Getting older comes with its own challenges and rewards, especially as a reader. I have always been a big reader. It was never a problem for me to read a book a week, pretty much my whole life, but especially since I began working at Mifflin County Library. And for the most part, I remembered which books I read and usually, especially if I loved the book, I could give a brief synopsis or book talk to recommend the books to library patrons.

Recently, I’ve noticed a change. Honestly, I am not one of these people who regret getting older. In fact, I loved turning 50 (several years ago). I rock my grey hair, which is more of a silver streak. I’ve earned all my wrinkles which I received mostly from laughing too much. And I’m in pretty good health.

There was just one thing I wasn’t expecting. I can remember that I read a certain book, I just can no longer remember what happened. Recently, I was looking for an audiobook in the Libby app. I was looking through the browsing settings: I chose mystery, then I chose cozy, and now there is a new feature that lets you choose reading time length. I picked less than nine hours because I wanted an easy audiobook that was like Agatha Christie.

“The Sentence is Death” by Anthony Horowitz popped up. This is the second book in the Hawthorne and Horowitz series. Anthony Horowitz is a prolific British writer. He began his career writing TV screenplays for shows like “Poirot and Foyle’s War,” among other British TV shows. Then he wrote books for kids like the Alex Rider series. He has written a few Sherlock Holmes books that have the approval of the Conan Doyle estate. He is well-known for “Magpie Murders,” the novel and the mini-series that he wrote for PBS. I’m a huge fan.

And I knew I read “The Sentence is Death” but in reading the book blurb, not one thing rang a bell. In this book, a lawyer is found murdered and the number 182 is painted on the wall. But no one can figure out whodunnit. In the book series, the fictional Hawthorne and his friend, the writer Anthony Horowitz solve crimes together. Hawthorne is a Holmes-like detective and Horowitz is more like Watson and usually overlooks the clues. It’s a great premise for a book. Horowitz talks about filming “Foyle’s War” and the troubles they are having on the set. He talks about his life and writing and as I recall, I found them very entertaining. And I knew I read this book. So I checked it out and started reading or listening because it is an audiobook but MCL owns the physical book because I know I checked out the physical book.

But while I was reading, nothing was familiar. I thought for sure I would recall the murderer. I never did and was shocked by the ending. I learned one thing: I just discovered the joy of rereading a favorite mystery as an older person. It was like reading it again for the first time.

I’m currently rereading the first book in the series, “The Word is Murder,” and I’m enjoying the subtle clues that Horowitz sprinkles throughout, even though I still can’t remember the ending. I’m fairly certain I read the third book but I didn’t know there was a fourth with the fifth book due to be published in April. Now I have lots to read.

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Susan Miriello is the Executive Director of the Mifflin County Library. You can call the library at (717) 242-2391. Kish Library’s phone number is (717) 935-2880. Visit the library website at www.mifflincountylibrary.org.