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Puzzle 2 by Hoskins
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Hoskins’s second puzzle is a delight. Every clue has a beautifully smooth surface reading, without any sacrifice of fairness or accuracy, and that is a very laudable achievement. There are some ingenious misdirections to add to the fun. I especially liked 15 across, 7 down, and most of all 21 down. (PDF version)

hoskins2.jpg

 
ACROSS
1
Book a Dutch player for being in constant trouble? (3,5)
5 One composer or another not featured in Loaded (6)
10 Nice here in the navy, getting some killer protein (5)
11 Note icy PM suffers, not being able to have it (9)
12 Call of “lower!” made regularly in game show spot (3)
13 Auction of old tesla coils (not in working order) (3,2,6)
15 Society’s beset by idiots and crooks (6)
16 Ask for another VCR, this one misses Casualty’s start (7)
19 Intimate picture of couples in an aroused state (5-2)
21 Right, I’m cracking a Bud, chief (6)
23 Mean banks pull out of fund supporting charity (11)
25 City man taking United to heart (3)
26 Bishop raced away after church... to go forth and multiply? (6,3)
28 A tart’s new backless leather number? (5)
29 Judge gives one to ten years for the third of charges (6)
30 Plant and marijuana joint found in Trinidadian’s case (4,4)

DOWN
1
Stomach-turning cheese, yours truly produces floater (6)
2 How about “In Pursuit of Cook” for a show’s title? (6,3)
3 Expert criminal hits north-facing French streets (11)
4 Copier knocking out rubles in very large numbers (7)
6 He’ll abandon a capsizing sailor (3)
7 Naked knees-up that’s the talk of Bollywood? (5)
8 It’s that artist going around America later (8)
9 Ring woman or drink pint – choose! (3,3)
14 Charlie’s down, worried by department deadline (7,4)
17 Drug-taking dad on heroin: “It’d be a waste to flog it” (4,5)
18 BBC sued over run being bumped then cancelled (8)
20 Peter’s lack of heart is concerning Nick (6)
21 Hunt for one heavy breather that's ringing Hoskins (7)
22 Force field – none shall pass its energy (4,2)
24 Managed to crash Club Lolly in Geneva (5)
27 Mock what may be seen in page 3 of yesterday's Sun? (3)






Solution to Puzzle 2 by Hoskins