Welcome to 221b Mystery
Thrillers and Mysteries for a New Generation of Readers
No more stumbling over archaic words, trying to decipher out of date expressions, or wondering to what the characters are referring. Mr. Martynique clears all those up, without interfering with the flow of the original narrative.
May 3, 2024
Important Announcement:
Today, Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), the publishing arm of Amazon, has terminated our account. The over 20 books that were available on amazon.com (and other countries) are no longer listed for sale.
This is the third time this has happened. The last time it took about four weeks to correct the situation and we still do not have all titles back up. In fact, this closing of our account was evidently triggered by attempting to “republish” a title that was accepted by KDP and available for over two years before the second closing. The Thirty-Nine Steps improved, don’t y’know by John Buchan and updated into modern English by Reginald Martynique.
KDP actually accepted the paperback edition, but when we submitted the eBook edition almost simultaneously, that had been active for three years, after updating our Also by the Author page and correcting a few grammatical errors, KDP first Blocked the title, and then without warning, closed the account.
The ongoing battle seems to be the lack of understanding, among KDP personnel, of what the United States Copyright Office (USCO) refers to as underlying works and derivative works. The USCO understands the legal difference, but apparently, not everyone on the KDP Review Team does.
These derivative books are our intellectual property, but KDP does not consistently recognize them as such. To date, we have applied to the USCO for legal copyright status for ten titles. We pay a fee, include a digital copy of the book, the case is assigned to an examiner, and the process takes about three months. We have been granted a Certificate of Registration from the USCO on every one of these applications. However, in some cases, KDP has acknowledged we own the legal copyright and still refuses to accept it as valid documentation for us to check the “I own the copyright for this book” box on their form. This is the issue. This is why they have terminated our account. They insist we must mark the “Public Domain” box, but I cannot do that in good conscience. (Also, the only way to offer you the KindleUnlimited option is for the book to be copyrighted.)
We have been pondering legal assistance for over four years and now believe it is time to explore that possibility; but we don’t know who to contact. We’ll keep you updated on this website when there is anything significant to post.
Audio Books remain available through AudioBooks.com
Most people read fiction to enjoy a break from their daily routines. They have no desire to be constantly looking up words in a dictionary or wondering what now out-of-date sayings meant a century ago. Reginald Martynique retells these stories so you can have the same advantage of reading them as those did when they were first published. No more stumbling over archaic words, trying to decipher old-fashioned expressions, or wondering to what the characters are referring. Mr. Martynique clears all those up without interfering with the flow of the original narrative.
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Recent Releases
Audio Book
The Greene Murder Case improved, don't y'know. The third in the Philo Vance murder mysteries. A serial killer is loose in the house. Wealthy art connoisseur and amateur detective Philo Vance applies his psychological expertise to the case.
Running Time — Nine hours, 46 minutes.
Audio Book available at AudioBooks.com • $3.99 US
Audio Book
A Study in Scarlet in Modern English. Dr Watson meets the young Sherlock Holmes in the first recorded adventure of the world’s first and only unofficial consulting detective. The story, we discover began in Utah, and then migrated from country to country before ending in London.
Running Time — Four hours, 7 minutes.
Audio Book available at AudioBooks.com • $2.99 US
The Garden Murder Case Enhanced for Today's Reader. A Philo Vance murder mystery. Was it murder or suicide on the rooftop garden of the Garden’s New York penthouse? Once again, wealthy art connoisseur and now amateur detective Philo Vance helps his friend, New York County’s district attorney, solve the case. Enhanced for Today’s Reader by Royce Marshall including annotations.
236 page Paperback $7.99 US • eBook $99¢ US
View Listing on Amazon: ~ Canada ~ United Kingdom ~
Not availabe in United States & Territories until January 2031
For the Print edition in other countries, Copy & Paste B0D1KYPH51 in the Amazon Search Box
For the eBook edition in other countries, Copy & Paste xxxxxxxxxxxx in the Amazon Search Box
Philo Vance — Sherlock Holmes’ heir apparent. Wealthy art connoisseur and now amateur detective, and friend of New York City’s District Attorney. Twelve murder mysteries were published from 1926 through 1939; each was made into at least one movie and the Philo Vance serials ran on the radio in the 1940s.
Richard Hannay — Scottish novelist John Buchan’s first novel, The Thirty-Nine Steps was published in 1915 and Alfred Hitchcock’s loosely based film was released in 1935. Four more Hannay thrillers followed.
Allan Quatermain — H. Ridder Haggard’s swashbuckling African explorer and big game hunter of the late 19th century who inspired the Indiana Jones movies.
Agatha Christie — Due to international copyright laws, these modern English editions are available only in the United States and its Territories until 2047.
Chris Smart —Books by an up and coming writer. (Not updated by Reginald Martynique—just helping a friend get recognized). Chris Smart finished his first book at age eleven and the sequel at age twelve. He finished his first junior detective novel when he was nineteen and has recently added the second in the series.