I used this book, coupled with some dry, boring, pretentious linguistics book, in my Anthropology class "Language and Culture." Goshgarian did a wonderful job putting it together. It would be a great tool for any student of sociolinguistics. Some of the books for sociolinguistics have forgotten who they're writing to; they try so hard to sound intelligent and end up making themselves look foolish when nobody understands. This book however, completely avoids that. Goshgarian should be applauded for this work. I can't wait for the next edition to come out!

this book is highly recommended by cityu of hk students, as it can inspire your interest in writing, surely you can gain a lot and improve your writing skills after reading this book.

A very disturbing, fast-paced thriller. The evil character Jerry Mars was quite twisted, and so fearless that he would introduce himself, not even making up an alias but using his real name, to his victims before killing them... The Boston background was pretty convincing. Either Gary Goshgarian lives here in Boston, or at least he did his homework. I wondered if this book was in any way inspired by the true story behind "A Civil Action", because they both take place in precisely the same region, with the same theme, etc. Being half of Italian descent myself, I was slightly taken aback at the portrayal of the Italian-American "goombahs" who gathered every weekend to sick their dogs on each other in an arena. Maybe that is an authentic subculture of the Italian-American experience, but I've lived around Boston for most of my life and I've never run into it.

But that is a pretty minor point. Primarily this book deals intelligently with some of the issues raised by biological warfare, and really makes you feel the pain and confusion of some of the characters. It is remarkable well-written, considering the genre. Gary Goshgarian must have some kind of serious background in professional writing, it doesn't seem as though this level of skill is likely to be a one-shot deal. Great stuff.

Gary Goshgarian should be right up there with Stephen King!
I could NOT put this book down. It was exciting/disturbing, yet intelligent. Lots of twists.

One major element in Goshgarian's writing that surfaces time and again is his amazing capacity to create real charcters that real people can identify with. Instead of letting action determine characters, in Rough Beast and others by Goshgarian, he creates tense situations one can't wait to see the characters react to. Another thing: few male authors write convincingly from the female point of view, but Rough Beast's main female character exemplifies the female perspective when confronted with the calamity circumstance brings upon her family. His scientific explanations also further the book's frightening edge by avoiding a plummet into psuedo-science. Goshgarian's eventual scientific explanations suggest real possibilities for a very real dilemma. Rough beast IS a cautionary tale. And this book keeps you guessing -- none of the predictablity typical of suspense thrillers. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, as I did Goshgarian's latest, and recommend it to anyone interested in a page turner. I read it in two days!

After reading "Elixar" by Gary Braver, I searched for more from this compelling author and found "A Stone Circle" written earlier under another name Gary Goshgarian. For those of you who find interest in the dark side of man I suggest taking the time to revel in the story telling of Gary's unique style.
Mysterious and revealing into the hidden darkness of the human soul told in a fictional setting off the Boston coast line. Gary again held me spellbound until the very end of "A Stone Circle". I would recommend this author and await his new book soon to be published in 2001 with eagerness.

In STONE CIRCLE Gary Goshgarian literally digs up the past and gave me a thriller ride of my life. He kept me riveted as he jumped back and forth between the present and past. If you want a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat and also make you think, read this one.

ROBERT B. PARKER writes: Gary Goshgarian's thriller THE STONE CIRCLE is a masterpiece: a compelling story line of discovery and obsession, finely etched characters, a brooding menace from page one, strong stylish prose , a great sense of atmosphere, a rich splash of history, page-turing momentum, lots of terror, and an explosive climax. There's also an ingenious archaelogical hook -- a small dig in Boston Harbor that links ancient Celts to the Salem Witch trials of 1692 to a billion dollar casino resort. This is storytelling at its best. If you like Stephen King and Dean Koontz, then you'll love THE STONE CIRCLE