When simple teenager Henry 'Doofus' Clench walks into the Sheriffs office and tells them the location of a kidnap victim, his life is changed forever. With no suspects and no explanation of how he knew where she was he is arrested, charged and sent to prison for fifty years. The kidnap victims name is Jane and she knows Doofus is innocent but can't tell the Sheriff the truth for fear of revealing Doofus' greatest secret. Thirty four years later Jane becomes the first female President of the United States and immediately grants Doofus a pardon. Soon after, her own teenage son is taken by Al Qaeda terrorists and they threaten to publicly behead him unless all Muslim prisoners around the world are released. Knowing that Henry 'Doofus' Clench is the only man who can save her son Jane tasks the FBI to find and deliver him to her ranch.
I was born in South Yorkshire, and never wanted to do anything else but join the Army. After enlisting as a boy Soldier at the age of 16 and completing a years training at the Junior Leaders Regiment I was posted to Germany. It was whilst fighting in the first Gulf war and through my three tours of duty in Bosnia that I found my love of writing. I grew up reading good old fashioned adventure stories such as treasure island and the famous five series. I had these books in mind when I wrote Poppy Darke, I wanted poppy to have a real adventure, meet weird and wonderful characters and take her to the limits of an eleven year old girl. I hope I achieved this and I hope you enjoy my books.
Doofus is one of those stories that hooks you with its premise and then keeps surprising you the whole way through. Henry “Doofus” Clench starts off as this misunderstood, underestimated kid, and watching how one moment completely derails his life is both frustrating and emotional. I found myself rooting for him almost instantly. Jane’s journey from kidnap victim to President is just as compelling, and the bond between her and Doofus gives the story its emotional core. When her son is taken decades later, the stakes skyrocket, and the tension feels very real. The blend of political drama, mystery, and redemption makes this a really unique read. It’s not your typical thriller, and that’s what makes it memorable.