Book 1

They made us the villains...

Mary Elizabeth Heart is a high school senior by day, but by night she’s an intern at the Monarch City police department. She watches with envy from behind a desk as detectives come and go, trying to contain the city’s growing crime rate. For years, tension has simmered between the city’s wealthy elite and the residents of the decaying neighborhood called the Scar―once upon a time the epicenter of all things magic.

When the daughter of one of the city’s most powerful businessmen goes missing, Mary Elizabeth is thrilled that the police chief actually puts her on the case. But she soon discovers that one missing person is only the beginning of a larger, more sinister mystery. As the truth circles closer to home, Mary finds herself caught in the fight between those who once had magic, and those who will do anything to bring it back―even if it means creating a few monsters.

Disney's Villains meet a dark world in this glitter fairy tale-inspired crime series that reimagines the origins of Maleficent, Ursula, Captain Hook, and other infamous Disney Villains like you've never seen before.


Book 2

In this sequel to City of Villains by critically acclaimed author, Estelle Laure, teen detective Mary Elizabeth continues to unravel a dark conspiracy that has turned her best friend and boyfriend into villainous monsters―all while battling her own inner demons.

Picking up where City of Villains left off, this sequel finds Mary Elizabeth reeling from the battle at Miracle Lake in which she watched, horrified, as her boyfriend James and best friend Ursula turned into full-fledged, villainous monsters. Now James, Ursula, and Maleficent have gone underground―and are plotting their revenge. Mary Elizabeth is determined to find them and bring the truth to light, digging deeper into the dark underbelly of Monarch City and the history of magic, and uncovering a conspiracy theory that reaches farther than she could have imagined. But a city divided by politics and ideologies, a new love interest, and her own inner demons might just stand in her way.

What are the Villains planning in secret? And is she the next villain to rise?

This gritty fairy-tale inspired crime series is perfect for readers of Serena Valentino’s Villains series, and TV shows like Riverdale and Veronica Mars.


Book 3

City of Magic and Monsters

by Estelle Laure

Published 25 February 2025
In this conclusion to the City of Villains trilogy—blending flavors of Once Upon a Time, Gotham, and Serena Valentino's Villains series—teen detective Mary Elizabeth embraces her villainous side . . . and the Disney Villains’ surprising origin stories are revealed.

The Villains have taken over Monarch City, and Mary Elizabeth Heart has finally joined them. When different factions begin vying for the control of magic, Mary must question where her loyalties lie—and what everyone’s motives really are.

As the Villains band together to wage one last epic battle against the corrupt forces who made them villains in the first place, the very fabric of the world starts to unravel. It soon becomes clear that Mary can’t hide from her demons, and that her real destiny as a fairy tale villain is only just beginning.