Crossword solution

The unclued lights (paired at 1D/17) can all be preceded by FIVE and are verifiable in Brewer. First prize Julian Connors, Ashford, Kent Runners-up David Threasher, London W5; Susan Bell, Reeth, N. Yorks

The unclued lights are the surnames of the ‘Queens of Crime’ and of their famous detectives: 1A/16, 19/15, 29/32 and 38/42. First prize G.R. Snailham, Windsor Runners-up Bill Ellison, Caversham, Reading; John and Di Lee, Axminster, Devon

The BOWLER (7) was DEREK (26) Underwood (synonym of COPSE (32)), nicknamed ‘Deadly’, who died on 15 April 2024. The four victims were MUSHTAQ MOHAMMAD, SUNIL GAVASKAR, GRAHAM DOWLING and GARRY SOBERS. First prize Robert Bailey, Norwich Runners-up Dorothy Mulvenna, Lancaster; Bill Stewart, Leicester

The unclued lights are SATELLITES of planets, listed on page 1860 of Chambers 13th Edition. First prize Mark Richardson, Exeter Runners-up Steven Lodge, Bridgwater, Somerset; Amanda Spielman, London SW4

Unclued lights are knots. First prize David Sparks, Basingstoke, Hampshire Runners-up Lynn Foreman, Sholing, Southampton ; Dennis Cotterell, Carlisle

As suggested by 23A’s quotation revealed at 34D/28A/19A, the perimeter contains six different sharks. First prize Janet Burke, Peterborough, Cambs Runners-up Roy Robinson, Sheffield; Neil Brenchley, Hogbens Hill, Selling, Kent  

The unclued lights can be sorted into four trios of forenames in a reducing anagram chain: MONICA, NAOMI, MONA (4,31): DECLAN, LANCE, NEAL (12,24,36): SINEAD, DIANE, ENID (33,15,34) and ALISON, SONIA, SIAN (42,13). First prize E.C. Jones, Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire Runners-up Charles Barr, Norwich; Mike Brand, Edinburgh

The five unclued pairs were of the form ‘[as] X as Y’, 8/2 SAFE/HOUSES, 22/14 KEEN/MUSTARD, 35/20 BROAD/LONG, 41/33 NEAR/DAMMIT and 26/23 HARD/NAILS. First prize Sharon Harris, Hadlow, Tonbridge, Kent Runners-up Paul Davies, Reading, Berkshire; Amanda Gay, London NW11

Seven unclued lights, MOORE, CONNERY, LAZENBY, NIVEN, DALTON, BROSNAN, CRAIG, are the names of actors who played the eighth one, BOND, in films. The title, translated from Latin, reads ‘007 x 7’. First prize Louise Rhind-Tutt, Glossop, Derbyshire Runners-up A. Tucker, Winchester, Hants; Roger Baresel, London SW7

The unclued lights are French words or phrases which include a colour: 2, 10/32, 21A/7D, 21D, 28/8, 36/11, 37/8 and 38/15. Bleu at 8 does double duty, and ‘noir’ and ‘noire’ are the two forms. First prize Jeremiah Carter, Cambridge Runners-up Ian MacDonald, East Grinstead, W Sussex; C.R. Haigh, Hassocks, W. Sussex

Emily Brontë’s poem ‘Remembrance’ includes: ‘Cold in the earth – and fifteen wild Decembers, From those brown hills, have melted into spring.’ Brownhills is a town in the borough of Walsall, hence the title. First prize Anne Greenwood and Martin Plews, Horsham, W. Sussex Runners-up Ian Laming, Chippenham; Neville Twickel, Shipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire

Each of the six unclued pairs comprises words differing by a single change of ‘a-to-m’. First prize Patrick Holland, Shrewsbury Runners-up R.J. Green, Llangynidr, Crickhowell; Janet Hill, Eastbourne, E. Sussex

The unclued lights are synonyms for GOSSIP, as Brewer confirms. First prize Joanne Aston, Norby, Thirsk Runners-up Malcolm Taylor, Eskbank, Midlothian; Roderick Rhodes, oldsborough, N. Yorks

The book is The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, by C.S. LEWIS, whose name appears diagonally starting at the C in 5 down. First prize Adelia Tisdall, Norwich, Norfolk Runners-up H. Sims, Rivington, Bolton; Wyn Lewis, Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire

The unclued lights formed a map of France, with nine cities in roughly appropriate places. First prize Clive Rose, Henley on Thames, Oxon Runners-up Tim Locke, Ainsdale, Southport; Belinda Bridgen, London NW8

The unclued lights are ten recent Archbishops of Canterbury, with 7D being the solution of two words. First prize Alana Thompson, Dumfries Runners-up Julian Downton, Bucks Cross, Devon; Clive West, Old Windsor, Berkshire

The eight unclued lights are names of Roman emperors. The puzzle’s title refers to the period 14-222 AD covered by the eight reigns. First prize Michael Crapper, Whitchurch, Hants Runners-up Peter Moody, Fareham, Hants; Mark Steele, Hatfield, Doncaster

The twelve symmetrically placed unclued entries NATURAL, MAIL, MONASTIC, STANDING, PECK, LOGICAL, BATTING, APPLE-PIE, OPEN, EVICTION, BANKERS and SIDE can precede the word ORDER, and the title alluded to an ‘A to Z’. Thus unclued entries had to be entered in alphabetical order. First prize Seonaid Chapman, Brampton, Cumberland Runners-up Peter Lawrence, Durham; Julie Sanders,

The unclued Across lights are makes of AUSTIN (in yellow) cars and the unclued Down lights are MORRIS (in red) cars, hence A and M in the title. First prize Chris Taylor, Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire Runners-up Sara MacIntosh, Darlington; Stephen Smith, Messing, Essex

The Turner works were RAIN STEAM AND SPEED (5,44) and THE SLAVE SHIP (35), the Ruskin works MODERN PAINTERS (16,9) and UNTO THIS LAST (18)  First prize Geran Jones, Bromley Runners-up Nigel Finlay, Thames Ditton, Surrey; Michael Debenham, Shrewsbury