Visual Novel / Crimes of Passion

Detective Cameron Rose and Prince Trystan Thorne

Crimes Of Passion is one of the many stories under Pixelberry's Choices: Stories You Play collection.

A private detective and an exiled royal team up to solve a missing persons case that turns out to be much deadlier. A spiritual sequel to Most Wanted.

The book was released for VIP players on December 22, 2021, and for everybody on April 6, 2022. On May 13, 2022, it was confirmed that Crimes Of Passion would receive a sequel. The finale of Book 1 released on May 18, 2022 for VIP players and on July 20, 2022 for all players. Book 2 was released from June 28, 2023 to September 29, 2023. A third book was announced on September 25, 2023. According to the December 2023 Choices Insiders, it's currently planned for a 2024 release.

Not to be confused with the similarly-named trope.

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Tropes:

A-M

• Abdicate the Throne: By Drakovian law, King Maksim must hand over the throne to the heir on his 65th birthday. In Book 2 Chapter 16, Trystan's first and last act as King/Queen is to name Lydea the Queen of Drakovia.
• Aerith and Bob: Discussed in a premium scene in Chapter 8 when Trystan thought Luke's former hacker friends, Epoch and Sartre, were their actual names. They bring up how Psalm West and X AE A-Xii Musk have changed their perspective on what can qualify as a name.
• Alas, Poor Villain: Downplayed in that Sebastyan isn't so much a villain as a hotheaded arrogant jerk and a Red Herring, but his death at the end of Book 2, Chapter 12 and everyone's reactions in the next chapter are very sorrowful, and the fact that several of the Thorne siblings barely react to it is a sign of how sociopathic they are.
• Alliterative Name: Trystan Thorne.
• Anger Born of Worry: In Chapter 13, Trystan is hospitalized after being stabbed by the Heartache Killer. Cameron (who's worried sick as it is) returns to the hospital the following day, only to find out that Trystan isn't there (and a doctor tells Cameron "he/she is gone"). Cameron is shocked...and then they get a text from Trystan, who had returned home like nothing happened. This is Cameron's reaction.
  Cameron: Why are you such an idiot?!
• Ax-Crazy: The masked Serial Killer, who cuts people's hearts out and sacrifices them to their "goddess".
• Bad People Abuse Animals: Niko "The Butcher" Borodin kicks his dog after she greets Trystan with a friendly pounce instead of attacking them.
• Bait-and-Switch:
  • Book 2 leads readers to believe that it will be the last, with the "special ending" mentioned in Chapter 2 being Trystan and Cameron marrying and ruling Drakovia together... until a 3rd book was announced.
  • The bonus scene of Book 1 features a mysterious figure discussing how to get rid of Trystan with somebody on the phone and telling them "I am your loyal servant...Your Majesty". Given that ( seemingly) the same hooded figure killed Juliana, and the second book puts much focus on the Act for Heir Equity (which allows all royal children to ascend the throne, even if they're illegitimate), the audience is led to believe that either the King or Queen are masterminding the killings to ensure that the right child gets the throne (especially since Book 1 also had a mastermind behind the killings). Book 2, Chapter 15 reveals that the hooded figure was Colette, and she was talking to Vasili, whom she considers "the true King"; King Maksim and Queen Viktoria had nothing to do with the killings whatsoever.
• Belligerent Sexual Tension: Cameron... takes a while to get used to Trystan.
• The Big Rotten Apple: New York is pretty much a Wretched Hive of scum and villainy: there is a serial killer on the loose, several crimes happen and the entire police force is corrupt.
• Big "NO!": Poor Eveline Goncharov's reaction upon finding out that Sebastyan Thorne was murdered in Book 2, Chapter 13.
• Black Widow:
  • Viola "Big V" Scarlotti, also known as "The Widow," owned half the city after her father "went missing."
  • According to the blog for Book 2, one of Trystan's sisters, Astrid, is a "serial monogamist who tends to leave a trail of dead lovers in her wake".
• Breaking Old Trends: On September 22, 2023, it was revealed that Chapters 15 and 16 would be airing on September 28 and September 29, respectively, as opposed to the original schedule of October 4 and October 11. Because of this, it's the first time in (canon^note the Fan Sequel It Lives Within had its last three chapters airing on three consecutive days in March 2023) Choices history when three chapters are airing on three consecutive days.
• Breather Episode: Relatively speaking. The first two chapters of Book 2 involve simply catching a jewel thief before Trystan is taken back to Drakovia by force and the main plot kicks off.
• Broken Pedestal: Ruby Webster is a fan of mystery author Nick Bastion, who turns out to be a member of the Hand of Mahra.
• Buddy Cop Show: The story has elements of this, as Trystan and Cameron are often paired together to look into Sonja's death. They also have contrasts, whereas Cameron is rough around the edges while Trystan is all about charm.
• Bulletproof Vest: Chapter 14 has a realistic tactical vest called Back in Black (Body Type 1)/Black in the Game (Body Type 2) that's a premium costume. A much more fantastic version in Chapter 15 which is kept in Trystan's closet called From Drakovia With Love. A male Cameron asks a female Trystan why she has a men's suit in her closet. She says it's for the occasion when one of her brothers comes over and attacks them. It gets put to good use during the battle against Tony.
• The Butcher: Chapter 7 introduces Niko "The Butcher" Borodin, a Loan Shark from whom Sofia Maldonado took out a loan to get her car fixed, and has pressed her son Matty into doing jobs for him. Uncle Tommy tells how he and Jimmy tried to bust him for years. Trystan thought it was a nickname until it turns out he's a literal butcher.
• But for Me, It Was Tuesday: Chapter 7 has Trystan run down everything that in order that happened when Cameron's not investigating a serial killer: investigating a break-in, getting locked in a freezer, fighting the Russian Mafia, and optionally, adopting a dog. Cameron considers it a pretty typical Tuesday.
• The Cameo:
  • Olivia Nevrakis makes an appearance in Book 1 Chapter 4 when Cameron goes undercover to infiltrate the ball. She appears again in Book 2 Chapter 7 at Trystan's recoronation.
  • In Book 2 Chapter 3, the Royal Drakovian Manor has a painting of Lord Pompadour.
• Cult: The killer is part of a Gallic cult that worships a triune goddess. Sonja's death was the first part of this.
• Character Customization: Both Cameron Rose (the main character, first name customisable) and Trystan (the love interest) are customizable, the latter can be either male or female.
• Content Warnings:
  • At the start of the book, a warning tells players it contains realistic and persistent violence, gore, and mature situations, and that player discretion is advised.
  • In Chapter 15, a warning pops up to tell you that the choices you make throughout the chapter will affect Marguerite's fate. This is proven true if you make the wrong choices, she gets a finger cut off.
• Contrived Coincidence: Played for laughs in Chapter 9. If you take the premium scene to have Trystan join Cameron in getting the Truth Serum, they admit they "accidentally" asked Ruby and Luke to pick up coffee at the office at the same time so they'd run into each other.
• Crossing The Burned Bridge: Chapter 8 has Luke contact his old hacker friends, Sartre and Epoch, for an FBI file on the case. Especially since he and Epoch were former lovers.
• Da Chief: Chapter 6 introduces Captain Maria Thompson, who was Cameron's former boss in the NYPD and one of the most powerful officers in the city.
• Decoy Protagonist:
  • Sonja Dormer in Book 1, Chapter 1 is the playable character of the prologue who gets killed off by a masked man.
  • Juliana Georgescu is briefly playable at the start of Book 2 before she is murdered by a hooded figure.
• Detectives Follow Footprints: It's the plot of the story, which shows a group of private investigators gathering evidence to find Sonja's killer.
• Dirty Cops: The NYPD is infested with these: It also extended even to Internal Affairs.
• Disc-One Final Boss: The Heartache Killer is confronted, caught, and arrested in Chapter 14. Except he is only a puppet to the Mastermind, who kidnaps Trystan's sister at the end of the chapter and holds her to ransom in exchange for the Heartache Killer.
• Drives Like Crazy: Ruby in a premium scene of Chapter 10, to the point that Ginovesi vows to suspend her licence when they get back.
• Drinking Game: Chapter 12 has a sorority girl teaching a pledge how to drink flaming shots, which she does. The sorority girl challenges Trystan to flaming shots, and Cameron can either blow out the other girl's drink or light Trystan's. If they light Trystan's drink, the flame is still intact after drinking the shot.
• Drowning My Sorrows: Chapter 2 has Trystan take a shot from a flask after finding Sonja's body. They offer a shot to Cameron, who denies it, saying they're technically still on the job.
• Empty Bedroom Grieving: In Book 2 Chapter 9, Juliana Georgescu's room is kept untouched since her death eight years ago. Cameron can remark that Juliana's mothers still haven't accepted her death after so long.
• Everyone Can See It: Throughout the book, Cameron, Trystan, and even Mafalda can tell Luke and Ruby are perfect for each other but just can't make the first move. Chapter 17 allows you to help them get over that hurdle into a relationship by making up a Drakovian card game called "The King Commands."
• Fantastic Drug: Novogliterol, aka Glitter, is the drug that was injected into Sonja's body before she was killed. It's an expensive European party drug that's hard to find in America. Trystan reveals it's made from a Drakovian flower called the lunar nightshade. A low dose makes the user feel good. Too high a dose knocks the user out until they sleep it off. If it's injected just above the heart, it can be used as a Truth Serum. Chapter 9 has Cameron and Trystan injected with the drug during their initiation into the Hand of Mahra, either separately or together.
• Fingore: In Chapter 15, the kidnapper will cut off one of Marguerite's fingers if you refuse to cooperate.
• Gratuitous Russian: In Chapter 7, if you buy the premium choice to rescue Alice the dog, she bites Vanya Solonik's hand and he curses "Syka."^note The correct English transliteration would be "Suka"; the Cyrillic "y" is read as "u".
• Greater-Scope Villain: Chapter 15 reveals the true mastermind behind the killings, Eleanor St-Claire.
• The Hecate Sisters: Chapter 6 reveals that the Cultist worships a three-headed goddess called Mahra. Its three heads are kind Maiden, just Huntress, and vicious Crone. What mask she wears depends on what is sacrificed to her. For the Cultist, he donates his victims' hearts.
• Heh Heh, You Said "X": A non-verbal variant occurs in Chapter 5, when Cameron and Trystan search a bookshelf for evidence:
  Cameron: I'll take the bottom, you take the top?
  (Trystan stares at Cameron with an amused smirk)
  Cameron: Oh, come on, that's just immature.
  Trystan: You said it, not me.
• Hooks and Crooks: In Chapter 16, a premium weapon to use against Tony is a billhook.
• Human Resources: In Chapter 16, Eleanor reveals that her jewelry is made of the hearts of her victims and at least a dozen individual diamonds.
• I Choose to Stay: In the finale of Book 1, Trystan is about to board a plane to go back to their home country, before changing their mind at the last minute to stay with Cameron.
• The Infiltration: In Chapter 9, Cameron and Trystan decide to infiltrate the cult to unmask the killer and take down the cult from the inside.
• In Memoriam:
  • In Universe. Book 1 Chapter 3 reveals The Drunk Tank has a memorial display to Jimmy Rose, Cameron's father and Uncle Tommy's brother.
  • Book 2 Chapter 13's title is named as such. A premium choice allows Trystan and Marguerite to hold a farewell ritual for Sebastyan.
• Interface Spoiler:
  • Book 1 displays the chapters that contain each of the 8 clues. Book 2 lacks this, however.
  • The description for Book 2, Chapter 13 (which was visible hours after Chapter 11 released) completely spoils the fact that Sebastyan is going to die by the end of Chapter 12. Similarly, the description for Chapter 14 spoils the twist in Chapter 13 that Trystan's parents had a daughter born out of wedlock, and that there is a "rogue heir".
  • The description for Book 2 Chapter 15 spoils that the killer is revealed at the end of Chapter 14. Thankfully, their name and gender are not revealed. Also, the description for Book 2, Chapter 15 asks if Cameron will die trying to bring the killer to justice, but the description for Book 2, Chapter 16 mentions Cameron returning home, so obviously, they won't die.
• Internal Reveal: In Chapter 11, after Cameron and Tristan are told by Mayor Brigham to stop working the case (especially since many of the cult's members are his donors), the first option is to have Tristan outright air the mayor's dirty laundry, especially when one of the murder victims was his mistress.
• Justice by Other Legal Means: Inverted. Trystan is put on trial for Juliana's death in Book 2, Chapter 3, then her death is ruled as an accident in the next chapter. Because someone tried to frame Trystan for Juliana's death and it backfired, one of Trystan's siblings murdered Nadja at the end of the chapter and is now trying to frame Trystan for murder again.
• The Mafiya: Pavel and Vanya Solonik are part of the Russian Mafia. The Soloniks specialize in synthetic identity theft, allowing them to take one person's name, another person's social security, and in Uncle Tommy's case, their business ownership.

N-Z

• Naked on Arrival: How Cameron and Trystan first meet: the latter was in the midst of a shower when the former arrived.
• Needle in a Stack of Needles: At the end of Chapter 9, Cameron and Trystan finally have the masked killer in their sights...until they see another person with the exact same mask, then another, and another. "This just got complicated..."
• Once Killed a Man with a Noodle Implement: In Book 2 Chapter 5, paying the premium choice to read Lydea's profile shows she's rumored to have killed someone with a single sheet of A4 printer paper.
• Pass the Popcorn: In Chapter 12, if you take the premium choice to help Soo-jin with her relation trouble, she confronts her cheating girlfriend. Trystan says they wish they had popcorn.
• Plot-Triggering Death: The murder of Sonja Dormer in Book 1, Chapter 1 was the cause of the relentless search for the person responsible for her death.
• The Reveal:
  • Book 1, Chapter 10 reveals Vosegus and Devona, the leaders of the Hand of Mahra, are Nick Bastion and Anika Deshpande.
  • In Book 1, Chapter 14, the Heartace Killer's identity is revealed to be Tony Kowalski.
  • In Book 1, Chapter 16, the Mastermind, Eleanor St-Claire, is revealed to be the daughter of Mathus Blake, the founder of the original cult.
  • In Book 2, Chapter 15, Colette, Lydea's Number Two in the Royal Guard and her girlfriend, is revealed to be Vasili's Dragon.
• Riddle for the Ages: Why is Trystan Thorne, the Crown Prince(ss) of Drakovia, exiled from their kingdom?
  • Chapter 2 allows their profile to be glimpsed and shows it involves an incident on a boat with a Countess whose name is redacted.
  • Chapter 4 reveals in a premium scene with Mags that the Countess's name was Juliana Georgescu and she was engaged to Trystan. The rumor is that the two of them went out on a yacht, and only Trystan came back.
  • Chapter 5 reveals Cordonia looked into the matter since they didn't believe Drakovia's official investigation. Trystan was left to take all the blame and was exiled. Olivia Nevrakis believes that it was a cover-up, on the grounds that the case looks exactly like how she would institute a cover-up.
  • Chapter 9 has Trystan reveal what happened while they're under novogliterol. Trystan says they killed Juliana, but doesn't get into the specifics of what happened.
  • Chapter 12 reveals what happened with Juliana. Trystan and Juliana were out in a storm. Juliana died from tripping on a loose topsail rope. She was dead before she hit the water. Trystan blames themselves for not tying the topsail rope responsible for killing their fiancee.
  • During a premium scene in Chapter 13, Marguerite believes Trystan was gaslighted into believing they didn't tie the topsail.
• Rule of Three: A recurring theme in Book 1 associated with the Hand of Mahra, a cult that worships a three-headed Celtic goddess representing her different aspects. Its symbol is a bundle of three arrows pointing upwards, and it has killed three people (Sonja Dormer, Bethany Delgado, and Winston Reese) over the course of the book.
• Save the Villain: In Chapter 16, after Tony's "ascension" fails and Eleanor is shot dead, he tries to kill himself by throwing himself into the flames of the burning hideout. Cameron saves him so he can face justice for his actions.
• Sequel Hook: Collecting all the premium clues for Book 1 shows an epilogue leading into Book 2. Cameron and Luke go over each piece of evidence recovered over the course of the story before Trystan comes in with a wooden case containing Eleanor's mask, which Trystan considers a memento for solving the case. Meanwhile, in the Drakovian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a hooded figure answers a phone call about Trystan not returning to Drakovia as ordered. The caller is worried about them looking into Countess Juliana's accident. The cloaked figure then drops this line.
  Mysterious Figure: Of course. I am your loyal servant... Your Majesty.
• Serious Business: Chapter 12 has two frat bros getting into a philosophical debate... over Pokémon.
• Screw the Rules, I Have Money!: Trystan's pretty good at flinging around a checkbook. Also overlaps with Screw the Rules, I Have Connections!.
• Shout-Out:
  • The exiled royal's name is Trystan Thorne.
  • In Chapter 1, when Mafalda asks Cameron to look for Sonja, they thought she would be too smart to fall for something like the ol' Cordonian Prince scam.
  • In Book 1 Chapter 1, if Trystan is female, Luke describes her as "half Angelina Jolie, half Black Widow, with a dash of Kamilah Sayeed." If male, the description is "half Bruce Wayne, half Loki, with a dash of Christian Grey".
  • In Book 1 Chapter 2, if you let Trystan handle talking to the cops, one of the people who can vouch for their identity is Senator Emerson.
  • In Book 1 Chapter 4, if you tell Eleanor St-Claire you met Trystan at a pro wrestling event, Cameron says they had ringside seats, close enough to see Seth Rollins throw Roman Reigns through the announcer's table.
  • In Book 1 Chapter 5, when Cameron tells Olivia that they're her contact, she tells them that they should have used Fydelia instead of Lythikos. The achievement for taking the premium scene with Olivia is called "Foreign Affairs."
  • In Book 1 Chapter 8, after Cameron and Trystan talk down Tony Kowalski, Cameron calls a female Trystan a wannabe Nancy Drew. A premium scene where Cameron has a training session with Trystan wonders if they secretly dress up as a bat, beating up a clown.
  • In Book 2 Chapter 5, the achievement for taking the premium option to go down the secret tunnel in Trystan's room is called "Knives Out".
• Social Media Before Reason: Patryk Thorne puts more thought into his social media brand than he does into his own family. It's discussed that if Patryk had killed Nadja, he would have livestreamed it, even though doing so would have gotten him caught. Also, when Cameron hacks his Pictagram in a premium scene and messes with his brand, causing his followers to leave in boatloads, they offer to give him his account back if he throws wine in his father's face at dinner, leading to this conversation:
  Patryk: Are you crazy?! My mom will kill me!
  Cameron: You've already lost nearly 2000 followers.
  Patryk: GODDAMMIT. (proceeds to throw wine in his dad's face)
• Sock Puppet: In Book 1 Chapter 11, taking the premium option to look at Nick Bastion's profile reveals he does this on his own fansite, bastionbabies.com, defending himself against negative comments.
• Spit Take: In Chapter 2, when Trystan offers to pay $100K per day to solve Sonja's murder, Mafalda nearly spits her coffee out.
• Super Window Jump: Chapter 3 has Bird jump out the window of his club to get away from Cameron and Trystan.
• A Tankard of Moose Urine: Uncle Tommy and his nibling Cameron drink a shot of Horse Creek whiskey on the anniversary of Jimmy Rose's death, as a tradition. Cameron complains that it "tastes like paint thinner".
• Theme Naming: Cameron's and Trystan's last names being Rose and Thorne, respectively, is a pun on the phrase "Every rose has its thorn(e)".
• To Absent Friends: Chapter 3 reveals Cameron and Uncle Tommy have a shot of Horse Creek whiskey on the anniversary of Cameron's father, Jimmy's death.
• Troubled Backstory Flashback: Several times in the book, Cameron will have unsettling flashbacks to Jimmy Rose's death at a baseball stadium. Once the second murder victim appears, she's also there as well.
• Un-person: Countess Juliana Georgescu's records were thoroughly scrubbed after her disappearance to cover up any trace that she ever existed.
• Unseen No More: Juliana Georgescu, Trystan's ex, is only mentioned throughout Book 1, even in flashbacks. In Book 2, we not only get to see her in the flesh, she's playable (albeit briefly).
• Wham Episode:
  • Book 1 Chapter 14. The Heartache Killer, Tony Kowalsky, is apprehended. Trystan is ordered back home to Drakovia until Marguerite is kidnapped by the Mastermind.
  • Book 1 Chapter 15. The Heartache Killer is freed in exchange for Marguerite's life, and the Mastermind's true identity is revealed.
  • Book 2 Chapter 8. The murder weapon is revealed, and it's not a dagger, as previously thought, but a garrotte wire. Also, Juliana, Trystan's ex-fiancée, is revealed to have been in a relationship with one of Trystan's siblings before she got engaged to Trystan.
  • Book 2 Chapter 9 reveals Queen Viktoria has a bastard child of her own.
  • Book 2 Chapter 10. Astrid reveals Sebastyan was in the palace garden during the day of Nadja's murder.
  • Book 2 Chapter 14. Lydea is Queen Viktoria's bastard child. The Act for Heir Equity passes, and Vasili is revealed to be the killer.
• Wham Shot: Chapter 9 ends with Cameron and Trystan being initiated into the Cult of Mahra and finding out that there are several skull masked members.
• Workaholic: A premium scene in Chapter 6 has Ruby reveal she works 80-85 hours a week as a forensic analyst.
• You Remind Me of X: A premium scene in Chapter 5 has Cameron surprised at being caught up in royal intrigue only a couple days after meeting Trystan. Olivia says they remind her of someone else she knows, referencing Queen Riley.
• You Talk Too Much!: In Chapter 16, if you keep Eleanor talking long enough for Trystan to cut the ropes off of Marguerite, she says this before attacking Eleanor.
  Marguerite: You talk too much.