Crimes of Passion Theory Page

Welcome to the Crimes of Passion Theory Page. This is a place where you can discuss confirmed, debunked, and unconfirmed theories from the Crimes of Passion series.

Current & Unconfirmed Theories

 * Alana will make a cameo: Because the book's plot is heavily centered around crime and law enforcement, many players have speculated that Alana might appear some time in the series.
 * Series Fate: There are varying theories regarding the series' future.
 * Third Book: Since it is confirmed that Juliana's murder will be investigated in Book 2, players believe that there will be a third book focusing on solving the murder of our father, Jimmy Rose.
 * Series will end at Book 2: Since sequels due to be released from 2024 onwards will go through a VIP phase, some players believe Book 2 will be the last book, so as to avoid having a VIP sequel after one without a VIP phase, thus leaving our father's murder unsolved, similar to Perdita's disappearance in Murder at Homecoming. This might be strengthened with the mention of a "special ending" if we collect all the clues about Juliana's murder, in Book 2, Chapter 2.
 * Additional Murders: Since Nadja Zoric is Book 2's second death, potentially other murders might also be investigated. Other dead characters might include the following:
 * Trystan's Relative: Players believe that someone from Trystan's family will be murdered and that it would be tied to Juliana's murder.
 * Jimmy Rose: Another possibility might be that we may find Jimmy's killer some time in Book 2.
 * Wedding: Some players believe that Trystan and us might marry by the end of the series, and become the rulers of Drakovia. This is strengthened with Book 2's cover which features Trystan putting a crown on our head, and by pretending to be engaged during an undercover mission in Book 2 Chapter 1. This gains even more traction in Chapter 4 when Queen Viktoria reveals Trystan has been reinstated as royal heir, and in Chapter 7 when it is revealed that King Maksim must abdicate the throne when he turns 65, which is soon.
 * Killer in Book 2: Given that we already know from the blog post that the killer is one of Trystan's many siblings, this leaves several possibly theories:
 * Astrid: Some feel that her valley girl persona is an act and she could be sinister. There's also the fact that the blog post has stated she has a trail of dead lovers, possibly implying that she could be a serial killer.
 * Vasili: Some feel his calm demeanor as a contrast to Sebastyan's temper is meant to throw suspicion away from him.
 * Sebastyan is a red herring: There are some who feel that Sebastyan's aggression towards Trystan and the MC will be used to portray him in a negative light and have fans think he could be the killer, only for it to be revealed he's innocent despite his temperament.

Confirmed Theories

 * NC-17: Due to the recent surge in mature-tagged stories, it is believed this story will be mature as well. This is confirmed when the book cover is revealed.
 * Single Love Interest: There's a theory that this story will have only one love interest, that is our partner. PB confirmed the theory on December 20, 2021 via a response on Instagram.
 * Murder: According to the blog post about this book, we will be dealing with a missing persons case that turns out to be something deadlier. This leads players to believe that we will actually be dealing with a murder case, similar to previous mystery stories such as Veil of Secrets and The Unexpected Heiress. This is confirmed in Book 1, Chapter 1, when the victim is found hanged.
 * Reason for Mature tag: Tying with the murder theory, players believe the book is tagged mature for containing violence, similar to Wake the Dead. This is also confirmed in Chapter 1.
 * Suspects: Suspects for Sonja's murder include Luke, the Curator, the two officers, or Rahim. After Book 1, Chapter 5, Nick Bastion has been added to the suspect list given that he was the only suspect who wasn't shown during our chase/fight with the killer, and he ran back into the burning mansion. In Chapter 10, this theory gains more validity when Nick is revealed to be a cultist. Some also suspect Tony Kowalski due to him having a unique character sprite instead of a recycled one, hinting he's more important to the story, and feel he could've been faking his fear towards the Hand of Mahra. In Chapter 14, Tony is proven to be the Killer.
 * Eleanor's ties to the Hand of Mahra: Some believe that Eleanor could be the sister, daughter, or wife of one of the original Hand of Mahra cultists that died in 1956. Some take it a step further and believe that she may be the daughter of the cult's founder, Mathus Blake. This was proven in Book 1, Chapter 16 to be correct, where Eleanor is indeed the daughter of Blake, who only survived the fire because her mother locked her in the nuclear fallout shelter.
 * Romance between Luke & Ruby and/or they becoming official before series end: Various scenes seem to imply that they like each other; and some choice options might encourage either to pursue the other. This is confirmed in Book 1, Chapter 17, where you can set them up in a premium scene.
 * Drakovia: Due to the frequent mentions of Trystan's birthplace and the way in which it is the setting for his/her fiancée's disappearance, it is believed that we will travel there before the end of the book, or that we'll get to see the country in a potential sequel. This is strengthened in Chapter 13 when Marguerite reveals that Trystan has been recalled home and further strengthened when it is revealed there will be a sequel. This gains even more traction in the bonus scene, which is about a mysterious figure being ordered by someone on the phone to cover up the truth about Juliana's death, implying that we may go there some time in the series. This is confirmed through the June 2023 Insiders.
 * Sequel's plot: Potential plots for any sequel:
 * Juliana's death: A sequel may include investigating the death of Trystan's fiancée Juliana in Drakovia. Even though investigating in Drakovia is weakened with Trystan's decision to stay at NY, investigating her death is strengthened with the bonus scene at the end of Book 1. This is confirmed through the June 2023 Insiders, which mention that we will focus on solving Juliana's murder.
 * Second Murder: Based on the emojis that were teased in the June 2023 Insiders, it seems likely that Book 2 would have a second murder to solve. The other dead character might be one of the following:
 * Nadja Zoric: There is a theory that Nadja will be murdered. As she is conducting the case against Trystan, Juliana's killer or someone who will have benefits if Trystan is proven guilty might kill Nadja and blame it on Trystan. This is confirmed in Chapter 4 when the end of that chapter reveals that someone slit her throat.

Debunked Theories

 * Dual Lead: Because the story's description teased "an unlikely pair of crime solvers" and "a slow burn that you get when two partners bicker over a crime scene", it's possible that this is a dual lead story (like Most Wanted), and that both partners will be playable, while also being love interests to each other (similar to Surrender). This has been debunked as we only play as the MC throughout the book.
 * Marguerite: Some players are wary of her and expect that she turns out to betray us, similar to Renza Fierro. Some even suspect that she may be a cult member and that her kidnapping may have been staged. This is proven false in Book 1, Chapter 16, when we rescue her from the blaze and she helps us take down Eleanor.
 * Captain Thompson: According to Mafalda, Thompson is hiding something, which she only does when someone very powerful she's trying to protect is involved. This leads players to believe she is part of the cult the killer is in, similar to Abraham Kelley from It Lives Beneath. This is disproven as she helps us take down the killer.
 * Standalone: In line with previous mystery stories being standalones, many players expect this to be the same, especially since this is now a VIP book, and previous VIP books have all been standalones. This theory has since been weakened as Surrender is revealed to be a series, meaning VIP books can be serialized as well. This is debunked on May 13, 2022 as PB indicated the series will receive a sequel.
 * Nick Bastion: It is believed that Nick Bastion will return and serve as an ally that will help us solve Sonja's murder. Some players have compared him to Richard Castle from the TV show Castle, which revolves around a mystery writer who helps the police solve murders. This is weakened in Book 1, Chapter 10 when he is revealed to be a cultist. Book 1, Chapter 14 debunks this since Nick's info early in that chapter is not mentioned when the warrant is gotten nor when the arrest was in progress.
 * The cult: It is believed the cult which the killer is part of includes some of the most powerful figures in NYC, or even the state, such as Mayor Brigham and the governor. This is debunked as none of them are part of it.