Books - Bruce Decaster

The Geniuses

Across history, extraordinary minds have changed the world by asking questions no one else thought to ask. They studied stars, motion, medicine, machines, nature, language, and light but what if their greatest discoveries were connected by something hidden?

When Lucy and Roland Mercer discover their grandfather's secret journal, they find a trail linking some of history's most brilliant thinkers to an ancient mechanism known only as the Device. What starts as a mystery soon becomes a race through real places, forgotten histories, and dangerous ideas. Along the way, the children discover that knowledge can illuminate the world, but in the wrong hands, even genius can become a weapon.

Lucy Mercer

Eleven-year-old Lucy Mercer does not wait patiently for mysteries to explain themselves. She loves maps, museums, diagrams, forgotten notebooks, and the satisfying moment when an impossible puzzle starts to make sense. Organized, determined, and fiercely protective of her younger brother, Lucy believes careful thinking can solve almost anything.

But the Device does not always reward control. As the trail grows more dangerous, Lucy must learn that intelligence is not about having every answer... or carrying every responsibility alone.

Roland Mercer

Seven-year-old Roland Mercer believes most situations can be improved by snacks, questions, or a well-timed observation that no one else finds nearly as funny as he does. He loves animals, unlikely theories, mechanical objects, and proving that being the youngest person in the room does not make him the least important.

Beneath the jokes is a remarkably observant mind. Roland notices movement, emotion, and patterns that more orderly thinkers overlook. He may appear to be Lucy's sidekick, but the smallest person on the journey may be the one who sees the story from the most important angle.

Adriana Vale

At eighteen, Adriana Vale is polished, brilliant, and accustomed to being underestimated. She values preparation, discipline, and decisive action, and she has been taught that dangerous knowledge belongs in the hands of those strong enough to control it.

Yet Lucy and Roland refuse to behave like predictable opponents. Their choices force Adriana to confront a question no carefully constructed plan can answer: What if power is not proof that someone has the right to use it?

Daniel Mercer

Daniel Mercer has built his career around helping people face change across offices, countries, and cultures. Calm, practical, and quietly funny, he believes most problems can be understood through patience, communication, and a sufficiently detailed plan.

Then his children start following a trail involving secret mechanisms, historical geniuses, and people willing to manipulate an entire family. Daniel may not understand every clue, but when danger closes in, there is nothing uncertain about where he stands: between the threat and his children.

Grandpa Arthur

Lucy and Roland's maternal grandfather, Arthur, believed that questions were more valuable than easy answers and that stories were meant to travel. His curiosity carried him through archives, museums, ancient sites, and mysteries most people never knew existed.

Arthur understood that knowledge should be protected without becoming someone's possession. Though he is gone, the journal he leaves behind becomes both an invitation and a warning. His clues may guide the children toward the Device, but the lessons hidden inside them will determine what kind of people they become along the way.

The Man With the Silver Umbrella

He appears in crowded stations, distant reflections, and places where coincidence has begun to feel impossible. With his weathered face, full grey beard, and carefully maintained silver umbrella, the mysterious watcher seems to know where the children are going before they do.

Whether he is protecting the children, testing them, or guiding them toward a far more dangerous truth remains uncertain.

In a story built from hidden histories, he may be the greatest mystery of all.

The Keeper’s Mark

Three interlocking rings, open at the center. The Keeper’s Mark represents knowledge held in trust, not ownership, a belief that discovery should remain connected, accessible, and free to benefit those who come after. Throughout The Clockwork of Genius, the symbol quietly follows the Mercers’ journey, representing curiosity, stewardship, and the responsibility that comes with understanding something powerful.

The Vale Symbol

The Vale symbol echoes the Keeper’s ancient three-ring design, but with one important difference: a single line cuts through the open center, dividing what was meant to remain connected and closing what was meant to remain free. It reflects the Vale belief that knowledge is safest when controlled, power is strongest when concentrated, and discovery should be directed by those who believe themselves capable of commanding it.

Meet the Minds Behind the Mystery

Official Book Trailer