In the book, The Reptile Roomby Lemony Snicket, Violet Klaus and Sunny go to live with another relative named Uncle Monty who treats them kindly. 

Uncle Monty researches snakes in his "reptile room" and is planning on taking the Baudelaire Orphans on a trip to Peru to find more reptiles.  When Uncle Monty's assistant leaves a note that says he quit, Uncle Monty hires a new assistant like any normal person would do. 

But the first moment the children lay eyes on him, they knew he was not the new assistant.  He was Count Olaf.  Count Olaf  is a mean man that wants to steal money.  He is the first relative the orphans got sent to live with, and ever since then, Count Olaf has done all he ever could to track down the Baudelaires and get their fortune.  To find out if Count Olaf will find a way to get his hands on the Baudelaire fortune, read this book.