FICTION

THE EDGE by Dick Francis (Fawcett Crest: $5.95). Thoroughbred mystery takes place aboard the Great Transcontinental Mystery train ride--and it’s a horse race at the finish.

PANTHER IN THE SKY by James Alexander Thom (Ballentine: $5.95). Panoramic saga based on the life of Tecumseh, a Shawnee Indian who chooses diplomatic means to fight the colonial settlers.

WHEN ANGELS FALL by Meagan McKinney (Dell: $3.95). A former stableboy and his mistress find life’s vicissitudes have caused them to exchange stations; now he seeks to change her heart in his favor.

THE WHITENESS OF BONES by Susanna Moore (Penguin: $7.95). Young woman leaves her island paradise for New York in the ‘80s and what follows is a conflict between her past and emerging sensibilities.

THE HEART OF THE COUNTRY by Fay Weldon (King Penguin: $7.95). Natalie Harris winds up on the streets of London after her husband’s defection; her experiences empower her to begin anew.

NONFICTION

THE STRUGGLE IS MY LIFE by Nelson Mandela (Pathfinder: $10.95). Writings and speeches since his imprisonment for opposition to South Africa’s apartheid system; the only such book currently available in the United States.

THE COURAGE OF THEIR CONVICTIONS by Peter Irons (Penguin: $8.95). Stories of average Americans, from all walks of life, who have taken a religious, racial, privacy or protest issue to the Supreme Court.

WARLORDS OF CRIME: Chinese Secret Societies: The New Mafia by Gerald L. Posner (Penguin: $8.95). Investigative reporter contends that the next big wave of drug dealing will strike from the East.

SKOOKUM: An Oregon Pioneer Family’s History and Lore by Shannon Mueller Applegate (Quill: $12.95). Chronicle of the Applegate family’s travels and settlement in the West from 1875-1960.

VIRGINIA WOOLF: The Impact of Childhood Sexual Abuse on Her Life and Work by Louise DeSalvo (Ballantine: $10.95). Author is convinced Woolf’s suicide is directly linked to her trauma, and that it was not an aberration of her Victorian childhood.

SELF-HELP / REFERENCE

WHO PUT THE BUTTER IN BUTTERFLY? by David Feldman (Perennial: $7.95). Author of “Imponderables” turns his attention to explaining catch phrases and cliches.

THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE by David Crystal (Penguin: $8.95). Discussion of the fundamental differences in the English language as spoken throughout the world.