A Series of Unfortunate Events: These Are the Books Covered in Netflix's TV Show

After their family mansion burns down and their parents are presumed dead, the Baudelaire siblings are sent to live with Count Olaf, a distant (and disgusting) relative who resides in a large, dilapidated home and only cares about stealing their inheritance. In addition to slapping them around, he forces them to cook and clean, all the while ironing out a plot to trick Violet into marrying him (since the fortune is bequeathed to her when she turns 18). He devises a plan in which she'll "play" a bride character in his upcoming production, and he'll "play" the groom, when in actuality the vows they speak on stage will be legally binding. With the help of some quick thinking on the part of Justice Strauss (Joan Cusack), they're able to wriggle out of his grip.