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 scenes, many players have speculated that Alana will appear in this book.
 * 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 Chapter 10 when he is revealed to be a cultist.
 * 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.
 * Sequel's plot: Given that the main focus of this book revolves around a cult and a serial killer, it is believed that there will be a second book that revolves around solving our father's murder, otherwise it will be about investigating the death of Trystan's fiancé in Drakovia. Other potential sequels could include any unsolved case/cases from when we were a cop and/or "Epoch's" favor for Luke to do.
 * Drakovia: Due to the frequent mentions of Trystan's birthplace and the way in which it is the setting for their fiancé's disappearance, it is believed we will travel there before the end of the book, resulting in Trystan facing some home truths, otherwise we 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.
 * 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.

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 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 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 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.

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 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.