Clayton Stumper is 25 years old and has spent his whole life in the fellowship of puzzlemakers, with the people and in the headquarters building. Founder Pippa Allsbrook and the others, all living together in a posh manor house, brought him up together from he was dumped at their door in a posh hatbox. After her death he tries to solve the puzzle of who his parents are and is of course aided by letters and puzzleboxes Pippa left him. On the way he meets a lot of people and discovers his sexuality.

I'm not into puzzles much but I solved the mystery of who Clayton's mother is early on and without a puzzlebox - after all, there were only two women of the right age there at the time.

There was one puzzle I couldn't solve and that was how Pippa etc were allowed to foster Clayton after her general foster application had been turned down before? 

This is an unusual book with quirky characters. It reads easily enough but it will suit you better if you like puzzles because some of the jargon was too specialised for me. However, I did enjoy the cut-out jigsaw piece in the hardcover edition.