Cora Zeng witnessed the horrible murder of her sister Delilah at the height of the COVID pandemic in New York. The murderer’s parting words were simply “bat eater.” Months later, Cora is now a crime scene clean up tech, cleaning up the remains of those who die messy in Chinatown. At multiple crime scenes, Cora and her colleagues find the bodies of bats, along with the corpses of Asian women. A possible serial killer isn’t the only issue. Cora has spent most of her life ignoring her Chinese heritage, but that becomes impossible when she is suddenly stalked by a hungry ghost during the Hungry Ghost Festival. The ghost seems focused on bringing Cora Zeng to either her death or a stunning revelation on the nature of the murders she is tasked with cleaning up.
Author Kylie Lee Baker takes readers through a story that is so engaging, it becomes difficult not to simply sink into this book until you’ve finished the very last page. As a rule, I tend to avoid books and shows about the pandemic. Having lived through it, I’m not a big fan of most media that talks about it for my sanity’s sake. However, I broke that rule to read Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng and I’m thrilled I did. Baker doesn’t shy away from writing a character that is not automatically loveable. Cora is believable. She’s struggling through grief, loss of connection to her culture and limited family, and having to force herself into situations that are so deeply uncomfortable for her that it adds a whole new level of horror.
For long term horror fans, the book will be easily digestible in the more graphic sequences. For those readers just starting to dip their toes into the water of horror, please be advised that Delilah’s death is absolutely traumatic. I absolutely loved Baker’s use of the Hungry Ghosts Festival as a backdrop, as well as showing how cultures morph and change in a setting like the United States.
Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng is now available from Harlequin Publishing.
