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Haunted Village #6

Brutal Lessons

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Subject B is about to learn a new lesson in terror…Marcus Holt survived the Vietnam War. But his greatest battle has only just began. Kidnapped by the sadistic Professor Abel Worthe, the retired soldier is forced to take part in a diabolical experiment. Now known as Subject B, Marcus is trapped in a haunted village, where he must survive one terrifying ordeal after another. All so Worthe can discover just how much fear one man can survive…When the insane professor imprisons a former employee in the haunted village, the terrified young man joins forces with Marcus and the others. As the group navigates the remains of a rotting old schoolhouse, they are stalked by the vengeful spirit of its former headmaster. This blood-thirsty ghost is forever bound to an old wooden cane… a weapon he uses to beat people to death.Marcus must call upon all his strength and courage to survive this new threat, and unravel a secret that links his fate to the diabolical Professor Worthe. But when another survivor develops the terrifying power to see the dead, they soon find themselves faced with a new mystery…Is this chilling psychic ability a blessing? Or a deadly curse in disguise?

201 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 18, 2019

219 people are currently reading
84 people want to read

About the author

Ron Ripley

252 books514 followers
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.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
90 reviews
May 15, 2022
Good continuation of the series

This is a good continuation of the series. I'm kind of getting bored though because it's the same story but with different ghosts and torture. Able seems to becoming unhinged so that's something to look forward in the next book.

There's a few books left in the series and I'm really hoping Able dies an absolutely horrific death at the hands of Marcus.
Profile Image for Billie.
5,784 reviews71 followers
May 9, 2019
Subject B is about to learn a new lesson in terror…
Marcus Holt survived the Vietnam War. But his greatest battle has only just began. Kidnapped by the sadistic Professor Abel Worthe, the former soldier is forced to take part in a diabolical experiment. Now known as Subject B, Marcus is trapped in a haunted village, where he must survive one terrifying ordeal after another. All so Worthe can discover just how much fear one man can survive…
When the insane professor imprisons a former employee in the haunted village, the terrified young man joins forces with Marcus and the others. As the group navigates the remains of a rot-ting old schoolhouse, they are stalked by the vengeful spirit of its former headmaster. This blood-thirsty ghost is forever bound to an old wooden cane… a weapon he uses to beat people to death.
Marcus must call upon all his strength and courage to survive this new threat, and unravel a secret that links his fate to the diabolical Professor Worthe. But when another survivor develops the terrifying power to see the dead, they soon find themselves faced with a new mystery…
Is this chilling psychic ability a blessing? Or a deadly curse in disguise?

WOW!!! This was such a great read to me.
I absolutely devoured this one as I couldn't put it down.
This series just keeps getting better with each instalment.
It's great to see Alex growing in his power and confidence.
Think Mr. Worthe is in for it in the next one!!
Fabulous well written again Mr. Ripley.
Highly recommend!!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for BookLoversLife.
1,838 reviews9 followers
September 20, 2020
Wow, what an instalment!! I was breathless throughout it again. There is so much development to the plot that I was in a state of awe. This author is absolutely phenomenal.

An old school house is introduced to the village with a school master who likes to dole out punishments. Worthe kidnaps a blind man and puts him in the house. Naturally Marcus, Joyce, Alex and Timmy sets out to rescue him. But the blind man has secrets of his own!

So the plot is non stop. There is so many sub plots going on too that it's a literal roller coaster. Timmy is now a permanent resident of the village. Marcus and Joyce are making plans for escape, Alex is coming into his own and is exploring a hidden talent he has. As well as all that, the ghosts seem to be over running the village and even going outside is a danger for the gang.

I am astonished with how brilliantly this author can make so many plots flow so well together! With so much happening, there's never a sense of information dump, the plot flows so well and is exceptional. This has to be my favourite so far in the series and I can't wait to jump into the next one.

Thom Bowers brings the story to life. His narration is brilliant!
Profile Image for David.
605 reviews14 followers
June 10, 2019
Well, what can I say? This is so far the best of this series, which in turn is one of the best Ron Ripley has written. In this one, a murderous schoolteacher who uses a cane to do his evil work is introduced to the Village along with his one room schoolhouse. This is only one of the subplots running here. Marcus and Alex and company try to rescue the man imprisoned in the school. The man is then delivered to Marcus' house and it is discovered that he has a terrible secret. More secrets are revealed involving Timmy and also Alex, who begins to really come into his own in this book.
Do Marcus and his team have more allies in the Village than they think? Is Abel Worthe beginning to come apart at the seams? I won't say anything further but it is well worth your time to find out.
I like the characters in this series as much as I liked Shane Ryan. They are strong yet compassionate toward others, even those who appear to be their enemies. Ron Ripley is an excellent writer and I will continue to read his work.
8 reviews1 follower
May 17, 2019
I thought I would never get over Shane

But Marcus may be my new hero. Actually no maybe. Brave, thoughtful,educated and a man who has seen a lot and come out of it still with compassion. But Abel Worthe? I must echo another reviewer,God he needs to die! I really admire a well crafted villiain. The way Ripley has let you closer to him and the cultish way he treats his people is masterful. In his Hitlerish delusions he has roped in an entire cadre of followers paid and not. The relationship between him and David is creepy yet so believable. I worked in a company that was built from the ground up by one man and as the time wore on and the company became successful the amount of sycophantic groveling increased as did the ego of the founder. This is all there as you watch Worthe and his associates relate. I can't wait for the next book.
261 reviews5 followers
April 29, 2020
Absolutely unputdownable!! Again!!

Another thrilling read and rollercoaster of a ride.

The talented Mr (Ron) Ripley has, yet again, made the series really come alive, with new additions to the village that raise the adrenaline levels.

I mentioned in previous reviews that I thought Timmy was to be a great character, and he is! Also, I thought that the Berkeley Street property should be making an appearance......is it?

What a cliffhanger. I've already downloaded the next in the series but not read the intro as I want it to be a surprise 🤤.
Profile Image for Tam French.
167 reviews
May 30, 2019
Frighteningly Excellent!!

What a shame that Brutal Lessons has concluded, but I impatiently await the next installment of this series. It is a shame that Worthe is not heeding the brutal lessons out in front of him! Can't wait to see how things play out with those in the Village and Alex's new found talents! Was skeptical of this series at first, but immensely glad that I stuck with it!!!
Profile Image for ReneE.
429 reviews6 followers
October 30, 2019
I thought this was much better than the previous book ("Poisonous Whispers"). The story was engrossing and the characters were much more developed and interesting. I had previously given up on this series; it was getting stagnant and repetitive, which often happens to a long series. (I hope it comes to a satisfying end soon.) This entry, however, got me back in the fold, so to speak, and I am looking forward to the next one.
Profile Image for Natasha Isaacs.
194 reviews3 followers
May 7, 2019
Team Alex

What a surprise Alex brought with this book, controlling the dead! Mr. Worth is feeling the fear of losing control. I can only assume Worth's next step will be interesting because if I am. Ot mistaking he us going after another favorite character in the Ripley universe and I foresee a very hard time in Mr. Worth's future.
Profile Image for Kat Hossler.
29 reviews
May 8, 2019
Yet another great installment in this series, Brutal Lessons continues with a rich man's experiment on fear of the supernatural. Subject B and his friends have another ghost to deal with, along with a couple of new subjects that bring their own agendas to the village. Fast paced and exciting, I couldn't put it down!
64 reviews3 followers
May 11, 2019
Another winner!

I began reading this author books some time ago, and as the read books like up, I now have a new favorite author. This series just keeps you wanting more. I have grown to despise Worth and David too! What are his plans for Alex? Mr. Ripley builds wonderful characters to like, or hate and the ghosts are terrifying. I am enthralled.
Profile Image for Sharon.
4,152 reviews31 followers
May 12, 2019
This is another brilliant book by this author! Marcus and co. continue to work their way through the haunted village being subjected to some of the nastiest ghosts every conjured up. A must read for horror fans.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Patricia Harris.
596 reviews6 followers
October 21, 2019
Awesome book! New subjects, new ghosts and new terror. This series gets better with each book. Abel is definitely coming undone, and I can’t wait to see how they finish him off, least I hope that is how all this ends. I sincerely dislike that mine. I am lovin how Alex is becoming such a powerful character! On to the next!
Profile Image for Audrey Brown.
8 reviews
November 12, 2019
Intriguing

I usually get bored with books in a series. This one endears you to the characters with deep complexity. It seems the main villain has his own childhood issues that almost makes you feel sorry for him. You compare the to the subjects that are intertwined in the experiment of this villain you see how their choices made them who they are now.
4 reviews1 follower
December 11, 2019
Brutal lessons...Review

Brutal Lessons is classic Ripley, and once again I am left wanting more. This is a comment for Amazon and Kindle. How do I purchase the final chapters of this story? Leaving the reader hovering between an astonishing beginning and a non-existent finale is patently cruel!
26 reviews
December 21, 2019
Worthe sacrifices his own
After Worthe sacrifices one of his own soldiers by sending him to the village, the man joins Marcus and his team. Their new challenge is a corrupted headmaster who enjoys beating people to death with his cane. While attempting to stay alive, one of Marcus' team develops new and unusual skills; skills that might help keep them all alive.
131 reviews2 followers
March 12, 2020
Heart pounding

This is a story that will have you cheering and saying that timmy. I'm hoping this will be a good start for Marcus and Timmy didn't see that one coming. And I love the new thing Alex is able to do can't wait to see how that turns out. Check out the book it's a great read loved it so much
Profile Image for AC.
6 reviews
December 7, 2021
Professor Worthe continues to lose control of the village resulting in an unlikely escape, and a hidden power being revealed. Immediately downloading the next book. I believe we know which house is set for acquisition next! (this is part of a series you won't be able to put down, be sure to start at book one).
Profile Image for Rebecca Hill.
Author 1 book66 followers
January 9, 2023
The saga of the haunted village continues, with a surprising new inhabitant - and the discovery of some powers that one holds. As the "experiment" continues, the dynamics are about to shift, and Mr. Worthe might find that his theory was all wrong from the beginning...

Great read! I absolutely LOVED this book! Now onto the next...
Profile Image for Tammy N Bauer.
91 reviews2 followers
May 7, 2019
I'm obsessed with this series!

Ron Ripley has a way of making the most despicable characters somewhat likable, I don't know how he does it. Timmy? My only complaint is that I have to wait for him to write the next book!
Profile Image for Mrs L E Sanderson.
34 reviews
August 4, 2019
Strangely compelling

A series of books which I binge read, being compelled to read on due to the beautifully crafted characters and events. A unique take on the idea of the supernatural and incredibly readable.
Profile Image for Audrey.
439 reviews6 followers
September 28, 2021
I cannot get over how good these books are. Fast paced and completely enthralling.

In this one, Professor Worthe acquires a haunted schoolhouse. We find out that Timmy is Marcus's son. And we find that Alex has some control over the dead.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Tiggyleee.
219 reviews
April 26, 2019
Well, Well done! Just when you think Abel is over terrorising the Village he steps to the plate again!
163 reviews1 follower
April 27, 2019
OH MY GOD

I can’t wait to read the next book because one hell of a fight is on the way. I’m so excited
23 reviews1 follower
April 27, 2019
Can’t wait for the next book

If you have been reading the series, you can guess where this is going. Can’t wait to see some of our old friends in the next installment.
6 reviews1 follower
April 30, 2019
Must Reads

Can't get enough of the Worthes Village series. Finally something good to read. They are definitely page turners. Can't wait for the next chapter in this series.
19 reviews
May 2, 2019
Thrilling & chilling

This book series, along with the Berkley street series, are phenomenal books. Thank you Mr. Ripley for your literary genius.
Profile Image for Alan Butts.
13 reviews
May 2, 2019
Love!

I love reading the series! Great stories, but I have a problem finding the next book in the series, not sure how to get there.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews

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