So when online playing scrabble, Alex, a stranger, starts talking to Finlay and coincidentally mentions they have had a new stepmum for the past two years and she walked out on her family, Finlay wants to investigate believing she could be his mum.
Meanwhile, he has to contend with the school bully Oliver whom is a part of the school scrabble team Finlay ends up joining where he befriends Maryam, a refugee girl whom has to put up with bullying from Oliver also.
Then Finlays house gets broken in to, clues on his mum's things become apparent and suddenly, Finlay finds out his mum wasn't as perfect as he first believed...
The book deals with a lot of serious topics from racial bullying to the pressure of making friends and of course the book's main topic, of stammering. It's ironic Finlay is so good with written words as he can't articulate himself clearly verbally. It was great combining a mystery with a medical/life problem and stammers are rarely written about in children's fiction too which makes it even better and hopefully if anyone reads it whom had a stammer will feel at ease with a relatable character written about.
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