Bat Eater

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!