Within the puzzle are the names of 4 well-known crime authors and their most famous detective creations. Clues are included for all 8, but these entries do not have a normal definition, instead being indicated by either Author or Detective, but all are accompanied by a cryptic clue. To make things trickier, not all references to detective lead to thematic names but are “regular” clues that need to be solved.
Thiscrossword will also appear in thenext edition of ACTiveVoice for Canberra-based members.
Across
1 Detective smashed, we hear, first on scene and points the way (7)
5 It stinks, right? First of all, one in two hundred is old, penniless (7)
9 X backing no one (with no exception) found in gaslighting (5)
10 Individual wanting first puff of a joint (9)
11 For those living the high life in Spain, dancing after drug remedy is injected (10)
12 Suburbia somehow gives up prejudice (4)
14 Young girl is taking firsts, sure in predicting puzzlers in spelling bee classic (11)
18 Jet set ace or crash is pilot’s plan-B? (7,4)
21 Silver anniversary’s half way through, finally, takes a long time (4)
22 Colonial capital where young prince starts Treaty of Waitangi novation (6,4)
25 Filthy old car is a hot, destructive device (5,4)
26 Detective shows contrition? Not on! (5)
27 Author, bad actor, came face to face with terrorist at last (7)
Down
1 Author involved in, and invigilated external exams (6)
2 Standing in for Author? (6)
3 Perfect, once mum’s at dancing (10)
4 Detective often found in bed? (5)
5 What I fear between losing direction or I get turned around (4,5)
6 You can depend on her to perform exceptionally (4)
7 Muse, contemplating a lesson learned in oriental philosophy’s elementary fundamentals (8)
8 Author? Messiah, that is! (8)
13 Develop realism about crazy hot levels linked in temperature records (10)
15 Censer cryptically to filter unwanted calls (6,3)
16 Geordie detective had northern backup, covering along the house’s edge (8)
17 Segment computer memory after note to get signal (8)
19 Private investigator’s got nothing, rubbish detective! (6)