Cora Zeng is a death magnet.

She attracts death, first in witnessing the murder of her sister then again when all she can do for work is clean up crime scenes, and again when she realizes that ghosts (of all things) are after her. Part murder mystery, part classic horror story, part coming-of-age novel, this book had a lot of hats to wear. But it put all three on, and did it well. I was on the edge of my seat as Cora and her newfound friends tried to untangle the mysteries they had stumbled upon while being chased by hungry ghosts and cleaning up crime scenes. I rooted for them even as they encountered the worst possible outcomes, and most importantly, I wished for a happy ending. Even though I didn't get one. All that matters is Cora did, more or less.

Baker masterfully weaves the horror of Covid-19 in NYC, with an in-depth look at that years anti-Asian sentiment, and Chinese ghost mythology on a modern stage. To make those three elements the background to a young girls coming-of-age/ growing into self story as she wrestles with the complicated emotions around moving on and moving forward after the death of a loved one was a bold choice, and one that paid off.

This book was phenomenal. The setting was New York in the height of the pandemic. It is a horror story, but it isn't the paranormal that is the frightening part of this story. It is the real people who harm others in the name of their prejudices. I related to Cora Zeng because germs have always been an issue for me, but the pandemic heightened them greatly. I understood why worrying over people washing their hands was on her mind more than the crime scenes she was cleaning. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading horror. Especially the kind that makes you realize real life is just as horrible as anything paranormal could be.

Did I think I'd love a book focused on the pandemic this much? No. Was it one of the most captivating, culturally relevant, and subversive horror books I've read in 2025? 1000%.

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng was not only BEAUTIFULLY written, but it was a certified page turner from cover to cover. Baker had a beyond addictive writing style and I literally could not stop reading (devoured this in less than a day).

It was like CRACK and it had everything I loved in it:

👻 Supernatural spooktacular elements
😱 Grotesque body horror
🔪 Serial killer thriller
🍱 Superb food descriptions & rich Chinese cultural exploration
🧽 OCD Rep
❤️ Exploration of deeper themes like identity, belonging, systemic racism, discrimination, and assimilation

This book made me sooo excited for spooky season and Kylie Lee Baker is such a standout talent. As an Asian American WOC, I heavily identified with Cora's sense of both alienation from her own culture to gradual acceptance and eventual identification with it, as well as the rage and the anger at how WOC are treated in general (from both a fetishization and discrimination perspective).

Her codependent relationship with her sister and her OCD rep were also really well written and I like that Baker didn't shy away from the elements that really defined Cora as a person (i.e how she felt she didn't belong in this world as a human without the augmentation of her sister).

All in all, a stellar book that I went into with zero expectations and walked away from utterly mindblown. I loved how Baker was able to explore heavier hitting themes without the book feeling preachy, unoriginal, dated, or cliché.

If Kylie Lee Baker has written it, I want to read it. I’m obsessed with the way our author can bring gore and darkness to the forefront of her work in such a way that draws you further and further into her work. While I’ve stayed far from any pandemic-based books since COVID, I had to make an exception for this book and I’m grateful that I did! This book is tragic and difficult at times, but it’s so beautifully written.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing | MIRA and NetGalley for an E-ARC copy of this book.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Netgalley and Kylie Lee Baker for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. 4 Stars

Cora and her friends are so interesting and well written. I loved the idea of Cora being a crime scene cleaner and all things she sees (plenty of gore, hungry ghosts). The story is so creative and different from anything else i've read.

I found the story dragged a bit at times. There is a lot of social commentary regarding COVID and racism/hatred towards Asian women which isn't something i normally gravitate towards, but it was done so well and an integral part of the story.

I would highly recommend picking this up and will be looking forward to more from this author!

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng was quite the experience. Through Cora you will experience supernatural horror, social horror on many levels (if blatant racism towards a minority is a trigger for you this book may not be what you're looking for), PTSD, mental health issues, grief, abandonment, and an identity crisis. I loved the supernatural element that weaves its way into all the issues mentioned previously. It gives it that extra dose of horror that leaves you guessing whether its really happening or a figment of your imagination. The reality of being of Asian in American during Covid and experiencing the hate while also being Covid-conscious was eye-opening. As someone who still masks indoors and crowded places, I felt Cora's anxiety in my bones. This book broke my heart, terrified me, and made me laugh at the weirdest moments. Kylie Lee Baker is an auto-buy author for me and this was just another compelling story to add to my shelf!

Omg. This is a horrifying book. It’s horrifying both in terms of the social commentary and of course the story. This is such a great read and I honestly can’t stop thinking about it.

It was a bleak day. The rain added to the misery she was experiencing. Another day, another crime scene to clean… if she could just experience one glimpse of joy… but life wasn’t allowing that at the moment. She enters the crime scene, ready to do her job, but this one is different… more sinister than the usual scene.

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng is a horror novel set during the pandemic. Cora is a crime scene cleaner and after the murder of her sister finds herself dealing with some scary things.

I wanted to love this book. It started off very strong and I was immediately intrigued, but then it started dragging at the 30% mark and I didn’t want to pick it up. It was eerie, haunting, and definitely a gory horror, which I liked, but the very slow middle really hurt this one for me. The social commentary in this story was important though and I definitely want to read Kylie’s other books.

Read if you like:

• Horror
• NYC Setting
• Haunting Imagery
• Serial Killer Mysteries
• Elements of Chinese Folklore

Kylie Lee Baker has become an instant-read author for me, and luckily Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng is another winner.

The year is 2020, and a global pandemic has hit the world, upturning life as we know it. Cora Zeng is a crime scene cleaner with a fear of germs, living in New York City.

One day, her sister is pushed in front of a moving train and instantly killed. The anonymous murderer whispers “bat eater” right before running away. After months of waiting for the killer to be brought to light, there’s still no movement in the case. The city is instead met with a slew of murders. Cora and her team are called for the cleanups, which become more and more gruesome. Bat carcasses begin popping up at the crime scenes of Chinese victims. Cora realizes the new victims are all Chinese women and begins to worry that she could be the next target. She must somehow manage her sanity while trying to solve the mystery and bring her sister to justice.

I found this book to be one of the best I have read this year. The plot covers many different topics in a unique and impressive way. It not only explores Chinese culture and folklore but also the unjust hate that Chinese people had to endure during the pandemic. This is not a topic that is openly discussed and has since been swept under the rug. We also see how Cora is affected, as she is riddled with anxiety, stress, depression, and fear. She struggles with identity and abandonment as well. There are many other topics included that you’ll have to read to discover, but these are just a few. Baker was able to fully flesh out these multiple themes in a thoughtful way.

The mixture of gore and ghostly beings was perfectly executed. Cora begins to feel herself slipping away from reality and tries her best to keep it together. Watching the blurred lines between the supernatural and reality was just as confusing for the reader as it was for Cora. I loved that we were transported into her shoes and went through the ride with her. Some scenes are genuinely creepy and terrifying, so definitely keep a light on if you decide to read this book at night!

In conclusion, this is the perfect read to get anyone into the mood for the upcoming spooky season. Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an advanced copy of this book!

Amazing amazing book. Very few books give me goosebumps but this did. The mystery is amazing. The characters are amazing. And this book is horrifying.

This book was everything it promised and more. It was a dark and grisly look to the state of the world during the pandemic, especially the rampant racism during that time through the lens of Cora. This book made me sick to my stomach and I loved every second of it. Sometimes there are books that scare you in the most visceral ways and this book certainly did!

I absolutely devoured this audiobook. I always love Natalie Naudus as a narrator, and she did a fantastic job yet again.

As I am still somewhat new to the Horror genre and a huge scaredy cat, this was the perfect amount of haunting for me. Baker paints a perfect picture - and when that picture is a gruesome crime scene, it's disgustingly delightful. *Check the trigger warnings!

There were so many "HOLY SH*T!" moments throughout this story that it had me squealing to my friends who had already read it constantly as I needed to experience the feelings of shock and horror outside of myself.

The premise was unique to me as a crime scene cleanup crew, which is not something I've experienced in a book, movie, or TV show. The concept of not seeing the body, but only the aftermath, is detached from the who & how, yet they can still piece things together based on their experience.

The plot was immediately intriguing, then adding in the layer of COVID took it to another unique level, as this is the first book I've read where characters are experiencing the impact of it. Little things like not being fully comfortable in public again, the need to constantly sanitize and wear masks, with varying participation.

Then, the bat-eater insinuation itself. It makes me sick that this portion of a fictional novel was actually pulled from the reality of such terrible discrimination, which is, unfortunately, not new in our world. I teared up from the author's note, do not skip it.

I love how Baker wove in pieces of Asain culture, the experience of grief, terror, and friendships, in addition to SO much more! Words cannot describe the feelings this surfaced. This was phenomenal, and I cannot wait to read more from her.

A few things you will find:
🩸Murder (don't forget the gore)
🩸Not-so-friendly ghosts
🩸Grief
🩸Racism
🩸COVID Pandemic

Thank you, NetGalley, for this ARC - my thoughts are my own.

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng is a powerful and unique adult debut that masterfully combines elements of horror, mystery, and deep emotional resonance. Set against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, the novel follows Cora, a young Chinese woman in New York who becomes a crime scene cleaner after the racially motivated murder of her sister, Delilah.

This book is a hauntingly beautiful and sometimes gruesome journey that uses supernatural elements—specifically the presence of hungry ghosts—to explore real-world horrors. The story expertly captures the suffocating atmosphere of the pandemic and the chilling prejudice that was laid bare during that time. It's a gripping read that is both terrifying and unexpectedly heartbreaking, with a powerful emotional gut-punch that will likely stay with you long after you've finished.

The author, Kylie Lee Baker, weaves in her own heritage and experiences to create a story that is not only a thrilling mystery but also a poignant critique of racism and loss. The characters, especially Cora and her found family of colleagues, are vivid and relatable, facing both personal struggles and collective prejudice.

Ultimately, Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng is unlike anything else out there. It’s a striking, immersive novel that balances grisly horror with moments of unexpected tenderness and even humor. It’s a must-read for anyone looking for a story that is as thought-provoking as it is spine-tingling.

Bat Eater and Other Names by Cora Zeng completely blew me away. The prose is stunningly vivid and haunting, drawing me into each story with a sense of intimacy and unease. I loved how every piece felt carefully crafted, balancing dark, surreal moments with unexpected tenderness. It’s the kind of collection that lingered in my mind long after I finished, making me feel deeply connected to the characters and their worlds. Absolutely a five-star experience for me.

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker is gory, spine-tingling, and ultimately very sad, which were all elements that I ended up really enjoying! Set during the COVID19 pandemic, the book follows Cora, a young Chinese woman and crime scene cleaner that witnesses the murder of her sister, Delilah, who is pushed in front of a subway train by a man who calls her a "bat eater." Shortly after her sister's unsolved murder, begins the month when hungry ghosts are able to return to Earth... and Cora begins noticing bite marks around her apartment and food missing from her fridge. In conjunction with the return of a ghost who could very well be her sister, Cora continuously comes face to face with a string of murdered women across Chinatown, as she cleans up crime scene after crime scene.

I really appreciated where this book ended up! It delivered a huge emotional gut-punch that I wasn't expecting and even made me cry, which I don't think a horror novel has ever done! It was heart-wrenching to see the depth of horrific prejudice that Kylie Lee Baker shines a spotlight on through the lens of the pandemic and the crimes committed as the plot unfolds. I loved the unlikely friendship that emerged between Cora, Yifei, and Harvey, as well as Cora coming to grips with her relationship with her sister. All in all, I really appreciated (and simultaneously dreaded) the way that this unfolded.

Overall, Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng was a great read that I'd highly recommend!

I loved this! Bat Eater marks Kylie Lee Baker’s adult debut, and it’s the first of her novels I’ve read. Drawing on her Japanese, Chinese, and Irish heritage, as well as her time living abroad as both student and teacher, Baker weaves those influences directly into this striking little story.

The novel follows Cora, a young Chinese woman living in New York during the COVID pandemic with her sister, Delilah. When Delilah is brutally murdered in what appears to be a racially motivated attack on the subway, Cora is left reeling. In the aftermath, she takes a job as a crime scene cleaner, where she bonds with her colleagues while navigating grief, racism, and fear. Soon, a series of murders targeting East Asian women begins to unfold, each crime scene marked by the presence of a bat, a detail that chills Cora since her sister’s killer had spat the slur ‘bat eaters’ before the attack.

What follows is a taut and inventive blend of horror, mystery, and social commentary. Baker captures the suffocating atmosphere of the pandemic and its racially charged violence with the ghostly presence of Cora’s sister, hungry for justice.

There is nothing else I’ve read like Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng. It contains an expertly crafted balance of grisly horror, comedy, and social commentary; I was totally absorbed in it and I really felt for Cora and her colleagues, who each have their personal battles to deal with as well as facing collective prejudice and loss. The book functions simultaneously as a ghost story, an amateur sleuth mystery, a cultural study, and a pointed critique of the racism laid bare during the pandemic.

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng is unlike anything I’ve read before — dark, entertaining, and deeply moving. I highly recommend it!

Thank you to Kylie Lee Baker and Harlequin for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. I read and listened to the audio of this book.

When this book came in at the library, I completely forgot what it was about. So I was not prepared for the first few chapters, or really any of this book. It was more graphic than I was expecting. It honestly made me a little queasy (my mom said I'm just too used to smut lol), but I couldn't stop listening/reading.

I so wanted to help figure out the ghost mystery and the serial killer mystery. And while we do get some answers, I'm left with even more. I'm so frustrated by that, but it honestly plays into the real-life horror (racism, murder) that this book centers around. And while I'm not far enough out from the pandemic to read books set during that time period, this book was the exception.

I also really enjoyed the narrator. The book is in third person (which I usually don't prefer), but Natalie Naudus still really brought this to life for me.

This was a heavy read in more than one way, but one I recommend.

As an Asian Amercian bi racial woman who lived through COVID in her mid 20's, this was so relatable and felt so real. I loved the horror aspect of this story because COVID time as an Asian woman truly did feel like a horror story. One of my favorite things about this story is the way Kylie Lee Baker was able make you feel like you were in Cora's head.

”Closing your eyes doesn’t stop monsters from devouring you.”"

When this book was first announced, I desperately wanted to read it and counted down the days until I could read it. I saw the blurb, and my interest was immediately piqued. COVID-19 changed so much about our world, and I think, like many others, it changed how I viewed the world. Given the heavy subject matter, it has taken me time to get to it. I would have liked to read it earlier, but unfortunately, I just wasn't in the right headspace. This book was incredibly impactful, and I thought the bits of social commentary were brilliant, especially about racism and how it impacted Asian Americans during the pandemic. Especially in the way that Asian Americans were painted with a broad brush. Not only was the social commentary impactful, but so was the commentary on mental health. Though it wasn't explicitly named OCD, I really related to some of Cora's compulsions and thought processes throughout the book. The beginning was *absolutely unsettling* and really painted a vivid picture. After the opening, I did feel it got a little slow. However, it picked up toward the middle for me, and after that, I simply couldn't put it down. The author's note at the end of the book is also worth reading, and it put thoughts I didn't know I had into words. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harlequin Publishing for offering me this ARC to read.

Firstly I would like to thank NetGalley for giving me the ARC book.

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng follows Cora, an Asian American woman, as she navigates life during the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City. Her life takes a tragic turn when her sister Delilah is brutally murdered in front of her by a man who shouts “bat eater” and then pushed her in front of a train. This book explored a wide range of topics, but one aspect that stood out was the racism and violence that Asian people faced during the early days of the pandemic. The ending of this story did seem a little rushed but I overall give this book a solid 4 stars and would recommend it.