5.5x7.5” hardcover with 320 pages. Published by Charles Scribner’s Sons 1930. Rare mystery novel and parody of S.S. Van Dine’s Philo Vance character. Book begins with John Riddell, the famous literary parodist and book-reviewer being found dead in his library, due to a "Premeditated Attack Of Boredom." First printing with yellow paper-covered boards, black lettering and illustrations. Title page has facsimile crime report listing suspects, etc. Written by John Riddell with illustrations by Miguel Covarrubis including full page caricatures of the suspects whose writing did in Riddell including Will Rogers, Will Durant, Theodore Driser, etc. Final pages with the solution of who bored John Riddell to death were sealed in tissue paper so as to present “A Sporting Offer – With Tragedy In The Air, With The Ruthless Murders In The John Riddell Library Still Un-Avenged, With Philo Vance About To Reveal The Hideous Truth At Last – Can You Leave This Seal Unbroken? We Make This Sporting Offer. Return This Book With The Seal Intact – And You Are Out $2.50. Break It – And The Mystery Is Over. Either Way, You Lose.” Nice skull and crossbones image at bottom. This feature is not sealed but intact with lt. wear along left margin. Comes with original and unclipped dust jacket with nice crime scene images. Book itself has margin and corner tip wear but is VF with Exc. pages overall. Dust jacket shows wear with .75” tear on bottom front and aging on spine. VG+. Book is scarce in dust jacket. Great design. From the Richard Merkin Collection and comes with Hake's COA.