Cora Zeng has an interesting job that is not for the squeamish or faint of heart. For someone who is a chronic germaphobe, being a crime scene cleaner is one of the last things one would think is her job. Blood doesn't bother her ever since she saw the gruesome death of a close relative who was murdered right before her eyes, and the killer was never caught. This story is set during the height of the pandemic, so people's faces are covered, making it difficult to accurately describe someone if you can't see their face, and the police don't seem to care. One thing about the man she will never forget is what he called them before shoving her loved one to their death. "Bat-eater."

Cora lives a solitary life, other than her coworkers forcing their company upon her, otherwise, she is alone with her manic cleansing because she has a fear of catching the virus. The one that is causing some angry white people to look down upon and attack anyone who looks Asian. They don't care if you grew up in America; they spit at you, call you a bat-eater, and tell you to go back to your deceased country because all Asians are to blame for the virus. Since the death of her relative, more and more unexplained, gruesome killings are happening in Chinatown, specifically of women, and something might be targeting Cora herself, and it's not human.

I'm having a difficult time deciding on what to rate this book. I think it had an important message, a paranormal presentation, and some horror and thriller aspects, which I enjoy, but it was slow at the start and took a bit of building the story to get into. I try to give my best effort for any ARC I decide to read to fairly rate it, and especially try to avoid a DNF if it is slower than what I typically read. Parts of this were a flashback to a time when we all were in the same boat. Trapped at home, supplies limited, people are angry, looking for answers, and pointing fingers. Our lives were turned upside down. This story had some realness to it, but also had a paranormal aspect to shake up the scary factor because a serial killer on the loose isn't enough.

My takeaway after reading this, most importantly, is that this story focused on the discrimination against Chinese Americans over the tragic impact of the 2020 COVID-19 outbreak and how badly they were treated, which in my mind was horrific. Unless you are of Asian descent, though, what happened to them during this time we cannot completely understand, and this book sheds some light on it. I am truly disappointed in the human race for all of that. Also, the paranoia of someone who is so frightened to become ill that they go to the extreme to stay away from people when they can and treat their body and where they live like a hospital surgical room. OCD to the extreme comes to mind, describing the FMC.

In this day and age, we should not be treating other human beings in such a way, but apparently, time doesn't erase prejudice and hate crimes against innocent people. Anti-Asian hate crime was highlighted, but that isn't the only hate crimes that still happen daily in the US and around the world. We can only hope that this behavior will end sooner rather than later.

Thank you for the ALC provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

5/5 Stars

Thank you NetGalley & Harlequin Audio for providing an advanced listener copy for me. I feel honored to have been able to consume this book before its publication date. Also thank you Kylie for writing this book.

I went into this book pretty much blind. I saw the author advertise her book on tik tok, saw the eye catching cover, and read the intriguing title. I knew this was a horror book & I absolutely love horror media. The first chapter to this pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the story. No one is safe. Whether that be from Covid itself or from racist white men. No one is safe.

This book is for the girls who never felt right, girls who sulk in their siblings shadow, the girls who have such warped minds, and the girls who have been exposed to the disgusting nature of men. This book became a murder mystery but it is so much more than that. It so much more than a book about "who did it," and really became a story about discovering yourself, maneuvering grief, and finding peace within the chaos that is ourselves. Covid is such a pivotal part of our lives now; we have lived through it. Cora's experience brought a different perspective to those trying times & unfortunately her story isn't unique. I remember the news reports about the hate crimes & how it was just swept under the rug.

I also LOVE LOVE LOVE how the author portrayed contamination OCD with Cora's character. The characters as a whole I felt like were written well. In most 300ish pages of horror/thriller novels you often are there for the story not really the characters. I was here for Cora and her friends.

I will be reading more work by Kylie Lee Baker.

The way I DEVOURED this one!

In short, Bat Eater is a story of horror, humor, and social commentary on Asian American racism during the COVID-19 pandemic. There is loss and grief alongside violence and gore. There is mental health/anxiety rep and found family. And there are ghosts seemingly at every turn 😂 (poor Cora).

This was so well written. I was immediately drawn in and audibly gasped by the end of CHAPTER ONE. If this at all sounds like something you’d enjoy, I absolutely recommend picking it up.

I listened to the audiobook and I absolutely loved the narrator and the emotion she put into telling the story!

Thank you so much to The Hive, HTP, and Harlequin Audio for an ARC/ALC in exchange for my honest review!

💉 Pandemic
🦇 Racism
🧼 Crime Scene Cleaner
👻 Spooky
❤️‍🩹 Loss
🗡 Murder Mystery

Ugh the racism that came from the pandemic is so upsetting. I hate how ignorant people act/acted.

This book was so interesting. I love the FMC's job. I feel terrible for her. The murder mystery was great. The humor was fun. The whole story was well done.

"Apparently, people do strange things when they're scared of dying. And one of them is hoarding toilet paper." 🧻

Super grateful to the author, Harlequin Audio & NetGalley for letting me listen to & review this! 💜

I also own the GORGEOUS Illumicrate exclusive edition of this book. Highly recommend!

Wow. 4.5 rounded up to 5

Bat Eater follows a Chinese American woman during the peak of the covid pandemic when Asian American's were being targeted for "causing" the pandemic. Cora is dealing with prejudices, the death of her sister, and literal ghosts. That's about as much info I think you should know before going into it. It is visceral, tragic, gory, and horrifying. I highly recommend this for horror fans.

I enjoyed the author's YA fantasy duology the Keeper of Night. Bat Eater is completely different adult horror showing that Kylie Lee Baker can write well in any genre she picks.

This story takes place during the COVID pandemic in New York, Cora is traumatized by the death of her sister Delilah, she is trying to survive after the tragic event. In the aftermath Cora becomes a crime scene cleaner, there she notices a pattern of a serial killer killing Asian women and leaving behind bats.


I enjoyed the supernatural horror elements but it started to read more like YA and in the middle it started to drag for me. Things started picking up at the end. I do recommend this novel it just didn't work for me personally.


Thank you NetGalley for the audiobook!

4.5/5 stars

This book was just... wow. I'm not sure what all I can say really. I went into Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng only knowing that it was a horror novel. I had no idea the ride I was in for.
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The Covid pandemic was a dark time for us as a society, and I tend to avoid books that are set during it; however, Bat Eater became the exception. The way that Kylie Lee Baker uses the pandemic as a lens to explore just how quickly fear can turn into bigotry and hate was truly a truly eye-opening experience. The bigotry was bad enough in the small towns in my area, I can't imagine how much worse it was in big cities.
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Bat Eater isn't just a seamless commentary on racism, the fetishization of Asian women, and racially-motivated hate crimes though. It's also a gruesome, blood-soaked horror/thriller that takes you on a wild ride right from page one. After witnessing the murder of her sister, Cora Zeng works as part of a clean-up crew for the multitude of Asian-American women who are being murdered by a serial killer that's leaving mutilated bats at the scene of the crimes. But that's not all. KLB brings in the paranormal to this book, steeped in Chinese cultural lore. Cora -not believing in the warnings of her aunt- doesn't pay any attention to offering food or burning paper for the spirit of her sister. That is until her sister's ghost starts haunting her.
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Bat Eater has so many layers to it, and KLB did such an amazing job at balancing those layers. Cora's battles extends beyond cleaning up viscera and dealing with hungry ghosts; she grapples with trauma from witnessing her sister's murder, grief, her mental health, and abandonment issues from her absent parents. Despite these dark themes though, there was also a good amount of witty banter and found family that added a layer of warmth and dark humor (courtesy of her coworkers).
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This is perhaps one of the best books I've read so far this year, and the audiobook version is absolutely phenomenal. Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Audio for giving me an audiobook copy in exchange for my honest review. I'll be thinking of this one for a while.

A supernatural horror story and a horror story of the atrocities of human nature. Kylie Lee Baker takes us back to the paranoia and the bleak setting of covid 2020 in a NYC subway station looking for toilet paper at the beginning of the pandemic. It is eerily too familar for a reader who has experienced and lived through these events, but it screams to be remembered. Kylie's prose is hauntingly poetic and impactful that as a reader, we feel all the ebbs and flow of fear and paranoia. She doesn't hold back and this story is grim and brutal, but it is a necessary story. Kylie Lee Baker amplifies Asian american voices and trauma from the extreme acts of racism experienced in the world. It's heartbreaking the extent of hate that is spewed. I hope this book serves as way to teach people empathy.

The audio book was impeccable! I was completely immersed and felt all the tension and fear of this important horror story that begs to be told!

Bat Eater and other Names for Cora Zeng is a wild ride of a read. It's got the pacing and lyrical writing of a sad-girl literary horror" mixed with the atmospheric dread and uncertainty of 2020/2021 covid era. Cora Zeng is a relatable, albeit angsty main character and her struggles, both with OCD and her own identity came through clearly on the page.
There were places where the storytelling elements of the narrative felt rushed in service to giving the plot legs, but the gore and tension did the heavy lifting the entire way.
Bat Eater has heavy themes of racism against Asian-Americans and doesn't flinch. One of my favorite lines was "You can't love someone who isn't a real person to you." and if that doesn't perfectly sum up the themes of the story right along with the male loneliness epidemic...

If you like angsty horror. Sad-girl litfic. lots of brains and guts. Give Bat Eater and other Names for Cora Zeng a try.

Rating: 4.75, rounded up to a 5

I don’t know if I was ready to read a book set during lockdown, let alone one as brutal and forthright as this one. But I don’t regret it at all, this was an AMAZING book.

Delilah is Cora’s sister and her North Star. But when Delilah is killed in a brutal attack right in front of Cora’s face, Cora is left adrift. Now hungry ghosts Cora doesn’t believe in are haunting her and she doesn’t know the first thing about how to appease them.

This was a wonderfully terrifying book, and the ghost horror of it creeps up on you so slowly, until it’s the middle of the night and you’re trying not to imagine the horrifying crooked body of a hungry ghost hovering over you.

Cora was also a brilliant example of contamination OCD and how mental illness stagnated during lockdown. I would have liked to know a little bit more on how she ended up committed in the past, but I recognize that it was not the focus of this book.

I also really appreciated the nuance in Cora’s detachment from her Chinese heritage. She feels very caught between two worlds (which felt appropriate for a ghost book lol) and it bled into every aspect of her life. And I really enjoyed that she had the support of her two coworkers-eventual-friends who never once gave her a hard time about it, which I liked.

Brutal ending though my god, I was so sad 😭

Thank you Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for this audio arc of Bat Eater and Other Names For Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker

Where do I start? First off WOW! This is my first book by this author and won’t be the last! This is an Amazon novel and the narrator Natalie Naudus did an amazing job. We follow Cora Zeng who witnesses her sisters murder, and is determined to find out what happened to her. She is also a crime scene cleaner in the middle of the covid pandemic she never sees the bodies until one crime scene is a little weird. Removes the body to late and they have not taken photos yet? Why? Oh and don’t get me started on the hungry ghosts! We find out so many secrets in this book. And all the metaphors about racism and feeling alone. Highly recommend

I’d first like to thank @netgalley , @harlequinbooks @kylieleebaker for the opportunity to read & listen this book early. I am forever thankful ❤️
This book, y’all I can barely put into words how much of a whirlwind this book was. Seeing the horror of COVID-19 epidemic through a new lens was a truly shocking experience. We meet Cora, a crime scene cleaner, who witnesses something truly horrifying.. her sister being pushed in front of train. The killer is never caught but she is haunted by his last words, “Bat Eater.”
These days nobody can reach Cora: not her aunt, who wants her to prepare for the Hungry Ghost Festival; not her weird colleagues; and especially not the slack-jawed shadow lurking around her door frame. After all, it can’t be real-can it? After a series of unexplained killings in Chinatown, Cora believes someone might be targeting East Asian women, and something might be targeting Cora herself.
I felt so many emotions while reading this book: Rage, Grief, Sympathy & a strong Disgust with Humanity.
I honestly em I still thinking about this book friends.
Kylie has this unique talent for crafting such engaging and relatable characters while weaving a story that ensnares you and doesn’t let you go long after you turn the last page.
I adored this book in such a way cause it brings out so many emotions and reminds you that, “Do not let your empathy stop at the borders of your own community.”
I hope you check out this book when it comes into the world April 29th ♥️

5 Stars ⭐

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an Advanced Listening Copy for review purposes.

After the devastating loss of a family member, Cora Zeng is working as a crime scene cleaner during the Covid lockdowns. When she notices a pattern in the killings and believes East Asian women are being targeted, Cora must contend with the figurative and literal spectres that are haunting her.

From the jaw dropping start to the sob-inducing ending, this book had me hooked. There are moments of horror that brought me chills and a tension that doesn't let up. I am wary of books that take place during the lock downs. but Kylie Lee Baker absolutely nails the paranoia and isolation that marked those times, enhanced by the protagonist's East Asian background. The writing made me feel every emotion and I grew very fond of the characters and their growth throughout the story. This felt like a very unique take on a ghost story and I ate it up every second.

As an audiobook, I felt this was very well narrated. The narrator felt "right" for Cora and the other characters felt distinct enough to easily keep track. The narration held my focus as I multi-tasked while listening and was an overall enjoyable experience.

4.25 stars! Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ALC in exchange for an honest review!

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

This audio was so great. It sucked me in from the every beginning. It was a true emotional roller coaster written beautifully by the author who filled it with supernatural horror elements and true horrors that the Asian community faced during the pandemic.

It was gory, atmospheric, and gruesome. The author was not scared to talk and address a lot of dark topics.

Highly recommend!

This book was so incredibly good. I knew I’d been hearing quite a bit stir about it, but it was such an emotional thriller that I was quickly hooked. We first meet Cora and her sister Delilah as they are waiting for a train in the New York subway. It is the height of the pandemic and the discrimination against Asians is at a high. Without warning, a man calls the sisters Bat Eater and pushes Delilah in front of an oncoming train, leaving Cora to deal with the trauma of what has just happened and the loss of the sister she idolized.

We skip forward a few months and Cora seems emotionally frozen as she cleans crime scenes with two others who are starting to see an uptick in violence against Asian women. Things seem to go from bad to worse as bats are being left at some crime scenes and Cora is being haunted by a ghost. She starts to feel the ghost may be her sister trying to point her towards her potential killer, but Cora isn’t too sure who is stringing her along, and now she may be being targeted by the killer too.

We, the readers, watch as Cora tries to process everything happening to her with few ties to the world beyond a few aunts who seem disappointed in her and the other two cleaners who could be friends if Cora could allow herself to bond in that way. There are spooky moments, ghosts, killers, and struggling with mental health. This book will creep out the reader and also bring up the uncomfortable truth about discrimination and racism even beyond the pandemic.

I have had Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng on my tbr since the print publication date. As expected, this book was done perfectly. I also believe the author and the publisher waited the appropriate length of time to release it.

I will read everything Kylie Lee Baker writes, I want a physical copy for my shelf, and I will recommend this book to everyone, even people who don't typically read horror.

It was atmospheric, chilling, spine tingling and minus the ghosts it unfortunately was an accurate description on how Asian people were treated. This book gave me goose bumps. Creepy AF!!!

I think the narrator added an exceptional voice to this book, conveying feelings and the tone was perfect.

Thank you so much NetGalley for this ALC.

ARC REVIEW (4/29/25): bat eater and other names for cora zeng by kylie lee baker 🦇 a crime scene cleaner in chinatown grapples with the trauma of witnessing her sister's murder and the rise of a series of killings targeting east asian women.

the way this book weaves together pandemic-era fear & folklore while still blending in a ghost story was brilliant. the perfect book for fans of socially conscious horror. the commentary on racism against chinese people (especially after covid) was tough to read about but important.

iykyk, the side male character reminded me of asher millstone from how to get away with murder 🖤 I read the final 60% of this in one sitting, once I was invested, I couldn't stop reading.

🫧 a few chapters in there was a scene where a hair wad was described being pulled from a bathtub drain and I gagged- no I’m not kidding, I GAGGED. that’s one thing I can’t handle irl. immediate heebie jeebies!

✨ “there's something peaceful about your worst fear coming true.” ✨

thank you harlequin audio for an early copy! 4 stars!

Good lord. This book is freaking amazing. Kylie can do no wrong in my opinion and I desperately need her to write more horror. This book is dark, impactful, and JUST SO FREAKING GOOD.

Thank you MIRA and Harlequin Audio for my free ARC of Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker — available now!

» READ IF YOU «
🦇 love horror narratives that touch on real-world social issues
👻 appreciate unconventional protagonists
🧼 think you could handle being a crime scene cleaner

» SYNOPSIS «
Cora witnesses her sister's brutal, racially-motivated murder as they wait for their train one day in NYC. Struggling with her grief and fear of contaminants, Cora takes an "easy" job as a crime scene cleaner, but she quickly discovers a horrifying pattern: all the victims she's cleaning up scenes for are Asian women. And, the murderer is leaving bats behind at the scene as a signature. As Cora delves deeper, she confronts both supernatural terrors rooted in Chinese folklore and the very real horror of deep-rooted racism in America.

» REVIEW «
Man, this is an absolutely haunting story about grappling with grief, identity, and systemic injustice. I loved the blend of realistic horror with social commentary, because I think these are the kinds of stories that stick with you long after you finish them. Cora is suuuuch an excellently-rendered character, so easy to empathize with and root for. I loved following her journey and seeing through her eyes, even when it was painful. This is truly an exceptional read—the immense emotional depth and real-world themes make it a must-read for horror readers of all kinds.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’ve had mixed feelings about stories including COVID in the past, but this one was so good!! It truly haunted me due to the racial disparity against Asian women, trauma, and violence depicted in this book. Cora definitely is the black sheep of the family, but I felt for her with all the things she had to go through. The violent scenes were so detailed surprisingly. It was disturbing. I loved how the story progressed! The addition of a serial killer in the city was just another addition. It is a slower paced book with an existential dread aspect for Cora. Would definitely recommend.