Editor’s note: The opinions of the smart, well-read women in my Denver book club speak volumes and often determine what the rest of us choose to pile on our bedside tables. So we asked them, and all Denver Post readers, to share their mini reviews with you. Anyone have an offer? Email [email protected].

“Big Time” by Ben H. Winters (Mulholland Books, 2024)

Part mystery, part science fiction, this novel is based on the troubling premise that time is more than a concept. It is a “resistant element” that can be isolated from within the human body and removed from the body. And once captured, it can be injected into another body. But of course, things are not as simple as they are drawn on paper. It turns out that to extend a person’s life, you cannot just “add” time. The injected durable element forms folds today. Mistake! Can our hero stop a megalomaniac from stealing time from unsuspecting customers? How many innocent bodies will fall by then? You’ll have to read this page turner to find out. –– 3 stars (out of 4); Kathleen LanceDenver

“How Does the Light Get In” by Joyce Maynard. (William Morrow, 2024)

Who can predict the countless ways an unexpected tragedy can destroy a family from the inside? We first meet Eleanor and Cam in Joyce Maynard’s 2021 novel, “Count the Ways,” as they form a loving relationship and begin raising a young family on a farm in New Hampshire. But a momentary mistake in parents’ judgment leaves a child changed forever. Forgiveness comes too late for Eleanor, and predictably, infidelity and divorce follow. “How the Light Gets In” is set in 2009 and follows Eleanor as she finds some forgiveness and deals with her ex-husband in the final months of her life. Maynard expertly weaves her vibrant characters as they navigate not only their personal struggles but also the political and social events that have defined our country over the past several decades, including climate change, Covid-19, school shootings, and the events of January 6. 2021. Eleanor struggles to choose grace and unconditional love for herself and her three children, each of whom turns out to be quite different from what she imagined. – 3½ stars (out of 4); Karen Goldie Hartman, Westminster

“West Wind” by Samantha Harvey (Jonathan Cape, 2018)

This is a mystery written backwards, starting with Day Four and progressing to Day One. You might think this means we know what happened, but we actually don’t. The reverse chronology requires the reader to note the smallest details to see how they fit into the whole, and this intrigued me. Harvey convincingly takes us back to a poor 15th-century English hamlet in turbulent times. The characters are portrayed with the depth we need, and it’s a pleasure to experience their personalities emerge day by day. While we may not have all the answers, I recommend it for literary writing and an intriguing mystery. (Note: Harvey’s latest film, “Orbital,” was shortlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize.) — 3 stars (out of 4); Neva Gronert, Parker

“Rough Trade” by Katrina Carrasco (MCD, 2024)

Set in Washington state in the late 1800s, Carrasco’s second novel reframes the familiar, tumultuous story of rough frontiersmen, longshoremen, and opium smugglers in the context of the gay community, a cast of rarely mentioned historical characters. In Carrasco’s account, these typically marginalized people are reluctantly accepted or merely tolerated for their invaluable legal or illegal contributions, but are also pushed to the margins of society. Just as true identities and dark pasts are hidden, true alliances and dark activities are also overshadowed. Who can you trust? Who will betray you? A refreshing, engaging read presented with a different twist. — 3 stars (out of 4); Kathleen LanceDenver

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