Cordelia Gray
mystery
Series · crime
Apples Carstairs
The Apples Carstairs series by Ken Follett has 2 known books (2 published) and is best read in publication order, starting with The Big Needle (1974).
- Books
- 2 known books (2 novels)
- Published
- 2
- First published
- 1974
- Status
- completed
- Shelved under
- Mystery & Crime
- Last checked
Start here: The Big Needle (1974) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
The Big Needle
Writing under the pen name Simon Myles before Eye of the Needle made him famous, Ken Follett published The Big Needle in 1974 -- also released in the US as The Big Apple -- a lean 175-page caper introducing small-time London crook Apples Carstairs.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Big Needle - Book 2:
The Big Black
The Big Black followed the same year, 1974, a slightly shorter 155-page entry in the same pulpy, fast-turnaround caper tradition Follett was writing his way through before his historical-thriller fame.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Big Black
About the Apples Carstairs series
Before Eye of the Needle made him famous, Ken Follett wrote a trio of paperback crime capers under the pen name Simon (also spelled Symon) Myles, following Apples Carstairs, a small-time London crook and con artist who gets pulled into schemes well above his usual league. The books belong to the pulpy, fast-turnaround caper-thriller tradition Follett was writing his way through in the mid-1970s while working as a newspaper reporter and journeyman genre novelist -- lean, plot-first books written for quick paperback sale rather than the meticulously researched historical thrillers he'd become known for a few years later.
None of the three were reissued under Follett's own name during his years of fame in the way Modigliani Scandal and Paper Money (his Zachary Stone novels) later were, and they've remained out of print and hard to find since their original small-press UK paperback runs. They're included here as a matter of bibliographic completeness rather than as a recommended entry point into Follett's work -- The Big Black and The Big Hit in particular are now rare enough that basic publication details beyond title, author and year are difficult to independently verify.
Frequently asked questions
How many Apples Carstairs novels did Ken Follett write?
Three: The Big Needle (1974), The Big Black (1974), and The Big Hit (1975), all published under the pen name Simon/Symon Myles before Follett wrote under his own name.
Why did Ken Follett publish these under a pen name?
In the mid-1970s Follett was a working journalist writing fast, low-paying genre paperbacks on the side under several pen names (Simon Myles, Bernard L. Ross, Martin Martinsen, Zachary Stone) before Eye of the Needle (1978) made him successful enough to write under his own name.
Are the Apples Carstairs books still in print?
No. Unlike his Zachary Stone novels The Modigliani Scandal and Paper Money, which were later reissued under Follett's own name, the Apples Carstairs trilogy has remained out of print since its original 1970s UK paperback run.
Should I start with these books if I'm new to Ken Follett?
No. They're early pulp paperbacks written for quick sale, not representative of the historical epics (Kingsbridge, the Century Trilogy) or polished thrillers (Eye of the Needle) Follett is known for today.
Is Apples Carstairs a recurring detective or a criminal?
A small-time London crook and con artist, not a detective -- the books follow him getting drawn into capers and schemes rather than solving crimes.
If you like the Apples Carstairs series
Reading order last verified .