Description:

Born in China, Nicki was abandoned to an orphanage before being adopted by a wealthy North American family. Now 16, Nicki divides her time between Hawaii and Ontario and is all set to train with a king fu grand master. When she reports to his studio, she finds him stabbed and near death. As he lapses into a coma, he begs her to find a priceless Ming dynasty vase that she discovers has once belonged to Pu Yi, the Boy Emperor. Part detective story, part spy thriller, the novel takes place over seven days of danger and deception as Nicki relies on her wits and her martial arts training to uncover the criminal mastermind behind the plot to steal the vase. Along the way, she begins to wonder about the mystery of her own past and the family she left behind in China. ** ### Review The Scratch on the Ming Vase is a real page-turner...it's all good fun and readers will love it. Enjoy! I think that The Scratch on the Ming Vase is a promising start for a good series The Scratch on the Ming Vase is especially great for the younger YA crowd. This one is all about the action and mystery surrounding the missing Ming vase. I really liked the story. Nicki was such a fun character to be around...She was smart, whimsical, and kick-butt. *The Scratch On The Ming Vase: A Nicki Haddon Mystery* by Caroline Stellings is a good mystery-adventure story. Nicki Haddon, the adopted child of wealthy North Americans and former kung fu champion, sets off to train at the Fire Dragon Academy. When Nicki arrives at the studio, she finds her kung fu master stabbed and bleeding. Before the police arrive, David Kahana, her stabbed kung fu master, asks her to find a Ming vase in his hotel room. Nicki realizes that the Ming vase she has been asked to find has been replaced and from there onwards, Nicki intends to solve this mystery. For someone who has read many mystery stories, I found this book one of the best mystery stories I've ever read. The way Nicki Haddon is characterized in this book makes the story fun; she sleuths around and uses her kung fu skills quite a lot. I find Nicki Haddon very similar to Nancy Drew because both characters go on adventures to solve mysteries. I strongly recommend this book to teens. Not only is this story amusing it is also action-filled. Yet this story also has a serious, mature side such as mentions of murder and suicide attempts. It has all the makings of a great thriller. For someone who has read many mystery stories, I found this book one of the best mystery stories I've ever read. ### Book Description Nicki is fresh and smart, successfully operating between the rich and famous lifestyle of her parents and her own emerging sense of self.