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Ask Laura
An advice columnist’s own problems reach crisis level, in this compelling blend of suspense, romance, and family drama by the author of The Dead Husband.
Laura Green is an agony aunt for a London magazine, but recently she could use some help herself. Her teenage daughter will barely speak to her and is hiding birth control pills in her room. Her elderly mother is in a home suffering from Alzheimer’s. And her ex is about to become a father again—while paying minimal attention to the three kids he already has with Laura.
When the magazine starts getting threatening letters demanding that Laura’s column be dropped, she is helped by a young police officer but personal problems refuse to disappear.
Juggling several responsibilities isn’t easy for any divorced mum. But doing so while living in fear is much worse. Just ask Laura…
Laura Green is an agony aunt for a London magazine, but recently she could use some help herself. Her teenage daughter will barely speak to her and is hiding birth control pills in her room. Her elderly mother is in a home suffering from Alzheimer’s. And her ex is about to become a father again—while paying minimal attention to the three kids he already has with Laura.
When the magazine starts getting threatening letters demanding that Laura’s column be dropped, she is helped by a young police officer but personal problems refuse to disappear.
Juggling several responsibilities isn’t easy for any divorced mum. But doing so while living in fear is much worse. Just ask Laura…
Audible Audio
First published April 16, 2024
32 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
About the author
Gillian Jackson
37 books223 followersAuthor of Abduction, Snatched, The Accident, and four more books published by Bloodhound books
Wife to Derek, mother to four and grandmother to nine.
Our lovely rescue dog Liffey completes my family and ensures that I take regular breaks from my desk!
Wife to Derek, mother to four and grandmother to nine.
Our lovely rescue dog Liffey completes my family and ensures that I take regular breaks from my desk!
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 14, 2024
Can an "Agony Aunt" advice columnist solve her own problems at home and work?
If you ask me..........
"Ask Laura" was not Gillian Jackson's best book.
I listened to the 8-hour audiobook that easily could have been a 4-hour book.
The book's dialogue rambled and ended with a predictable final twist.
Narrator Kim Bretton's narration was good but not great.
Perhaps my expectations were set too high for Gillian Jackson's newest release.
May 30, 2024
Nothing special.
May 12, 2024
Jackson included too many mundane details, so the book seemed to drone on and on. Maybe it was the audiobook reader? I suppose all these details were necessary to build momentum to the big reveal at the end.
That said, Laura is an interesting character: middle-aged single mother coping with one crises after another. The advice she gives in her Ask Laura column seemed practical and sound, so the reader knows she can deal with whatever life throws at her.
That said, Laura is an interesting character: middle-aged single mother coping with one crises after another. The advice she gives in her Ask Laura column seemed practical and sound, so the reader knows she can deal with whatever life throws at her.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 6, 2024
‘Ask Laura’ by Gillian Jackson begins as a compelling mystery. Laura is an Agony Aunt with a popular column, and works remotely. Her life is suddenly disrupted by anonymous letters threatening to attack her if she doesn’t stop writing this column. The letters threaten her family, she a single mom with three children. At home she faces a really difficult time with her 16 year old daughter. The book, I thought, details her personal life more than it should for a crime novel. While it makes for easy reading, the ending is underwhelming. Perhaps the book could be marketed as a family story spiced with a little mystery.
May 30, 2024
Following Helen on her final journey comes this emotional rollercoaster of a book.
I would always say “oh books don’t trigger me what do you mean?” But now I know what that means. This book was very very close to a timeline of events I went through, it put me back to a Christmas I wish I never had to go through and I cried buckets so yes it is triggering!
Helen has terminal cancer but also a past she needs to face and come clean about to die knowing she did the right thing. Helen wants her adult children to know more about her so writes everything in a journal which her daughter finds on Helen’s passing and reads.
I did figure out the twist that came and joined the dots before it was said but that didn’t detract from the excellently written storyline.
Touching on an experience many families unfortunately go through it was written delicately and elicited all the emotions and feelings you would have expected Helen to go through and her family really connecting with the characters.
I rated this 5star even though it brought me to tears and took me back to relive moments that are painful.
Excellently written and a truly beautiful story.
I would always say “oh books don’t trigger me what do you mean?” But now I know what that means. This book was very very close to a timeline of events I went through, it put me back to a Christmas I wish I never had to go through and I cried buckets so yes it is triggering!
Helen has terminal cancer but also a past she needs to face and come clean about to die knowing she did the right thing. Helen wants her adult children to know more about her so writes everything in a journal which her daughter finds on Helen’s passing and reads.
I did figure out the twist that came and joined the dots before it was said but that didn’t detract from the excellently written storyline.
Touching on an experience many families unfortunately go through it was written delicately and elicited all the emotions and feelings you would have expected Helen to go through and her family really connecting with the characters.
I rated this 5star even though it brought me to tears and took me back to relive moments that are painful.
Excellently written and a truly beautiful story.
December 26, 2020
Ask Laura. by Gillian Jackson.
Laura is a magazine Agony Aunt ... working from home ... she has 3 children, twin 11 year old boys and a stroppy 16 year old daughter .... and a ex-husband!
Life is not as she would like but she loves her job ... and she is good at it! Her boss calls her in for a meeting ... with people losing their jobs ... will she be the next one to be let go!
No ... apparently they have received a couple of very threatening letters to Ask Laura .... that’s her!
The police have been informed ... will they find this maniac before it is too late .........
I found this a terrific read ... started and finished the same day! I recommend this book!
Laura is a magazine Agony Aunt ... working from home ... she has 3 children, twin 11 year old boys and a stroppy 16 year old daughter .... and a ex-husband!
Life is not as she would like but she loves her job ... and she is good at it! Her boss calls her in for a meeting ... with people losing their jobs ... will she be the next one to be let go!
No ... apparently they have received a couple of very threatening letters to Ask Laura .... that’s her!
The police have been informed ... will they find this maniac before it is too late .........
I found this a terrific read ... started and finished the same day! I recommend this book!
August 31, 2021
Disappointed
I read an earlier book of Gillians and enjoyed it so thought I’d try another. Unfortunately I did not like this book, I found it rather long winded and predictable. Won’t be reading any more of this author’s books.
I read an earlier book of Gillians and enjoyed it so thought I’d try another. Unfortunately I did not like this book, I found it rather long winded and predictable. Won’t be reading any more of this author’s books.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews