City of Villains Book 1

the long version

The story takes place in the modern-day Monarch City, which once was full of magic and wonder until it abruptly disappeared, traumatizing the populace and causing deep ruptures in the community. There are especially people who believe that magic is still there, and that they just need to find a way to tap back into it. Mary Elizabeth Heart, a Legacy teenager (i.e. born of a magical lineage) who has tremendous skills with pinball croquet and ambitions to become a cop so she can protect her fellow Legacy folk from those who never had magic and cannot understand its loss. Although Mary Elizabeth is merely an intern, she's given a partner (the tightly-wound and booksmart Bella) and her first case, to find missing Legacy teenager Mally Saint, a descendant of fairy queens. As Mary Elizabeth digs in, she finds that there's greater forces at work than a straightforward kidnapping, and that the case itself strikes close to home, involving her best friend Ursula and boyfriend James "Captain" Bartholomew.