Sanford Hospital

Berkley Street #4

by Ron Ripley

Sanford Hospital. A Victorianesque monstrosity with creeping ivy and the infamous Ward E, home of the soon-to-be-dead. This is where ghost hunter, Shane Ryan, ends up for his burn treatments. Courtesy of the Veterans Administration system, the retired Marine is cut off from his private doctors and thrust into the arms of a hospital with one special nurse from hell; Nurse Ruth Williamson, who is as dead as they come.The Nurse is a whole new breed of undead. She has a cadre of helpers who are loyal to the grave. Her twisted sense of mercy is death to the dying … and the living if they get in her way. And Shane Ryan is in her way.Gathering his new friends and a few ghostly comrades, Shane takes up arms against the unholy regiment to fight the good fight. He can’t allow the Nurse to continue her killing spree. She is not God and her legacy of death must be stopped. Although she has a few more tricks up her sleeve, Shane’s mission is clear. The Nurse must die. And stay dead. Once and for all.

Genres: Horror, Paranormal, Ghosts, Fiction, Supernatural, Audiobook, Fantasy

221 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 25, 2016

About the author

Ron Ripley is a husband and father surviving in New England, a place which seems to be getting colder every day. He grew up across from a disturbingly large cemetery where he managed to scare himself every night before going to bed. Mostly because of the red lights that people put in front of the headstones. Those things are just plain creepy to a kid.

Ron enjoys writing horror, military history and driving through the small towns of New England with his family, collecting books and giving impromptu lectures on military history to his family, who enjoy ignoring him during those dreadful times.

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a truly creepy read!

[Angel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr Ripley got all the ingredients right for this one. Nurse Ruth Williamson may be the strongest ghost Seth Ryan has faced yet able to seep into the dreams of her victims. Surprisingly and happily Seth finds help in old and new allies. I love that we have cameos from the Roys (...of Moving In series...thank you Mr Ripley), help from his family of ghostly friends (Carl and Courtney), and new veterans...I imagine they will play a larger role in future series....

[Shamina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Can we just go back to the creepy house and the characters from the first book? I like Karl and Eloise… and the police lady.

I didn’t like Courtney and now we’re stuck with her 🙄. The ghosts in these books are so in your face they’re not even scary. The narrator isn’t all that great either. He’s got about 4 voices he can do, so he reached his limit in book 1.

The stories get weaker and weaker. At least the main villain in this one has a better reason for being a villain. The last two were down right dumb. These books are becoming as formulaic and cheesy as any paperback “bodice ripper”. It’s not a good thing.

I bought all 9 books on sale though, so I’ll keep plowing through them.

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Continuing through the Berkley Street series. Just when I suppose things will be the same as they ever were, Sanford Hospital arrives and I never want to stay the night in a hospital again. But now because I don't want to be smothered or heart crushed in my sleep (or really when I am awake either I suppose). I really loved the ending of this book and I love how the author has continued to grow Shane and the supporting characters. Now on to Kurkow Prison... I am sure nothing bad can happen there.

[Paul Preston · Rating 4 out of 5]

One thing I have found out about the Berkley Street series, don’t get too attached to any characters. Every one dies painfully in these books except for Shane, at least that’s what it feels like to me.
The books are very formulaic - a place has a ghost that kills people, Shane has to go to this place for some reason, they get attacked but get away, Shane has to go back to fight the ghost even though it will probably kill him.
I still find these entertaining as hell even if they are somewhat predictable.

[Bettyboop · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness! This is a down right scary goodread. Actually it’s a great read! The setting is Sanford a VA hospital for veterans like Shane, an ex killer Marine and ghost hunter. Just so happens Sanford is full of ghosts. Ron Ripley takes this setting with live and dead characters and develops an imaginative, shocking storyline. His descriptive writing let me follow his words for a vivid picture of the hospital and characters, ghosts included. My first encounter with the ghost nurse in action left me stunned and in suspense wondering when she would return. No details, gotta read for yourself. Shane, being familiar with ghosts decides she must be stopped. Trouble was she had protectors, resident ghosts. More shocks and suspense continue with Shane blind sided by living protectors. Now, for me there was literally no putting the book down. This was the best ghost story I’ve ever read thanks to Ripley’s captivating storyline and characters.
You like ghosts, you will love Sanford Hospital.

[Oscar Lilley · Rating 4 out of 5]

So he has a ghost girlfriend now. That's pretty cool. Ripley also went on a different track with the primary antagonist on this one. She is an angel of death or mercy, depending on the vantage point, and those who follow her, the dead and living alike, follow her in the fervent belief that they are serving mankind. That this is happening in a VA hospital is sad and sadly believable in it's own way. But the premise is that the MC had to go to that hospital due to VA rules. That is entirely false. As a retired Marine, he would have the ability to be treated on a military installation or by a civilian provider. The author was either ignorant of that fact or assumed/ hoped that the reader would be. Vets have a hard enough time. No reason to artificially magnify our plight.

[Mrs V · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent read in this series.

I really enjoy how the author draws you in from the start for a riveting read right through to the end. I particularly like the 'bonus chapters ' at the end which give answers to how things happened. By not putting them at the start, which lesser authors would do, enhances the readers experience.

Shane Ryan continues to develop nicely, with new characters joining along the way. I think a little clue was given as to how the series will eventually conclude but I hope I'm wrong.

To extend my enjoyment I'm only reading two books consecutively and will be reading books 5 and 6 after a short interlude.

[Destiny Pifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was super disappointed in this book. Having loved his first book I had hopes for number 4 in the Berkley series. But this book was just agonizing to get through. I had to force myself to finish it. The book centers around our main character Shane Ryan running into the nasty ghost of a nurse. The nurse is obsessed with killing not only patients but also doctors and nurses. I had to flip through the pages just to find out the history of the evil nurse and even then I didn't get a lot of answers. Not one of Ripley's best in the series.

[Stephanie Stagner · Rating 2 out of 5]

Probably not going to continue with the other books in the series. The editing is terrible. And why do they keep mentioning events that happened in the past with no back story or context? Super annoying. And can we stop with the constant coffee and cigarettes??

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have now bought the whole series and am thoroughly enjoying them, each book develops the continuing characters, both alive and dead.

Ghostly mysteries - I love this series!

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 4 of the Berkley Street series. This time Shane the ghost buster encounters a ghost nurse acting as a grim reaper. I really like this series. The bonus at the end is a nice touch.

[Hunter Ross · Rating 2 out of 5]

Each book seems more rushed after the first one. There are spoilers so don't read if you care. The problem is the ghosts are really just a gang of thugs that Shane has to dispatch in unusual ways (i.e. from the sow Supernatural). They apparently have no restrictions on touching and physical force on living but most can't touch them. There are soooo many ghosts in the "world" Ripley 'created" that they lost their effect. Definitely no really horror or creep (just imagine a gang instead of ghosts). Also one hospital does not call an ambulance for a dead doctor? What the idiocy is that? )please don't comment about different levels of hospital and tertiary care requiring referrals etc. Despite levels of hospitals you don't call an ambulance for a dead physician. Maybe the morgue? Plus a hospital that can do burn care-as Sanford Hospital purports would likely be a tertiary care center so this is just plain stupid and ignorant). I do like the idea of humans teaming up with ghosts but the extremely deep and controversial notion of euthanasia is left unexplored. Also, as I said in other reviews Shane is a chain smoking alcoholic-these are cheap devices to personify stress and stressful life. He is less of jerk in this one, but why, why why have Courtney locked to his army tags-super annoying. Bring back the police lady not the now dead and way too young Courtney.

[Catriona Lovett · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Hospital Where the Sick Never Get Well

At every single place on earth, a human being has died or been buried, so it's not really unexpected that a place as long-populated as New Hampshire has a lot of ghosts. Shane Ryan has sustained least one serious injury for every location he's fought in to rid the place of ghosts. His last misadventure left him with serious burns, and he needs a skin graft. Of course, the hospital the VA sends Shane to is haunted.

Like most horror novels, the premise isn't completely original, but with his usual flair, Ron Ripley has tweaked and teased from the familiar another suspenseful and absorbing horror story for his fans. New characters are introduced and old ones reappear, giving the Berkley Street series more tie-ins with Ripley's Moving In series.

I really like Shane Ryan as a character, and I'm getting worried about him. This latest installment has not eased my worries in the slightest.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

"""BOOK 1 (BERKLEY STREET) - I really enjoyed this book. I read this book after meeting Shane in the MOVING IN series. This has been a very good series so far.
BOOK 2 (THE LIGHTHOUSE) - This has to be my favorite Ron Ripley story so far. The characters are all very well done.
BOOK 3 (THE TOWN OF GRISWOLD) - A nice book. The characters continue to be well done. So far I am enjoying this series more than the MOVING IN series....and I also enjoyed that series.
BOOK 4 (SANFORD HOSPITAL) - This is probably my second favorite book in this series. I really like the addition of one character in particular. The way this book ended makes me wonder if that person will be a returning character in the series....
BOOK 5 (KURKOW PRISON)
BOOK 6 (LAKE NUTAQ)
BOOK 7 (SLATER MILL)
BOOK 8 (BORGIN KEEP)
BOOK 9 (AMHERST BURIAL GROUND)"""

[Dani Simmonds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hospitals are already scary without a murdering nurse... I enjoyed this chapter of Shane Ryan's life adventures. If you've ever spent much time in a hospital, you already know what a scary atmosphere they have, especially at night. And this story pulls out all the stops in the way of creepy hallways and dark rooms. It's bad enough there is a murdering nurse, long in the grave. But why do the living seem to do her bidding so she can get her way? What power does she have over them? Hopefully, Shane will get some kind of break before he has to go under the knife himself, and risk becoming one of her minions.

[ReneE · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good story from Mr. Ripley. Each one seems the same yet different enough to be entertaining. Kind of amazing since it's basically the same story in different locales. But it works. Ruth was a formidable opponent and Shane (counting the encounter in the last book) has really been getting knocked around a lot! I like the addition of Frank and think it's an excellent way to add a needed punch to the series. I wonder how long Courtney is going to hang around. I think she could become tiresome quickly. Looking forward to reading the next book.

[Vivian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Action-packed! A nonstop thriller of a book! Ron Ripley is great at horror...

Shane Ryan is hoping to be healed from the burns he sustained while killing off evil in the town of Griswold. Being a marine lifer, he’s now subjected to the local VA hospital. It took only a couple of hours visit until he saw the nurse. The nurse that has been killing elderly patients in the E-ward. Problem now is that she is visiting more than just patients now. Upon his discharge, he had no plans to return home. Not until he rid the hospital of her. Will he make it out alive?

[Lacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, was not expecting that twist. And can I just say this is such a brutal statement about how we take care of our veterans. Great ghostly premise, the conclusion was slightly unexciting in that of course that's where she was, where else could she be. I do feel like Shane is losing some of the qualities that make him a hero. Now he's just a gun for hire. I miss the inquisitive nature he had from the first few books which has been replaced by grim resignation for a duty he has to perform. Other then that I'm still enjoying Shane's journey and moving on the next book.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining haunting listening 🎶🔰

Another will written fantasy world 🌎 haunting horror ghost 👻 adventure thriller novel by Ron Ripley and Scare Street. Shane has to go too the Sanford Hospital for a skin graft. He discovers a dead nurse killing patients and has been doing so since after WWI. Staff and dead patients are supporting her. Shane, friends, patients alive and dead take up ☝ the fight which they win in the end. I would recommend this series and authors to readers of haunting horror ghost 👻 stories. Enjoy the adventure of reading or listening. 2022 😮👒😈

[Tehnehn Kaijaah Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shane Ryan and friends make a great read

I love this series! Shane truly is a likable and empathetic protagonist. The big bad reminded me of a show on Netflix killer nurses. I like the idea of the nurse having a cult like following if folks who believe in her work. Both alive and dead! I didn't give it5 stars because I wanted to know a bit more about the nurse. All in all really liked the book!

[Janice E. Ryberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars for Sanford Hospital

I enjoyed this story too, but I must admit that it was more unnerving. I guess the idea of a nurse killing off her patients when she thinks it is the right time ... Very upsetting, especially when they aren't ready or willing. Every story adds more perspective to this spooky series. Enjoy!

[David Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a way to get you when you are down and out. The one place that you should be safe has just been taken away from you...

Exploding bulbs, shrieks, cold cold wards, evil orderlies etc....

Nowhere to run and hide, if you are fit enough to anyway.

Another creepy instalment in this incredible series. Top notch horror.

[Ahbet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite as scary as book 1, but still an awesome read! This book is found rather sad in a way. But crazy in another. By now I'm really getting to like iron and salt. This is a story of a crazy dead nurse and her victims. Again, the series needs to be read in order to get the full impact of the background story.

[Allison Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating this whole series as a whole. I’m on number four and I’m bored. I got all nine with an audible credit and it would probably work better as Shane being a hired ghost hunter. This Murder She Wrote ghosts fall in his lap thing is so tired. And the narrator’s woman voice sounds like the trickster voice from TikTok

[Mindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sanford Hospital

I really like the main character Shane Ryan. He just accepts what he knows needs to be done, and has way more experience dispatching the evil ghosts. He's on a mission.

[Yolanda Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Excellent Story

I heart Shane. What an interesting character. Strong and brave. Always excellent writing. Always starts with a bang and continues throughout. You never know who will survive.

[Tam French · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely awesome

All I can say is wow!! Another excellent Shane Ryan novel!! This one had many twists and turns that you definitely won't see coming! I thoroughly enjoy the time and effort that you put forth into creating these great stories!!!

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trouble

Shayne sure knows how to find trouble. He is sent to a va hosp for treatments. Upon arrival he finds out patients are being killed.

This is definitely a page turner with a surprise ending.

I bought the next book in this series.

[Shell Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still enjoying this series although it's taking me a while to get through them. I just don't seem to have time to sit and read, or listen to the audio!
Hopefully, I'll find time to do a full review on my blog soon https://www.shelllouise.co.uk