A comic adventure packed with attitude and verve, The Cuttlefish skewers the excesses of ESL expat life while also poking fun at the paint-by-numbers sin and redemption story of getting locked up abroad.

"The Cuttlefish is by no small measure the best novel about ESL teachers in East Asia. In fact, it is probably the most engaging, perceptive, and realistic depiction of life as a Westerner in Asia for several decades. Tharp has set his novel in a fictional country, yet he has captured life in a certain part of the world so well that it very nearly gave me PTSD. The schools, bars, restaurants, streets, and even prisons he writes about are depicted with an astounding accuracy, yet somehow infused with comedy and empathy. It is a world that has long deserved the fictional treatment and finally we have it-a must-read novel for those who know and love (or are merely frustrated by) the strange life one leads in this beautiful but chaotic part of the world."
- David S. Wills, author of High White Notes: The Rise and Fall of Gonzo Journalism

"Incredibly vivid and very funny." - Brian Aylward, standup comedian