The Case of the Sleepwalker's Niece

Perry Mason #8

by Erle Stanley Gardner

Peter Kent's niece, Edna Hammer, hires lawyer Perry Mason to help protect him from the attempts of his soon-to-be ex-wife and his business partner to take control of his assets. But then a bloody knife is found under Kent's pillow, and he becomes a murder suspect. Just perfect for Perry Mason's talents, that is with the help of Della Street and Paul Drake!

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Detective, Mystery Thriller, Thriller, Legal

215 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1936

About the author

Erle Stanley Gardner was an American lawyer and author of detective stories who also published under the pseudonyms A.A. Fair, Kyle Corning, Charles M. Green, Carleton Kendrake, Charles J. Kenny, Les Tillray, and Robert Parr.

Innovative and restless in his nature, he was bored by the routine of legal practice, the only part of which he enjoyed was trial work and the development of trial strategy. In his spare time, he began to write for pulp magazines, which also fostered the early careers of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler. He created many different series characters for the pulps, including the ingenious Lester Leith, a "gentleman thief" in the tradition of Raffles, and Ken Corning, a crusading lawyer who was the archetype of his most successful creation, the fictional lawyer and crime-solver Perry Mason, about whom he wrote more than eighty novels. With the success of Perry Mason, he gradually reduced his contributions to the pulp magazines, eventually withdrawing from the medium entirely, except for non-fiction articles on travel, Western history, and forensic science.

See more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erle_Sta...

Reviews

[James Thane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Peter B. Kent has more problems than a monkey on a rock. His greedy, grasping, avaricious wife wants to take him to the cleaners in a divorce. His business partner is a crooked S.O.B. who's trying to con Kent into paying him a ton of dough. And If that weren't bad enough, Kent has taken to sleepwalking, wandering through the house in the dead of night carrying a carving knife.

Thankfully, he's got Perry Mason on the job to alleviate all these problems. On the advice of his beautiful and concerned niece, Kent has consulted Mason because the niece is afraid her uncle might stab somebody while wandering loose through the house in a trance. And fortunately, Mason has Paul Drake, his faithful detective, to back him up. No task is ever too great for Paul; if Perry needs six hundred people tailed at once, Paul always has enough operatives to get the job done, and there's no piece of vital information that he can't miraculously produce almost in an instant.

Sure enough, Mason is no sooner on the case than someone in the extended Kent household turns up stabbed to death, and the bloody carving knife that did the deed is found under Kent's pillow. The D.A. insists that Kent is guilty of premeditated murder and that he invented the whole sleepwalking story as a defense. The evidence would strongly suggest that the D.A. has an airtight case, but can Mason still somehow save his client? Will the sun rise in the East tomorrow?

This is another fun entry in the long-running series. In the end, it doesn't really make any more sense than 95% of the other Perry Mason novels, but nobody cares about that. The enjoyment comes from watching Perry cut corners (always legally, of course) and run circles around poor Hamilton Burger. And he's not about to disappoint his legion of fans in this case.

[Rupesh Goenka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here are few lines by Perry Mason which makes this novel one of best murder mystery of this fabulous series..
1) If a pretty 23 year old girl with a swell figure can't cross her knees in the witness box & convince a jury that her uncle's a sleepwalker, I'll quit trial work.
2) My God, what's the world coming to if a woman can't pull a little justifiable blackmail when she's victimized.
3) To Della Street - Some day I'll decide to raise your salary & find you've read my mind & already done it.
4) To Della Street - Listen kid, quit worrying. Take me as I am. Don't try to make me the way I should be, because then you might find, I was guilty of that greatest sin of all - being uninteresting. Let me give you my recipe for success - move fast & keep one jump ahead of your opponents.
SWELL STORY.

[Kevin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm reading the Perry Mason mysteries in their original order and this 1936 novel was his 8th PM book (eight written in three years!) and the first one to disappoint me. There was a lack of action and the mystery and characters lacked spark.

This IS the first Perry Mason mystery where he kisses Della Street in his office. Previously, their flirty banter had remained platonic.

[Zornitsa Rasim · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5⭐

[Anastasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Case of the Sleepwalker's Niece by Erle Stanley Gardner is the 8th book in the Perry Mason Mystery series. Perry Mason is hired by Peter Kent to assist in his divorce and also thwart a cheating business partner, and then he is accused of stabbing a man while sleepwalking. One of the more complicated cases with lots going on and Perry juggling multiple angles. Fast paced with plenty of twists and surprises, legal manoevering and misdirection. Great supportive characters with hints of romance between Della Street and Perry Mason. This remains one of my favourite series.

[Jack Heath · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars. I couldn't decide, 3 or 4? I was racing to the end so I could read Louise Penny and Hilary Clinton's 'State of Terror,' not as much to find out who knifed Philip Rease in '.. Sleepwalker's Niece.' Therefore a 3! Two clues for you. Don't lose sight of the niece, Edna Hammer. A lovely young woman in her early twenties, but a little naïve. Worried about her uncle Peter Kent who has started sleepwalking and once was seen carrying a very serious knife in his pajamas. The second? The knives. If you can follow the identical knives, good on you. Mason does his best to confuse the police and the court, this reader too, by adding another 7 to the mix. And does it most successfully. The first one was found by Perry and Edna under her uncle's pillow, caked in dried blood. The rest I'll leave to you. Back to Edna, she and Jerry Harris, her boyfriend or is it fiancé, were out of town checking on Kent's soon-to-be-divorced first wife. One down side. The author, Erle Stanley Gardner, a lawyer himself, goes a little overboard on the details of getting a divorce in California in the 1930s. I hope it's much simpler today - but don't take that as a personal comment! (May2025)

[Yibbie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Obnoxious that is the perfect way to describe Perry Mason’s new clients. Their money has gotten them into more trouble than most families will ever see. Mason must sort through layers of fraud, greed, deception, and eventually murder to save a client he desperately wants to clear. So is the murderer the accused sleepwalker, the wife, a fortune hunter, the partner, a lawyer, or none of the above?
It was rather fun. I guessed the culprit fairly early on but was still surprised by a few of the twists along the way. If you are slightly more observant than I am, you might just be able to pick up on the clues and put it together before the big reveal.
It is a pulp mystery. Don't expect great literature.
There were quite a few ‘mild’ curse words throughout the whole book.

[Anto M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Non uno dei migliori sull'avvocato Perry Mason per ritmo della narrazione. In genere sono più incalzanti, soprattutto per l'apporto dato dai collaboratori Della Street e Paul Drake che, in questo caso, rimangono più in ombra. Quello che invece è interessante è la dinamica iniziale del romanzo: Mason assume la difesa di un sonnambulo che non ha commesso nessun reato, ma è convinto che prima o poi, commetterà durante le sue passeggiate notturne.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

What seems like a simple case suddenly becomes far more difficult once a murder has been committed and it's up to Perry Mason to find out the truth. Gardener is a decent writer who knows how to hook his readers. The book may be short, but it more than makes up for it in plot in pacring. Just when you think you have things figured out he continues to keep things interesting by adding new twists and turns. It's a book you read to be entertained and Mason is a lawyer who seeems to always be one step ahead of everyone. When things begin falling apart, Mason is able to stay one step ahead of everyone and eventually everything falls into place. While the book is entertaining, it is dated and shows its age well. As a product of the time it was written which isn't exactly a bad thing. One thing I found amusing was just how much everyone smokes and they do it everywhere. Offices, judges chambers, and even restuarants. The Case Of The Sleeping Neice is the eighth book in the series and finds Gardner finally hitting his stride. He nows his readers expect and he delivers it with ease. The strength of course is in the characters and how well they fit into the overall story. We don't get much in the way of detail, but that's kind of the point. It's all about moving from point A to be while figuring out the mystery. While the answers themselves don't come together until the end of the book it's not time wasted. You get to see Mason at his best fighting his way through a case that seems unwinable, but aren't they all? We know Mason will win the case but the how is why we keep reading these books.

[Rob Smith, Jr. · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was the first of the Gardner books that I wasn't crazy about. Seems to me that Gardner had the ending more in focus than building the rest of the book in a coherent manner. A lot of stretches of the imagination, especially involving plane flight schedules (recognizing this was written in the 1930s).

Also the characters weren't as sharp as in other Gardner books. There are a number of twists that could leave a reader confused as to who is who.

The idea of the conclusion is sharp, but wonder if it could've been better presented for a dramatic touch.

Still this book is better than most and certainly better than the bulk of books written today. Though, I'd point to other Mason stories than this.

Bottom line: I don't recommend this book.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Erle Stanley Gardner is known for snappy dialogue rather than descriptive writing but when Della walked in the room in a hat and coat, I swear I could see her like she was right in front of me. This book wrapped up too quickly for me. Without giving any spoilers, I can say that I wish I could have seen more of what occurred after witnesses disappeared from the courtroom. There were also a lot of missing words and inaccurate spacing in my copy of the book. Even so, a Perry Mason book that is not my favorite Perry Mason book is still better than a lot of other books!

[DavidO · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good mystery about a sleepwalker. Main thing I started to notice reading this book is the subtle sexism and racism of these books. Now I don't think Gardner was particularly trying to be racist and sexist, but it's there.

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 3 out of 5]

A man is killed in the middle of the night. A bloody knife is found under the pillow of a known sleepwalker. Perry Mason has his hands full as he tries to defend his climate who might be the victim of a frame job.

[Carmen Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great mystery

Just can't out true eating pretty main mysteries. Enjoyable, clean, entertaining. Each case is thorough with interesting characters. Light weight reading just for fun.

[Richa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very very interesting case! Loved the chemistry between Perry and Della. A proper confusing case.

[Britt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clever

I love Perry Mason mysteries. He's brilliant, unorthodox, and a fighter. And Della and Paul are just as fantastic. I was pulled into the mystery from the start.

[William · Rating 3 out of 5]

The series is still fun, but somehow this one seems a bit less effective than its predecessors. I can't explain why I feel that way, but maybe it's just that the plot seemed pretty complicated and the whole sleepwalking theme seemed far-fetched.

We have the usual hard-boiled macho literary throwback once more. Helen Warrington is "a tall, straight-limbed brunette with large dark eyes, midnight hair and very red lips." (I did not realize straight limbs were uncommon). And the dialog is pretty clunky, as usual.

Perry's relationship with Della Street remains ambiguous. Perry says it is simply not unusual for a man to want to kiss his secretary (God help us!).

But hey, it's 1936 and Gardner was describing life more or less the way it probably was.

Anyway, not his best work so far, but I am enjoying working through the series. A particular treat was reading the book in what seems to be a first edition. I got it from the library in Calais, ME (look that place up in your atlas!). To add to the fun, it is inscribed "To Arthur Haley from E and G, Xmas 1937." I guess I read this at the right time of year.

[Christopher Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written in 1936, this early Perry Mason book is one of his best. The case involves a wealthy heiress, her uncle who has some mild mental issues, a gold digging soon-to-be ex wife, a gold digging cassanova type, and an assortment of other characters.

One of Mason's more complex jobs, the challenges in this novel are presented not by obstinate or troublesome clients but the events and a particularly obnoxious lawyer. One of the things I like about the Mason novels is that his opponents in the courtroom - the famous Hamilton Burger for example - are very clever, smart, and skillful. Mason has to work hard to defeat them, they are not bumbling or foolish.

Mason manages to solve four unconnected, unrelated cases at the same time in a final twist that took me by surprise but in retrospect made sense -- the hallmark of a well-written mystery. A pro tip for reading Perry Mason stories is that unlike some poorly written mysteries, at no point is anything done irrationally or nonsensically just to drive the story or provide false clues. If its in there, it matters and somehow makes sense, if you understand it.

[Mahoghani 23 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clever and Full of Trickery

Simple yet classic. A story about money, greed, and murder. With this lawyer, nothing is just a word used by other people because he's (Perry) always get something up his sleeve.

[Thao Nguyen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cuốn này xoắn não thiệt nha. Kiểu k đoán được luôn á. Đọc mấy cuốn r mà đến đoạn cãi nhau trước toà vẫn thấy phê

[Irina (Lohe Loeb) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ma ei arvanud, et üks krimilugu võib mulle nii väga meeldida. Üldiselt jääb minu krimkade lugemine nii umbes 10-15 aasta tagusesse aega. Nordic nor mulle ei istu ja ka psühholoogilistest trilleritest lähen suure kaarega mööda. Viimaseid saan küll üsna edukalt audiraamatuna lugeda/kuulata.

Aga tundub, et selline klassikaline detektiivilugu mulle täitsa meeldib! Tegevus areneb kiiresti, mõrva ei pea kaua ootama ja peategelane on äärmiselt meeldiv. Super!

[Amit Bikram · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading this book right after The Case of the Lucky Legs, I must say, The Case of the Sleepwalker's Niece is now the worst of the 8 Perry Mason books I have read so far(and 8th by chronological order). From here on, I am going to follow the chronological order as I go about completing the vast collection of books that Gardner wrote revolving around the brilliant, audacious, and risk taking criminal attorney.

Coming to the book, the plot was built up quite nicely, with interesting characters(though not many suspects with clear motives). One interesting thing that was highlighted in the book was how big Paul Drake's detective agency was, as he was able to put tails on almost anyone and every single time, they were successful. Keeping that plot point aside, the ending of the book was a damp squib, with there being clear signs that the author was struggling to tie the loose ends up. There were far too many coincidences and lucky breaks for the murderer to digest, and even Mason acknowledged the same. Overall, a poor experience, but then reading such books makes the next good read all the more satisfying.

[Marc A · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read several Perry Mason novels, and they are all page turners. But one drawback some of them have, and the The Case of the Sleepwalker's Niece shares, is that the plots are very complicated. No murderer would come up with such complex schemes, and cover so many angles, as the murderers do in Perry Mason's world. Of course, Perry is on top of everything, and has everything figured out.

Despite the plot's complexity, author Erle Stanley Gardner keeps the story moving. The story moves swiftly, everything is laid out clearly. But if you like solving the case yourself, get a notebook and take copious notes because every little detail is important. Perry doesn't miss anything, neither should you if you want to solve the murder yourself.

[Dean Anderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story has one of the most preposterous plot devices ever, the sleepwalking of the title.
Most everyone in the book takes it for granted that "I'm not responsible for the murder, I was sleepwalking" would possibly work as a defense. There is no way it would work for a defense. But even more ridiculous is how sleepwalking works in this world. It's an entirely possible in this world to predict what someone will do while sleepwalking, one can even influence it. If you're Perry Mason, you can even make a vague suggestion to a sleepwalker and predict exactly what the sleepwalker will do.

And it's too long.

And the book has a preview of coming attractions for the next book, The Case of the Stuttering Bishop. Which was a better book.

[Bill Suits · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't like this as much as I like the prior ones. It's okay in the ending is rather interesting and kind of has some real twists and turns but the first two-thirds were just so dry for me.

What I did not like at all is that they're starting to become a physical relationship between Della and Perry. I don't really care for that. I much preferred that there was no intimacy between them. In this book they actually kissed once and they're caught and it just seems like they're going to start sleeping together and I think that's going to ruin the relationship but we'll see how it goes. I still want to finish the entire series.

[John Bunyan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the greatest. Mason’s trickery is very contrived in this one. There’s a bit of misdirection that is awkwardly handled, making it obvious that it is just a red herring.
It feels like Gardner read about sleepwalking, thought about the implications in a murder case and then slapped this together

Just for fun:
In the beginning of the book Mason once again asks Della to call “Paul Drake, of the Drake Detective Agency” as if she didn’t know who he was. An inartful way to identify him to a potential new reader.

There’s a bit of smooching between Perry and Della. Mason says “it’s quite common for a busy executive to kiss his Secretary once in a while”. What is this, the 1930s?

[Carrie Fleharty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again Perry Mason and Erle Stanley Gardner know how to wrap up a case with excellent brain work, and a bit of luck. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this one as well. There is never a dull moment in this tale. One can wish that if people seek out the greatest lawyer then why not do what he tells you. Also why not tell the greatest criminal lawyer the whole truth. Yet humans will be human and they don't do what he asks and they don't tell the truth. Its a good thing Perry Mason is more intelligent than his clients. He is able to put together the truth and he is able to get them out of trouble by the end of the book. This story does not disappoint.

[Huma · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wife who is a professional gold-digger, a business partner who wants to cheat him out of the whole company, and a niece who apparently cares too much about her uncle........and Mason puts all his trust in his clients.
We meet Hamilton Burger and Lt.Holcomb in this book....who will become series regulars gradually.

[Michael Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of ups and downs, twists and turns, misdirection and of course outright by all as they test Mason's abilities to unravel a series of events. None of the usual characters from the TV series appear in every chapter and few at all. These stories were often modified for the first series and some revamped for the later movies. But the originals are best in printed form.

[Donna · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of the few Perry Mason's that I didn't go for. Seems to be disorganized. The key clue was kind of interesting, but the rest seemed just a mish-mash of...I can't even call them red herrings, just dumb stuff.