown in front of an incoming train, and the rest is described in detail... don't want to spoil the gore for you.

As you read this novel looking back at what we went through you feel and connect with Cora's emotional journey as she trudges through isolation due to Covid and her with her broken family. We can't acknowledge Covid without mentioning the rise of disturbing anti Asian racism Cora encounters throughout the novel. The countless times "Bat Eater" is thrown at her as if that's what the people only see her as.

A true emotional horror book this is a must read for everyone.

Set in New York City during the Covid lockdown, Kylie Lee Baker's debut adult novel hits all the creepy, gory, ghostly notes in this horror story exposing the violence that East Asians experienced during the pandemic. Cora Zeng has always let other people direct her actions. But when her North Star, her half sister Delilah, is brutally murdered in the subway right in front of her, Cora loses her way. She's haunted by her sister and the hungry ghosts that plague her and the entire East Asian community. This book is gory right off the bat, pun intended, not gonna lie. The audio version is performed by Natalie Naudus, one of my all-time favorite audiobook narrators. When I say performed, I mean it. She brings the characters alive and makes the suspense and horror palpable. I was uncomfortable with the initial chapter, establishing Cora's trauma, but the violence against East Asians during the pandemic was horrific and this book shows us that through deftly written social horror.

[Thanks to Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for an opportunity to read and share my opinion of this book.]

Sisters Cora and Delilah Zeng are two art history majors living in New York City during the pandemic. The sisters begin to be pulled apart emotionally and physically. Both recently unemployed, Delilah plans to leave her sister for an extended stay with her dad in China. Cora doesn’t think her Chinese is strong enough to move there and plans to stay behind. These interactions with the sisters are brief before readers descend into increasingly darker layers of the story.

As the girls wait for the subway a man approaches in the moment just before the train arrives, pushing Delilah in front of it, and calling her “bat eater” as she falls. She dies instantly and grotesquely. This event pushes Cora into a great period of darkness within and around her. Desensitized to gore after the murder, she begins working on a crime scene clean up crew with friends Harvey and Yifei. These three friends form their own Scooby gang, a likeable trio who begin to notice many of the victims are East Asian women, their mutilated bodies left with a signature maimed bat.

Ignoring her Auntie Zeng’s advice to participate in the Hungry Ghost festival, a time to honor lost loved ones, Cora continues going through her daily routines and
endures racist slurs and attacks in the city. Strange ghostly occurrences begin to happen slowly, then grow to a crescendo as the plot develops with folkloric horror. With the help of the Scooby Gang, Cora will try to understand these paranormal events and solve a murder mystery while fighting for her own survival.

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker is a multilayered read filled with realistic as well as fantastical horror. I found myself shocked, but not deterred by the body horror. It’s a quick read that will keep you wanting more. Many times I was on edge, surprised and shocked by what was happening. Tragedy doesn’t rest as the story progresses. I couldn’t believe Cora could endure so much pain and continue on. I found so much rich content to feast on from the paranormal folkloric elements to the serial killer murder mystery. A must read for fans of paranormal mysterious horror, folklore and the real darkness of humanity.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for this ARC.

When I tell you, I did not expect the poetic metaphorical prose that was this book alongside some of the most original and grotesque body gore I've ever experienced.

Disclaimer: I did receive this e-book as a advanced reader copy through NetGalley. Thank you to Harlequin books and NetGalley for the free copy. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I had heard things about this author, but had never read anything by them. When I saw this book come up as a NetGalley arc I decided to give it a try because it sounded like a very interesting horror based novel. I have never been so happy to have requested an arc on the fly in my life.

This novel centers around Cora, an Asian woman who has been experiencing some massive discrimination and prejudice at the height of the Covid pandemic in New York City. Due to some off page incidences Cora has massive PTSD and a germaphobe problem. Which is only even more heightened due to the strict protocols surrounding Covid. We get so much Chinese mythology and a lot of the implications and traditions surrounding death of Asian people within this novel. It kept it very realistic and relatable and interesting. I was not expecting the lyrical prose that this would accompany with the very interesting and unique level of body gore that was found in the this novel. They were times during this novel where I was not 100% sure if the narrator was reliable or not or maybe possibly just hallucinating these things really happening to her? I found myself asking that question numerous times throughout this novel. The way I gasp screamed and spoke to this novel out loud as I was reading.

Needless to say, I absolutely finish this novel and downloaded more of this authors work. I cannot wait to dive back into this author's brain as it is a very unique and compelling experience.

I want to start this review by saying I normally steer clear of anything mentioning the pandemic or covid and I am just getting into really being able to listen to audiobooks... sometimes I zone out and miss half the story, so I need a good narrator!!

That being said, I really enjoyed both the book and the narration!!

I don't know much about Asian culture, and even though I knew there was a lot of racism during the pandemic, this put it in a different light for me.

I enjoyed the relationship between Cora, Yifei, and Harvey, and how they grew together over the course of the book and Cora's struggle with hungry ghosts. It becomes evident that Cora has had some mental health struggles in the past and I felt for her because you could tell she still felt that shame and fear that everyone would judge her based on her past.

The narration flowed nicely and kept my interest throughout the book! I would definitely listen to this narrator again.

Honestly really enjoyed this! I was partially worried because it involves the pandemic and I don’t like to go back to that. But this was written so well!

I found it interesting to get the perspective of a crime scene cleaner. I also loved that it touched base with how people were treated during the pandemic and how they are “bat eaters”. It was a horrific time and this book executed it very well. I loved every bit of it.

Bat Eater is such a wild ride! I really liked Cora's perspective because it was a little unreliable. It was hard to know what she was imagining and what was real. I think that helped add to the stress and darkness of the story. I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this book, but I love the combination serial killer, ghost, COVID plot.

I would warn readers that this book is graphic and gory (Which I enjoy) but it may not be for everyone.

I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed the narrator.

Kylie Lee Baker has officially become an auto-buy author for me! I really enjoyed The Scarlet Alchemist duo, and I loved that Bat Eater couldn't be more different, but was just as good.

Bat Eater blends the very real horror of the Covid pandemic and the resulting violence against East Asian people with hungry ghosts and plenty of blood and gore. Cora is a crime scene cleaner who is terrified of germs and dealing with significant emotional trauma.

What I think worked so well is that some of the most disturbing parts of the book were the scenes that didn't involve ghosts or body horror, but just the reality we lived through during the early days of the pandemic. It also opened my eyes to an extra layer of hell other people lived through that I hadn't experienced.

I listened to the audiobook, and Natalie Naudus was perfect in bringing Cora to life. I've listened to quite a few books narrated by Naudus, and she always delivers a great performance!

Thank you, Net Galley and Harlequin Audio, for an advanced audiobook copy in exchange for this honest review.

4.5 stars because this book is ahead of its time. Most books that are written about the pandemic are books that trigger me so much i end up not enjoying it, but this one I feel opposite. Now grated it is still triggering because of the racism and assault against Asian women and content but it was so good. The gore, the body horror, the beautiful ways that this author woven into this story was so captivating. I highly enjoyed this and would definitely recommend this to my audience. The narrator did a great job of keeping the reader engaged.

Thank you Harlequin Audio and Netgalley for the free ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I am in no way, shape, or form, a horror girlie. But this book blended horror and the paranormal with the reality of the pandemic so seamlessly that I was engrossed the entire time. Told from the point of Cora Zeng, a half-Chinese college graduate trying to recover from witnessing her sister's murder, we a thrust back in time several years to the height of the pandemic in New York City. Cora has just graduated from college with a Fine Arts degree, but nowhere to flex her skills, so she accepts a job as a crime scene "scrubber". But soon she notices a pattern of murdered Asian women that seems to be flying under the radar of the NYPD, all while being haunted by a ghost of her own...

Sometimes, I almost block out that the pandemic even happened, not out of denial, but everything that occurred during that time just seemed to exist in this almost dream-like state. Like, did that even happen? But as Baker so expertly shows, millions of Asian Americans will never forget that time period. The blatant racism that exploded seemed to spread just as insidiously as COVID-19. And to be quite honest, I'm not sure that we ever recovered. But I digress. I was completely surprised by the paranormal element that emerged as Cora's story developed, but I absolutely loved how it tied in aspects of Asian culture that otherwise may have been left out. There is an undercurrent of tension throughout the entire story that drives the narrative and had me listening to my ALC at every opportunity. Baker's writing is eerie, but beautiful in its own right, and had me hoping and praying that Cora would it make it through this story alive. There are frequent graphic mentions of mutilated corpses and the aftermath of crime scenes, so if that's something that makes you squeamish, just be aware.

If I were to be a horror girlie, I think this is the perfect type of horror for me. Not just a story that thrives off of scary moments, but one that weaves in cultural and societal themes that are extremely relevant and give nuance to an otherwise seemingly straightforward horror novel. I will eagerly be on the lookout for more stories from Kylie Lee Baker.

This was intense, real and great. I’ve read a handful of books set during the pandemic and this one captured it and added a horrific salience. So well done.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy of the audiobook for BAT EATER AND OTHER NAMES FOR CORA ZENG.

This book has quickly become my favorite listen of 2025 with its profound storytelling. Combining true tragedy with the traditions and beliefs surrounding hungry ghosts all while tying it into the mystery behind a serial killer was done so well. Emotional, shocking, and a great reminder of what loss and grief can do to a person especially in times of unforeseen circumstances. This book is beyond important in today’s world and to remind us what this country is capable of in the worst of times. I cannot recommend this book enough. It gives us every opportunity to truly look ourselves in the mirror and ask what we’ve created.

If you only listen to one audiobook this year, let this one be it.

Cora is a crime scene cleaner, witnessing some of the worst deaths in New York City when her own sister Delilah is pushed off of a subway platform, killing her instantly. Cory is really struggling the with her death and with many aspects of the pandemic when she realizes that someone is murdering Asian men and women and placing bats near their bodies. As she begins to be haunted by Delilah's ghost, she and her two coworkers try to uncover the perpetrator of the killings while tending to the hungry ghosts around them.

The narrator did an excellent job, imbuing the characters with distinct voices that helped enhance the story greatly. There were some poignant discussions of suffering from the effects of the pandemic and the impact that racism and Asian hate had on these characters. I did feel that the second third of the book dragged a little with much more of an interesting plot line and action in the beginning and the end. Overall there were some very interesting pieces to this unique story but it really wasn't for me. 3.25 stars.

I received this advance audio copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

HUGE thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to receive this audiobook as an arc

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng is one of those books where it feels strange to say I loved it- because it is quite bleak and it hurt my feelings a lot, it was not a happy book. There’s this looming darkness that seems to settle over you as soon as you start reading.

So let me explain;

It’s been a while since a book has made me genuinely disgusted with humanity. This book really came out swinging with the racism, the first chapter involved our main character losing her sister due to hate crime. And that ball did not stop rolling. Just when you think that MAYBE Cora gets a moment to breathe, poor girl gets kicked down and then some.
The Sinophobia during the COVID-19 pandemic was, and is, horrible. Witnessing this through Cora’s eyes was heartbreaking. Seeing Cora and her friends getting called vile names, along with the destruction of Chinese-owned businesses, and even down to the targeted murders of Chinese people really hit me in the gut. And it was supposed to.

This book is so realistically horrific. It’s not slasher, cabin in the woods horror. It’s real world, every day horror; walk-outside-your-house-and-witness-it-with-your-own-two-eyes, kind of horror. And sometimes that is much scarier.

I did have a lot of fun with the Hungry Ghost aspect- I’m not overly familiar with East Asian culture but this has really inspired me to do more research! I also personally enjoyed the mental picture of (not) Delilah unhinging her jaw like a python around that man at the table (iykyk)

Every part of this book made me emotional, from the dedication ALLLLL the way to the authors note.

This book was so good! I was a nurse during the pandemic and that gave me a very one sided view of the pandemic. This look into the Chinese American perspective was so eye opening. Let’s also not forget the horror aspect of this story. So well done!

This was a short, quick read that brings us back to NYC during the early COVID days. Cora, an obsessive compulsive germaphobe (my interpretation even though I’m not sure it was ever specifically stated) is just trying to live her life after sister gets murdered. I felt Cora was so endearing and I honestly loved her and her weird quirks and compulsions.

At face value, not much happened - but the deeper message was so emotional and you could tell the author felt deeply about this. But I am quite certain Baker deserves jail for what she did towards the end bc how dare she?? I couldn’t believe what she did to my poor Cora 😭

As someone who HATES bats, parts of this one had me 🤢 but don’t let that discourage you bc I swear it wasn’t that bad - I just get grossed out by weird things. I also totally understand if you’re hesitant to pick up a pandemic themed book, because I was too. But this one had so many more layers to it than just the pandemic story.

🎧audiobook was AMAZING. Natalie Naudus had such a soothing voice and was a new narrator to me but I have no idea why she isn’t narrating more?? I loved her and need to listen to anything else she’s done - she’s got a Julia Whelan/Eunice Wong type of voice that just makes you want to keep listening.

Overall, I highly recommend this one! Thank you so much to the publisher and the author for allowing me to be an early reader.

Arc review ✨

I have so many thoughts about this book! Thank you first off to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for an honest review. I was very excited to have a chance to read this.

First of, wow, this book started out with a bang- just horrifically heartbreaking and the dread continued the entire book. Unfortunately, while it had one of the strongest intro scenes in a book I’ve read in a while.. as we went on it felt like a rough rollercoaster - really high highs and really low lows. After the first intense scene it got slow until around 30% when we are introduced to a supernatural aspect as well as a murder mystery which should have hooked me…. But it dragged until around 70%. When it did pick up again, I found it had lost my interest and nothing could get it back. I believe that had to do with the supernatural parts. My main thought while listening to it was that while supernatural aspects usually are a plot device that I love in a horror book, in this one it didn’t work for me. I was more interested in the POV of our characters experiencing the pandemic and horrors they experienced as well as the serial killer spin.

Added to note that the audio narrator did well. Even though I ended up going at 1.75x speed after 80% as I just wanted to move on :( bummer. Was no fault to the narrator though, the story was just not gripping me further.

In the end I did finish this book, but I’m left feeling a bit unsatisfied. It wasn’t a bad book and you will see many reviews raving about it. I just think it didn’t work out for me personally.

I usually avoid pandemic-themed novels but I made an exception for this one since it sounded incredible. This was my first novel by Kylie Lee Baker and I will definitely be reading more! I listened to this on audiobook and absolutely loved how the narrator really conveyed the atmospheric horror aspects in a way that had me looking over my shoulder for ghosts. “Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng” is a gory supernatural horror story intertwined with a tense serial killer murder mystery. But it’s also a realistic portrayal of Covid with incredible social commentary that doesn’t shy away from topics such as racism, hate crimes, and more. This is definitely one you don’t want to miss if you enjoy dark horror novels! 4.5 stars.

Thank you to Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for ALC of this book!

This is such a strange, weird and intense book. Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng is set during the pandemic and highlights what it was like to be Asian during that time. As Cora works to find her sister's killer, she begins to think there may be a serial killer on the loose, hunting Asian victims. As time passes she slowly unravels and is the killer hunting her? Filled with phobia, ghosts, and gore this book gives serious spooky vibes and I had to keep the lights on while I was listening!

The audiobook narrator, Natalie Naudus has a very calm and soothing voice. She added a lightness that I didn't expect to find when I hit play.

A book about ghosts, but the living are far scarier.

Cora earns a living cleaning crime scenes during the pandemic. When she begins finding bats at the scenes where Asian women are killed, and the ghost of her sister pushes her to investigate, Cora realizes that the racism that simmers under the surface of New York has become insidious.

I loved the body horror in this book. Eyeballs and fingers and goo, oh yeah. It feels sweaty and claustrophobic, with truly haunting imagery.