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.

This was a work of horror indeed, in terms of both the reality aspects of it and the ghosts. The hatred towards the Chinese was immense during the pandemic, and unfortunately none of what was said in the book was surprising in that sense. We heard it all around us. It was sad to hear it from a first person perspective, and horrific the extent to which it went—- namely the catalyst event with her sister, the man, and the train.
The author did not shine away from gore, and some moments were surprising to me in a “oh dang that just happened” sense. While they may be ghosts, they do bite and can kill just as a human can. The haunting is one Cora can’t wake up from, as it’s not a dream.
This was definitely different than anything I’ve read before and I enjoyed the blend of realistic truths and fiction. The narration of the audiobook was also great, and I was completely immersed in the story.

Thank you Harlequin Audio for the listen!

If you had told me a month ago that I’d be emotionally wrecked over a book featuring a germaphobic crime scene cleaner, a serial killer, and literal hungry ghosts, I would have dunked my hands in sanitizer and laughed in your face. But here I am—raw, shaken, and 99.9% sure something is breathing down my neck.

This book? Absolutely unhinged. It’s a full-course horror feast—bloody, brutal, and seasoned with just the right amount of dark humor to make you choke on your own fear. The grief? Marinated in trauma. The ghosts? Starving. The protagonist? Hanging by a thread and fighting for her life (and possibly her sanity). And the serial killer? Let’s just say they’re not exactly leaving clean crime scenes.

Every page is dripping with paranoia, tension sharper than a butcher knife, and the unsettling knowledge that something sees you. You might not see it back, but oh, don’t worry—it’s there. Watching. Lurking. Licking its lips.

If you like your horror feral, your ghosts ravenous, and your protagonist one intrusive thought away from an existential crisis, you need this book. Just don’t read it alone. Or in Chinatown. Or near train platforms. Or… actually, maybe just wrap yourself in a salt circle and hope for the best.

Kylie Lee Baker crafts a multi-layered and melancholic tale of trauma, racism, family mythology, multi-generational cultural loss, and the uncertainty of daily living through the COVID-19 global pandemic and its impact on Asian American women in New York City, as experienced by Cora Zeng. Cora is an unsure, germ-phobic, and somewhat reluctant Chinese American woman living in the shadow of her sister Delilah, who she both idolizes and resents. The story begins with Delilah’s brutal racially-motivated murder, which leads to a spiral of events that unfold in the book in horrific, tragic, and gory details. Details which oft lay American society bare in its darkness, yet leave the reader with real moments of hilarity from a group of extremely likeable characters.
The expert narration by Natalie Naudus felt like being swept up a current peacefully, until you realized just like Cora, the current was not so peaceful.
Even though I read a synopsis before I listened to this book, I had no idea what I was in for as this book is so much “bigger” than any description can make it out to be. Yes it is horror, yes it is a story about Asian Americans, yes it is comedic and dark, yes it is many things, but I feel it is a necessary read for two reasons: the experience of Asian American women in America and how they are often not allowed to be other than what white society dictates they shall be, and how the pandemic was tragic for everyone yes, but it was more tragic for some than it was for others.
I feel very glad to have read this book. I devoured it. I’ve recommended it to everyone I can. It is excellent. I relate to Cora’s germ-phobia, her unsureness, her not knowing what will the world bring next? She is real. I find myself wondering about the real life Delilahs, the Hungry Ghosts that roam among us. This is not a book that will leave you quickly once you are done reading (or listening).
If you are squeamish this may not be for you, as there is quite a bit of body horror within. If you are a victim of male violence against women, I would check the trigger warnings and keep your safety in mind. If you’re in need of a good dose of Auntie wisdom, then you’re in luck and this is your book!
Overall, a difficult at times, buoyant at times, absolutely worthwhile to required read. One of the best horror books in recent memory. Male horror authors take note: if you’re killing off your female characters, this is how you do it. Women authors are doing the horror genre the justice it deserves and Kylie Lee Baker is at the front of the pack!

I’ve never read anything by Kylie Lee Baker but you can just tell she put a lot of her own frustrations, feelings, and experiences into this book. The author’s note at the end had me tearing up!

Cora experiences an unimaginable, violent tragedy. On top of that, it’s April 2020 and Covid is now a huge anxiety for Cora. Not to mention, Cora is Chinese-American and people are blaming Chinese people for Covid- she is constantly harassed in public. After the tragedy, she picks up an unusual job and gains two coworkers/friends. But Cora’s grief is manifesting and haunting her in terrifying, hungry ways. More and more tragedy hits and Cora is left feeling traumatized and hollow.

The ending of this book was so satisfying. All of Cora’s sadness and anger and hopelessness comes together and she does what anyone would do.

I really enjoyed Baker’s writing- it was so descriptive and emotional. The grief and horror elements were very well done without feeling gratuitous or repetitive. Cora and her friends were such a supportive group and brought levity to a dark story. I definitely recommend if you like thrillers with a good amount of horror!

An impactful story of grief, racism, and trauma told through the eyes of a woman suffering from OCD during the start of the Covid pandemic. While heavy with body horror and paranormal events, this book is also sweetly heartwarming and funny if you’ve got a sense for dark humor. I was fully engulfed in every aspect of this story. I’d recommend this book to people who “don’t like to read about Covid because I’m living it” because I thought the same - and this book changed that. A very easy 5 star read. I can’t wait to buy my physical copy as a trophy!

There is a dark current of fear through this whole story. Whether is fear of the obvious (the serial killer or the ghosts), or fear of the future, it is inescapable. The author gets into your thoughts and hides in the shadows. For Cora, nowhere is safe.
The story takes place during the pandemic, which really sets the tone. Asian American hate is at its all time high, and violence is around every corner. While Cora is hiding from the horrors of the world, she also is hiding from ghosts. Her dead sister haunts her every move. This aspect of the story was my favorite, though seriously scary, I really enjoyed the superstition and learning about Asian spiritual beliefs. It makes me rethink how we approach our dead.

very interesting premise that felt like too much was happening. There's ghosts, there's a serial killer, there's elements of christian demons and such that may or may not be related to the ghosts. Just a lot happening.
And one thing that frustrated me more than anything was how Cora felt she couldn't talk to her friend about the ghost she's seeing even AFTER the friend says "here's the scar from when a GHOST BIT ME.
It's also frustrating how very in her head she is the whole book, I just wished she'd talk to someone, which would have been fine if there weren't people actively trying to talk to HER. Just very frustrating to read, which is unfortunate cause the STORY is such an important one.

Oof. After loving some of Baker’s past work (The Scarlet Alchemist in particular), and with hearing rave reviews from trusted friends, I went into this hoping for a new favorite book!

The setting and ambience were truly so chilling, Baker is excellent at writing an atmosphere that pulls you in. The first quarter of this book had me ADDICTED, but the plot was more meandering than I’d have preferred and ultimately, I was hoping it would go in a different direction.

I think the story itself is so important and worth a read, and I feel sick to my stomach to know so many were and still are treated this way! But I didn’t leave the book feeling like my cup was filled, and that is ultimately why I chose the rating.

(But a million stars for the narration; she’s one of my favorites ever!)

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng is the first book about the pandemic I have connected with on a deeper level. It opens with unimaginable loss as Cora's sister is murdered in front of her, leaving her haunted by the image and the killer's words: bat eater. This act of unthinkable violence upends her life and forces her to realize she never really made plans of her own. Cora falls into a job as a crime scene cleaner as the main urge she can identify without her sister is a desire for complete cleanliness and access to industrial-strength cleaners.

When Cora and her crew are repeatedly called to clean murder scenes with horrifying similarities, including dead bats left behind like calling cards, they realize they are among the first to uncover a serial killer at work in the city. This, coupled with Cora's growing suspicion she is being haunted by ghosts of her own, combine to create an incredibly atmospheric and claustrophobic horror novel that is hard to put down. The exploration of themes of racism, grief, and haunting and the way these came to a head at a specific time and in a specific place is so well illustrated in these pages.

The representation of Cora's mysophobia and how it intersects with the pandemic is also very well done. Her obsessive-compulsive tendencies around food were very validating to see represented and her general anxiety about being out and about in the early pandemic rings all too true.

Because of the heavy gore in some parts, I would recommend this mainly to horror readers and especially those who like horror with social commentary and strong characters. Additionally, I'd recommend this to anyone willing to give the gore a try, because this is a book that deserves to be read widely.

Harlequin Audio ALC
This was a dark and tense horror that captured the suffocating feeling that was the beginning of the 2020 pandemic. This author focused on the Asian community and the utter hate and disrespect they received from others. This book due to that was dark, but she also expertly weaved in horror that kept me tense the whole time. The sense of dread slowly started creeping up throughout this novel, and I had to know what would happen with the hungry ghosts. It was dark and propulsive. If you're a horror fan, I highly recommend this one.
It's also narrated by Natalie Naudus, who is one of my absolute favorites. She always captures the characters so distinctly that I know I am getting an excellent book when she narrates.

My first arc! thank you Netgalley!

This novel possessed two traits that I love. The first is that the conceit is immediately understood by the characters, so we as an audience can help them problem solve instead of waiting for them to catch up. The second is a thorough representation of another culture in a genre that is dominated by white/anglo-saxon stories.

When someone says "ghosts" you primarily think of little Victorian kids in old houses, or angry witches or demons slamming doors shut. Japanese ghosts got a bit of play when The Ring came out, but it had been redone for an American audience with white people. It was so nice to read a ghost story/horror that had zero white perspectives in it, and we could just sink in to the Chinese experience. As a half Chinese woman living in NYC during the pandemic, a lot of my experience felt validated.

The book was smart, refreshing, well written, scary, and sad. Definitely recommend!

*4.5⭐️ Bat Eater is an evocative horror novel that delves into deeply relevant themes such as the pandemic, racism, corruption, mental health, and the supernatural. It centers around Cora, a character grappling with the profound loss of her sister, the anxiety brought on by COVID-19, and her own personal grief. The narrative strikes a delicate balance, intertwining moments of gut-wrenching horror with unexpected bursts of humor and warmth as Cora builds relationships with her colleagues. This refreshing take on the serial killer genre not only addresses the rise of anti-Asian racism in the pandemic's early days but also offers an emotionally resonant and chilling experience for readers new to the world of horror fiction. It stands as both a thrilling and thought-provoking read.

*the only reason I didn't give this a 5⭐️ rating was because of the graphic gore described throughout. Horror isn't typically my go-to genre, but the story was so captivating that I powered through those parts, and I'm so glad I did! I highly recommend this to anyone who can handle the explicit horror scenes because the message and payoff are absolutely worth it!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC audio for my honest review!

I absolutely adored this story. It's brutal, honest and heartbreaking. It takes us back to the beginning of the end of the world, aka 2020 and the beginning of the pandemic. Cora Zeng is a crime scene cleaner in New York haunted by trauma, hungry ghosts and a serial k!ller. She's forced to confront the violence experienced by East Asians during the pandemic. Cora is obsessed with the need to be clean and that part definitely felt relatable with my OCD. Also, I love seeing cleaners in fiction.

This story deals with mental health, the collective unraveling that was 2020, racism, and the cleaning industry. Loss, relationships and finding who you are are all big parts of this story as well.

I don't want to say much more without ruining the story, but this is definitely a must read for everyone.

I had been seeing this all over insta and needed to read it based on just the gorgeous cover, but when I read the synopsis I was even more sold. I'm so grateful to Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for the advanced audio.

Pre-order now! And read it April 29th 🖤

A dark look into the emotional turmoil of the Covid-19 pandemic that takes a turn into gory macabre horror.

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng is an easy 5 star. I read the audio version.

We follow Cora as her life changes after watching the brutal murder of her beloved sister, Delilah. Set in the backdrop of COVID in New York, Cora becomes a crime scene cleaner as she adjusts to life without Delilah, makes new friends, and uncovers some ghostly horrors.

Cora is written in a way that makes you so connected to her as a reader. You can feel her anxiety, her self doubt, her loneliness, her self consciousness/criticisms. She is a very relatable character and shows obvious self growth throughout the novel.

This is so much more than a ghost story, though. This is a critical, brutal commentary on racism in the US, only amplified by the pandemic. It is such an important read. Kylie Lee Baker exquisitely blends horror with social commentary.

Contemporary horror that leaves a huge impact on the reader. This had me laughing at points but completely disgusted at humanity the next. A must read, not just for horror fans.

My favorite things about this book are the blending of the horrors (realistic & supernatural) with social commentary, & the presence of cultural traditions throughout. Cora Zeng is a young Chinese American, caught between the worlds of her white mother & her Chinese father, both of whom are absent.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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She struggles with grief, her mental health, her personal identity, the trauma of witnessing her sister’s murder, her two aunts’ different faiths, & ghost hauntings. She faces daily racism & realizes she’s been cleaning up anti-Asian crime scenes. On top of this, the novel is set during COVID.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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Each element & layer is expertly woven together to create this original story. I also enjoyed the bit of humor & the found family aspect.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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This is equal parts powerful, gory, haunting, & thought-provoking!⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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An important takeaway from the author’s note: “Do not let your empathy stop at the borders of your own community.”

Cora Zeng, a crime scene cleaner in New York City’s Chinatown, grapples with the traumatic loss of her sister, Delilah, who was murdered in a hate crime during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The novel has received praise for its exploration of grief, mental illness, and Sinophobia. Because of the excellent reviews, I decided to simultaneously read and listen - my favorite way to experience a book.

The narrator was wonderful, and if you’re ready to pick this up, I recommend giving the audiobook a chance.

I’m not a horror fan, but I have been known to grant 5 stars to horror books. Although I prefer a fast pace, I can handle slow IF it’s not matched with repetitive ruminations, which this was.

I don’t have a problem with COVID stories (why does anyone? I mean, it was a pretty momentous event we lived through), but xenophobia and any kind of racism infuriate me, making for a painful reading experience - and not in a positive way - like I just get angry.

Suffice to say, this was not for me. Sometimes it’s wise to say less, and because this was not my book and it’s wildly popular, I’d recommend this to horror fans who enjoy an important and unique exploration of the pandemic we lived through.

Thanks to @Netgalley and
@HarlequinTradePublishing and @HarlequinAudio for access to this advanced readers copy

Mark me down as a forever fan of Kyle Lee Baker.

I approached this book with extreme trepidation and left crowing. This book is rife with trigger warnings: death, animal cruelty, COVID-19, nationalism, racism, sexism, ableism, hallucination, body horror, gore, and more. Each and every trigger was skillfully wielded by Lee Baker in this gripping story about the tension of being bicultural, the violence of white supremacy, and the grief of loss. The sensitivity that the author approached the violence towards Asian, specifically Chinese, women during this time through her book was remarkable and allows this book to be as successful as it is. I think authors who did not experience this pain so acutely or share these identities would not be able to pull off this book.

Cora Zeng was a remarkable main character and her growth throughout the novel was astounding. She's neurodivergent (diagnosis never given, but extreme interventions were taken) and the role of her unstable brain only heightens the tension of the story without demeaning Zeng. As a neurospicy individual myself, I appreciated this. Cora is also courageous, which made me root for her from page one.

The folklore and stories shared about Chinese death beliefs and practices were completely new to me. Lee Baker did a fantastic job explaining it and it made for a fantastic foundation for the story. I was completely bought into the premise, though I was never scared. Other reviewers found themselves much more frightened than I ever was. I was certainly swept along by the pace and the thrill of the unknown, but I was not afraid.

In the author's note, Lee Baker talks about how in dedicating this book to everyone we lost in the pandemic, as well as to "all that we lost, including the parts of ourselves." And wow, I needed to hear that. 5 years and 3 days since the first lockdown started and I am just beginning to realize that yes, something did change and die in me, even though I did not. I thought that the grief of the pandemic, and reliving it through this book would overwhelm me. This was not the case at all. Instead, I felt strangely comforted as I confronted my second plague book since living through one.