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Eat What You Kill
In Eat What You Kill by Ted Scofield, Evan Stoess is a struggling young Wall Street analyst obsessed with fortune and fame. A trailer park kid who attended an exclusive prep school through a lucky twist of fate, Evan’s unusual past leaves him an alien in both worlds, an outsider who desperately wants to belong. When a small stock he discovers becomes an overnight sensation, he is poised to make millions and land the girl of his dreams, but disaster strikes and he loses everything.
Two years later a mysterious firm offers Evan a chance for redemption, and he jumps at the opportunity. His new job is to short stocks—to bet against the market. But when the stock goes up and he finds himself on the brink of ruin once again, another option presents itself: murder. At a moral crossroads, Evan must ask himself—how far will a man go for money and vengeance?
Two years later a mysterious firm offers Evan a chance for redemption, and he jumps at the opportunity. His new job is to short stocks—to bet against the market. But when the stock goes up and he finds himself on the brink of ruin once again, another option presents itself: murder. At a moral crossroads, Evan must ask himself—how far will a man go for money and vengeance?
304 pages, Hardcover
First published March 25, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
November 20, 2022
This review can also be found at https://carolesrandomlife.com/
This was just okay for me. I have had this book for years and started it a few times only to quickly set it aside when it failed to hook me quickly. It did take me a bit to really get into the story and I can’t say that it ever fully grabbed me. I do like the field of finance and must say that this is the first financial thriller that I have ever picked up and I did find the idea behind the story interesting. Evan was incredibly ruthless and not a likable character. It was hard to really connect to the book since I didn’t like most of what the main character was doing. I was not a fan of the way this book ended at all which was disappointing. I decided to listen to the audiobook and thought that Armand Shultz did a great job with the story.
I received a digital review copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press and purchased a copy of the audiobook.
This was just okay for me. I have had this book for years and started it a few times only to quickly set it aside when it failed to hook me quickly. It did take me a bit to really get into the story and I can’t say that it ever fully grabbed me. I do like the field of finance and must say that this is the first financial thriller that I have ever picked up and I did find the idea behind the story interesting. Evan was incredibly ruthless and not a likable character. It was hard to really connect to the book since I didn’t like most of what the main character was doing. I was not a fan of the way this book ended at all which was disappointing. I decided to listen to the audiobook and thought that Armand Shultz did a great job with the story.
I received a digital review copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press and purchased a copy of the audiobook.
March 27, 2014
I've purposely been dragging my feet on this review, as I'm not entirely sure what to say. I can honestly say that Evan Stoess may be ever bit as off putting and terrible as the unforgettable narrator of American Psycho, a fellow narcissist and capitalist, Patrick Bateman. Evan is a slightly tamer psychopath, limiting his kills on and off Wall Street to those that will be financially beneficial to him. He craves status. Every page of the novel is littered with the names of products that I could never afford, products that I'm too poor to even be minimally acquainted with other than to know that I never will own them. This is part of the buzz-kill of this book - being reminded of your own inferior economic status with every turn of the page. And yes, I understand the morale of the story; I understand it is better to live a life that is rich than merely a rich life. But it doesn't really ring true after the reader has been salivating over haute couture and weekend getaways to Paris that are (literally) to kill for for three hundred some pages. I read this on an airplane to Vegas, and I felt slightly guilty - dirty, money-hungry and simple - but more than that I felt poor - after all Vegas is hardly Paris (despite the cheesy hotel of the same name that I visited while there, pretending to be nouveau riche and desperately failing). In the afterward, the author mentioned the possibility of this becoming a movie - a possibility a wholeheartedly endorse - because I think that it would come across better on a screen than the page. I didn't like Evan Stoess, despite the author's attempts to humanize him, before or after he has seen the proverbial error of his ways.
It was a book that captured my attention, but, for me, failed to ultimately captivate or appeal to my emotions as a reader. I enjoyed it, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to everyone. Special thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced reader's edition.
It was a book that captured my attention, but, for me, failed to ultimately captivate or appeal to my emotions as a reader. I enjoyed it, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to everyone. Special thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced reader's edition.
March 29, 2014
EAT WHAT YOU KILL was released by St. Martin's on March 25. Here is my favorite review to date, from Mystery Scene Magazine:
Eat What You Kill: A Novel
Ted Scofield
After experiencing firsthand the negative effects of an “act of God” on the stock of a company he was touting (when that firm’s charismatic leader dies suddenly of a heart attack), high-strung Wall Street analyst Evan Stoess is a little more proactive the next time he is close to a big score, murdering a famous but flighty game designer after shorting the stock of the designer’s company. The obscene amounts of money he reaps as a result leads him to conclude that he has found the perfect business model. Unfortunately for him, however, shadowy characters wish to direct his actions to suit their own purposes.
Utilizing a thoroughly repugnant protagonist is a great risk, but first-time novelist Ted Scofield makes it pay off handsomely. Although loathsome, Stoess and his fragile psyche are fascinating, as his obsession with wealth and his uncanny talent for planning murders leads him into continuously deeper, darker moral waters. That Scofield does so with a generous amount of black humor (reminiscent of Donald E. Westlake’s bravura performance in 1997’s The Ax) makes Eat What You Kill an even better read, one you’ll be pushing on friends throughout the course of 2014. -- Hank Wagner
Eat What You Kill: A Novel
Ted Scofield
March 25, 2014
In some strange way, The pychopathic stock analyst Evan Stoess in Ted Scofield's debut novel Eat What You Kill reminds me of Clyde Griffiths, the struggling lower class dupe from Theodore Dreiser's classic An American Tragedy. Both are from less than desirable circumstances, both are obsessed with joining the privileged class while that same group of people look down upon them, and both become so desperate they consider murder as a desirable option.
But that is where the similarities end. While Clyde Griffiths struggles in the war of the classes, he also believe that he will succeed as long as he works hard and wins the admirable of the upper class. His story is one of the separations of classes in America. Evan Stoess, on the other hand, is a child of the Millennium. He doesn't gives a damn about both class struggle or working hard. He hates the upper class as much as he wants to be them. The only thing he cares about is money. Greed is his disease and he thinks money is the only thing that cures it. He has memorized portions of Ayn Rand and has taken to heart her rants about the evils of altruism and the virtues of selfishness.
Unfortunately Evan is also a sociopath which turns this cynical yet droll financial thriller into a cross between American Tragedy and American Psycho. Though growing up poor, Evan received the advantage of an upper class education which reinforced his view of being an outsiders to the more affluent boys. After getting an entry level position in a Wall Street firm he looks for his big kill (financially at first) only to see it all slip away from him at the sudden death of the company's founder. He is fired and eventually finds a job with a company that deals in short stocks; investments that essentially make money on the failure on an enterprise. It isn't long before our sociopathic whiz kid is devising a way to revive his luck and make a killing, and we are no longer thinking purely financially now.
Ted Scofield have written a tight and always entertaining thriller about Wall Street, the finance profession and murder.. Don't let the finance part scare you as the author does a great job explaining what you need to know without stopping the plot or action. But the best thing about this novel is the main character Evan Stoess. He is as unlikable as a character can get but he is not boring. The reader can marvel as his audacity and wickedness but will stay on the edge in wondering if he is going to succeed or not. Note I didn't say "Root for". Evan is fascinating but he's hard to root for. The question then becomes; Does he get away with it or not? The answer is at the end and if it is not as satisfying an ending as I would have like, it doesn't deter from the fact that this novel is one hell of a ride. This is one of the more different thrillers that has arrived in 2014 and is set to get new novelist Ted Scofield off to a running start.
But that is where the similarities end. While Clyde Griffiths struggles in the war of the classes, he also believe that he will succeed as long as he works hard and wins the admirable of the upper class. His story is one of the separations of classes in America. Evan Stoess, on the other hand, is a child of the Millennium. He doesn't gives a damn about both class struggle or working hard. He hates the upper class as much as he wants to be them. The only thing he cares about is money. Greed is his disease and he thinks money is the only thing that cures it. He has memorized portions of Ayn Rand and has taken to heart her rants about the evils of altruism and the virtues of selfishness.
Unfortunately Evan is also a sociopath which turns this cynical yet droll financial thriller into a cross between American Tragedy and American Psycho. Though growing up poor, Evan received the advantage of an upper class education which reinforced his view of being an outsiders to the more affluent boys. After getting an entry level position in a Wall Street firm he looks for his big kill (financially at first) only to see it all slip away from him at the sudden death of the company's founder. He is fired and eventually finds a job with a company that deals in short stocks; investments that essentially make money on the failure on an enterprise. It isn't long before our sociopathic whiz kid is devising a way to revive his luck and make a killing, and we are no longer thinking purely financially now.
Ted Scofield have written a tight and always entertaining thriller about Wall Street, the finance profession and murder.. Don't let the finance part scare you as the author does a great job explaining what you need to know without stopping the plot or action. But the best thing about this novel is the main character Evan Stoess. He is as unlikable as a character can get but he is not boring. The reader can marvel as his audacity and wickedness but will stay on the edge in wondering if he is going to succeed or not. Note I didn't say "Root for". Evan is fascinating but he's hard to root for. The question then becomes; Does he get away with it or not? The answer is at the end and if it is not as satisfying an ending as I would have like, it doesn't deter from the fact that this novel is one hell of a ride. This is one of the more different thrillers that has arrived in 2014 and is set to get new novelist Ted Scofield off to a running start.
December 12, 2015
Evan Stoess, after a deplorable childhood, becomes a Wall Street analyst obsessed with the good life, or what he considers to be the good life. Furthermore, he's willing to do pretty much anything to obtain it.
The plot moves along quite smartly and it's a quick read. The financial industry details are spot on, and Stoess is an excellent creation, very real and compelling. The author's many, many literary and mythological allusions (Stoess is depicted as an English Lit grad as well as an analyst) also elevate the text above a run-of-the-mill thriller, although some are a bit labored. (A "philomath's Anubis?" Really?) And there's a great twist at the end that caught me by surprise (which is hard to do!).
A few minor quibbles: At times I found the trade names of every item of clothing, food, cars, restaurants, hotels, watches, vacation spots and so on to be a bit overwhelming. I understand that it's in Stoess's nature to know these things, and the nature of the people whom he idolizes, but it could have been reined in a bit. And a more insistent copy editor would have been a blessing: someone needs to convince Scofield that his writing is good enough to stand alone. It doesn't need the questionable (and distracting) assistance of italics used for emphasis every few sentences. Readers can figure out where the emphasis lies for themselves.
I predict this will be a Hollywood film eventually. It has all the required elements.
The plot moves along quite smartly and it's a quick read. The financial industry details are spot on, and Stoess is an excellent creation, very real and compelling. The author's many, many literary and mythological allusions (Stoess is depicted as an English Lit grad as well as an analyst) also elevate the text above a run-of-the-mill thriller, although some are a bit labored. (A "philomath's Anubis?" Really?) And there's a great twist at the end that caught me by surprise (which is hard to do!).
A few minor quibbles: At times I found the trade names of every item of clothing, food, cars, restaurants, hotels, watches, vacation spots and so on to be a bit overwhelming. I understand that it's in Stoess's nature to know these things, and the nature of the people whom he idolizes, but it could have been reined in a bit. And a more insistent copy editor would have been a blessing: someone needs to convince Scofield that his writing is good enough to stand alone. It doesn't need the questionable (and distracting) assistance of italics used for emphasis every few sentences. Readers can figure out where the emphasis lies for themselves.
I predict this will be a Hollywood film eventually. It has all the required elements.
April 27, 2018
Ted Scofield's Eat What You Kill is a rare bird: a business psychological thriller that’s both tightly bound to the business world and genuinely entertaining.
Think the people on Wall Street are psychopaths? Scofield's protagonist, Evan Stoess, is the real deal: a completely amoral man with a huge chip on his shoulder, scrambling his way up the financial world's ladder via lies, blackmail, extortion, and ultimately, murder. It’s pretty easy to get caught up in Evan's machinations and to enjoy tagging along with his ride to master-of-the-universe status. Four and a half stars.
Since I reviewed this book for Criminal Element, I can't copy it all here. However, you can read the entire review -- and a bunch of other good stuff -- here.
Think the people on Wall Street are psychopaths? Scofield's protagonist, Evan Stoess, is the real deal: a completely amoral man with a huge chip on his shoulder, scrambling his way up the financial world's ladder via lies, blackmail, extortion, and ultimately, murder. It’s pretty easy to get caught up in Evan's machinations and to enjoy tagging along with his ride to master-of-the-universe status. Four and a half stars.
Since I reviewed this book for Criminal Element, I can't copy it all here. However, you can read the entire review -- and a bunch of other good stuff -- here.
March 31, 2014
Eat What You Kill is a true category-buster. It's billed as a financial thriller, but Scofield's novel is much more literary and thought-provoking than a typical thriller. One reviewer called it a "philosophical thriller," and if you must label it, that is appropos.
Regarding the protagonist, Evan Stoess, he is certainly a challenging character. Even though I tried my best to resist, I found myself hoping he would get away with his nefarious activities.
Finally, I loved all of the fun and random references. Scofield clearly had fun with the writing and I shared in it.
Regarding the protagonist, Evan Stoess, he is certainly a challenging character. Even though I tried my best to resist, I found myself hoping he would get away with his nefarious activities.
Finally, I loved all of the fun and random references. Scofield clearly had fun with the writing and I shared in it.
April 23, 2014
As a liberal lawyer dude with a fascination of Ayn Rand (Well, awkward) and American Psycho. This is my favorite book of the year. All the little references are tailored for the money-hungry little wannabe yuppies which also happened to be poor in real life. All the struggle all the hate are clear, I don't think any one of them actually are capable of killing a human being but Evan does and this is going to be an amazing film also.
April 5, 2014
Just finished this book and it was incredible. Bravo Ted Scofield. There was depth & reasoning behind everything. Some of my favorite parts would be spoilers if I mentioned in a public forum. What I will say is it's definitely a page turner!
April 30, 2014
Great read - blew through it in two days. Well written and an interesting take on how far one might go for money/success. It's definitely a dark and twisty tale, and dives into the complex world of NY finance (but still easy enough to follow for a layman). Highly recommend!
April 18, 2014
Let me first disclose that I won an advanced copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway.
Eat What You Kill: A Novel by Ted Scofield is a very light quick read. I beleive if you look up the definition of "beach read" in the dictionary there might even be a picture of the cover...
This book is a marketing firm's dream. There are so many different ideas floating around the story becomes a hobo-stew of different themes and directions. Did you watch Dexter on Showtime? We have a protagonist for you who is an amoral killer! For those with limited attention spans, the author, Scofield, goes the James Patterson route making sure not to burden you with a chapter lasting more than a page or two. We have the wisecracks and witty asides. We have the characters referencing popular culture--movie quotes and celebrity names pepper the book.
What this book misses is depth.
There is no subtext. The characters have no layers--is it possible to be less then one dimensional? The story sacrifices background and realism for speed. Murders are committed in crowded areas with little planning easily and without complications.
That is not to say this is not a fun book. It is. And the ending sets up a sequal or two which I would happily read to see what happens next.
Just be prepared for a mindless professional wrestling type of romp. There are loud noises and flashing lights and it should keep your attention for an hour or more.
Eat What You Kill: A Novel by Ted Scofield is a very light quick read. I beleive if you look up the definition of "beach read" in the dictionary there might even be a picture of the cover...
This book is a marketing firm's dream. There are so many different ideas floating around the story becomes a hobo-stew of different themes and directions. Did you watch Dexter on Showtime? We have a protagonist for you who is an amoral killer! For those with limited attention spans, the author, Scofield, goes the James Patterson route making sure not to burden you with a chapter lasting more than a page or two. We have the wisecracks and witty asides. We have the characters referencing popular culture--movie quotes and celebrity names pepper the book.
What this book misses is depth.
There is no subtext. The characters have no layers--is it possible to be less then one dimensional? The story sacrifices background and realism for speed. Murders are committed in crowded areas with little planning easily and without complications.
That is not to say this is not a fun book. It is. And the ending sets up a sequal or two which I would happily read to see what happens next.
Just be prepared for a mindless professional wrestling type of romp. There are loud noises and flashing lights and it should keep your attention for an hour or more.
August 24, 2014
Lusting after what he cannot afford, Evan aspires to wealth and status. He is ready and willing to do anything to achieve his goal. Landing a stock market job that requires him to pick companies that will fail, so that he and his employer will make zillions on their demise, Evan has what it takes to insure success. His plots and schemes are so spot on that the ending is a complete surprise. The decision he makes is totally not him. The book is a quick read, well written and completely entertaining. You will learn Evan inside and out. It will be no surprise when Hollywood notices this work as it could instantly translate to the screen. My thanks to Goodreads and the author for a complimentary copy.
September 24, 2015
OK Here go's I just finished the BOOK,read it out loud to my husband at Parts & at the end...On our way back from a trip to the Ozarks ..what a compailing story... what a LOVE / HATE relationship in a wierd sorta way (Almost Felt Bad with the LOVE part..lol) I had with Evan?? hum.. Kinda felt sorry for him at times. Hated him at times,Loved the Karma he had planed for some.. Can't wait for the MOVIE!!I'll be First in Line!
June 27, 2014
Fast-paced, smart and engaging thriller. Once I started, I couldn't put it down.
November 26, 2017
Clever concept! A financial analyst learns the hard way that investing in a company because it has a fantastic CEO is a highly risky strategy. So he becomes a short seller identifying companies like that then considers killing them. Hammett or Hitchcock could have worked wonders with the premise.
Unfortunately, the book beats the reader over the head with constant reminders that the protagonist feels like an outcast among the poor and the rich. (Did he ever consider trying out the middle class? Apparently not.) But Evan rarely tries to fit in with the poor; he's desperate to be rich. At the same time, he or the narrator are constantly ridiculing the behavior of the wealthy.
The problem apart from all the class envy kvetching is that Evan isn't likable. He's greedy, mean, and self-pitying. The reader is put in the odd position of hoping that the "hero" fails.
Also, the story arc is oddly episodic. The first twenty or thirty percent is like a giant prologue, because it's separated from the main action of the book by a couple of years. Then the main action is split between a couple of planned murders. It's more like three novellas sold together than a smooth, cohesive novel.
A good idea that could have been executed better.
Unfortunately, the book beats the reader over the head with constant reminders that the protagonist feels like an outcast among the poor and the rich. (Did he ever consider trying out the middle class? Apparently not.) But Evan rarely tries to fit in with the poor; he's desperate to be rich. At the same time, he or the narrator are constantly ridiculing the behavior of the wealthy.
The problem apart from all the class envy kvetching is that Evan isn't likable. He's greedy, mean, and self-pitying. The reader is put in the odd position of hoping that the "hero" fails.
Also, the story arc is oddly episodic. The first twenty or thirty percent is like a giant prologue, because it's separated from the main action of the book by a couple of years. Then the main action is split between a couple of planned murders. It's more like three novellas sold together than a smooth, cohesive novel.
A good idea that could have been executed better.
June 14, 2023
It was interesting but about halfway through, I started losing interest. I was getting bored towards the middle-end. The ending just left me with so many questions. It was an okay read. Not my favorite, not my worst.
August 21, 2022
Calm way down on all the quotes. All Despicable characters. A little preachy at the end so that was kind of eye rolly. But still enjoyed the book.
August 21, 2023
An anti-Ayn Rand rant.
Characters not believable, not likeable, nor anyone to aspire to.
Characters not believable, not likeable, nor anyone to aspire to.
September 18, 2014
EAT WHAT YOU KILL was not an emotional experience by any means, but it kind of held its own.
Ted Scofield's first novel is a typical successful first novel: it's not strikingly original, but it doesn't copycat anything; its twists are a tad predictable, but they are fun and bold and it doesn't have memorable characters, yet protagonist Evan Stoess has a quirky charm. Long story short, it's a novel that stays within itself.
I liked EAT WHAT YOU KILL. It's a rather twisty, yet simple financial thriller that doesn't make you feel dumb for not being an initiate. It was a little too blueprint-y, it bears the heavy-handed mark of a major publisher's editing, but the biggest lesson here is that Ted Scofield has talent and that EAT WHAT YOU KILL shows a lot of promise.
Hopefully Scofield will be allowed to remove the training wheels for the imminent sequel.
Ted Scofield's first novel is a typical successful first novel: it's not strikingly original, but it doesn't copycat anything; its twists are a tad predictable, but they are fun and bold and it doesn't have memorable characters, yet protagonist Evan Stoess has a quirky charm. Long story short, it's a novel that stays within itself.
I liked EAT WHAT YOU KILL. It's a rather twisty, yet simple financial thriller that doesn't make you feel dumb for not being an initiate. It was a little too blueprint-y, it bears the heavy-handed mark of a major publisher's editing, but the biggest lesson here is that Ted Scofield has talent and that EAT WHAT YOU KILL shows a lot of promise.
Hopefully Scofield will be allowed to remove the training wheels for the imminent sequel.
May 11, 2015
I don't understand all the good reviews, I found this book completely absurd. What a waste of time!
April 18, 2017
I'm not exactly sure what I think of this book about a man who grew up on the wrong side of the tracks but was educated with mean wealthy kids. As a young adult on Wall Street he is willing to do ANYTHING to make money so that he can 'fit in' with the wealthy and get back at the kids who did him wrong. For the most part it was easy reading but I don't have a good understanding of finance and there were times when I didn't really understand how the stock market was being manipulated. There were definitely times when I felt empathy for the main character but he really was not very likable and did a lot of bad things. I'm also not sure that I really bought the ending, which I won't spoil here. Overall, this was a quick moving book that was okay to read but not the most enjoyable since the main character was so unpleasant.
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