In The Missing Puzzle Piece by Marcus Abston, Annabelle went through a lot at a very young age. Annabelle was enslaved and escaped with the help of friends. When Joseph, Annabelle, and John’s youngest son were kidnapped, the family had to face unexpected hardships and challenges. Annabelle and John were unsure if Joseph was still alive and were devastated that he might be enslaved. John left Annabelle and his family to search for Joseph and felt he had let them down when he returned empty-handed. The family had to cling to their hope that they would track down and return Joseph. The threat of any offspring Annabelle has, by law owned by her owner from earlier in the day, is hanging over their heads.

The Missing Puzzle Piece is a beautiful portrayal of life in a bygone era where discrimination was pervasive and Native Americans and Black people were abducted and sold as slaves. This extremely fascinating and believable story was masterfully crafted by Marcus Abston. The events were described extraordinarily, and the background seemed to come to life. The gripping storyline, which was heightened by suspense in the face of danger, had me completely captivated. It was a roller coaster of courage, resilience, and determination, and the various subplots added to the depth of the story. The characters were authentic and relatable. Once more, after everything Annabelle had endured, she had to walk a difficult path, but she did so with bravery and grace. It is a sad yet beautiful story written with the necessary empathy for the circumstances.

The Lightning-Strongman family is thrown into confusion when young Joseph, Annabelle's son, is kidnapped from their home. Annabelle rallies the members of this strong clan with proud Black and Native American blood flowing through their veins in pursuit of her son's captors. Can she succeed, knowing full well what she experienced during her time as a slave in the American South? Follow this adventure and discover the extent to which a mother's love will go in The Missing Puzzle Piece: A Dying Truth Exposed, Book Four by Marcus Abston.

Marcus Abston digs deep into his ancestry for the inspiration to pen a novel based on the happenings of the lesser-known mixed-blood Blacks in pre-Civil War America. His story sticks to the timeline impressively well as he uses dates that tie into significant happenings in the country at that time to set the tone for this interesting read. His characters are beautifully put together with origin stories that make it easy for a first-timer to this impressive series to understand the story and follow it to its conclusion. What stands out notably about Abston's storytelling technique is the way he builds the suspense in various instances within subplots that more often than not are unrelated to one another. An excellent example of this is following Riza's plotting during the dinner as she puts her escape plan into action. Abston also pays detailed attention to the interaction among the slaves as he highlights the friction and drama created by their different backgrounds using unique banter. The Missing Puzzle Piece is a riveting masterpiece of a story with a focus on faith and courage that all readers would find relatable.