FICTION

THE INDIA FAN by Victoria Holt (Fawcett Crest: $4.95). An indigent girl is befriended by a wealthy family who bequeaths her an heirloom that bears a curse.

THE SILVER GHOST by Charlotte MacLeod (Mysterious: $4.50). The party is over when Sarah and Max consent to investigate the disappearance of a friend’s Rolls-Royce and the murder of their gatekeeper.

THE RUB OF THE GREEN by William Hallberg (Bantam: $8.95). Golf has gotten Ted Kendall out of and into some very unlikely situations.

CHECKER AND THE DERAILLEURS by Lionel Shriver (Penguin: $7.95). Queens is the setting for this story about a local drummer whose life is derailed by a competitor.

MERMAID’S SONG by Alida Van Gores (Signet: $4.50). During the Choosing, a naiad is selected for a ritual that will determine whether the Balance will continue in the nautical kingdom.

NONFICTION

THE BREAKTHROUGH: The Race for the Superconductor by Robert M. Hazen (Ballantine: $4.95). Yttrium, barium, and copper oxides were the correct components a research physicist stumbled upon in the down-to-the-wire discovery of a potentially revolutionary technology.

THE BOZ: Confessions of a Modern Anti-Hero by Brian Bosworth with Rick Reilly (Charter: $4.95). One of the highest paid and most outrageous rookies in professional football expounds on how he thinks the game should be played.

WHEN MOTHERS AND FATHERS WORK: Creative Ways to Succeed With Both Family and Career by Renee Y. Magid with Nancy Fleming (Avon: $3.95). The authors suggest parents should absolve themselves of the guilt and conflict of working and rearing a family by gaining a new perspective on the dilemma.

A DEADLY SILENCE: The Ordeal of Cheryl Pierson: A Case of Incest and Murder by Dena Kleiman (Signet: $4.95). Suburban teen-ager hires a friend for $400 to kill her father, who has abused her since childhood.

SELF-HELP / REFERENCE

THE NEW READ-ALOUD HANDBOOK by Jim Trelease (Penguin: $9.95). Trelease explains how 15 minutes a day can be the most important time in your child’s life (revised).

HOW TO WRITE A WINNING PERSONAL STATEMENT FOR GRADUATE AND PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL by Richard J. Stelzer (Peterson’s Guides: $9.95). Putting that intangible “you” into a cogent, salable package.

CHOOSING A COLLEGE: A Guide for Parents and Students by Thomas Sowell (Perennial: $7.95). Sowell counsels on how to decipher the brochures, admission, financial aid offers and other pertinent data when selecting a school.