Second

My recent leisure reading is Nazotoki wa Dinner no Ato de 2 (推理要在晚餐後2) by Higashigawa Tokuya (東川篤哉).

Yes, this is the second of the series by Tokuya, and I must say I am not particularly impressed with the first. (See http://ccszeto.blogspot.hk/2012/12/blog-post_15.html) Just that it is the turn of a detective fiction and I randomly pick this one from my shelf.

And I am happily surprised. Contrary to the usual happening that sequels suck, this second collection of short stories Reiko Hosho (寶生麗子) is amazingly better than the previous one. The plots are more solid, and deductions more cohesive (if I may use the adjective that way). I am particularly impressed by how Kageyama (影山) deduced, in Don't Forget the Hat During Murder (殺人時請勿忘了帽子), why all hats of the victim disappeared. The way that Kageyama presented his logic reminds me of Ellery Queen. (By coincidence, the first fiction that brought Ellery Queen under the limelight was The Roman Hat Mystery.)

But, the lesson is profound. There are so many people who could make an impressive beginning but their success could not sustain. To make some real achievement, it is more important to endure difficulties and continue to improve.

As the old Chinese sayings: 靡不有初，鮮克有終。

Or, in English sayings: No one can go back and make a brand new start, but anyone can start from here and make a brand new end.