Enigmatic Variations 1222 The Lost Author by Dysart

Six across clue answers need jumbling and adding a letter – six down clue answers need jumbling and losing a letter. The added and lost letters then give the main words of a title. One clue needs the author adding for it to make sense. Sounds a little bit different.

It was a little bit different too. Some quite tricky clueing – though alll very fair.

The additional letters from the across clues spelled out ANGELS and all 6 jumbled entries were references to angels.

SAINT/ THRONE/ GABRIEL/ ARIEL/ MICHAEL/ SERAPH

The additional letters from the down clues spelled out DEMONS and all 6 jumbled entries were references to demons.

DEIL/ FIEND/ SATAN/ AFRIT / SATYR/ RAHU

The clue missing the author being 47ac

This should have read Novel Dan Brown carrying the store’s label (8) leaving OWN-BRAND to be highlighted.

And that was that – Must admit I’ve never read the book but made for a fun and interesting puzzle.

Thanks Dysart

Key:

* Anagram; Rev. reverse; DD Double definition; underline definition

ACROSS

A 1 American’s flaky informer abandoned by companion (5)

Snitch(informer) – ch (companion) = SNIT Entry SAINT

5 College that enlightens minds in large organisations (8)

Edifies (enlightens minds) around c (college) = EDIFICES

11 Primarily tropical plant? Right (4)

T (primarily tropical) + Rue(plant) = TRUE

13 First couple of rings switched in magician’s illusion (6)

Rev(ri – first couple of rings) in Mage (magician) = MIRAGE

14 Call setter back? It might produce a sickening reaction (6)

Rev(Cite (call) + me(setter) = EMETIC

N 16 Second parent’s origin forgotten (6)

Mother (parent) – m = OTHER

17 Endless schemes linked to bother thief (7)

plans(scheme) – ends + drat (bother) = LAND-RAT

G 18 American security provider’s trouble with English entering Britain (7)

ail(trouble) + e (English) in Br (Britain) = BAILER Entry GABRIEL

22 Returning three times a day to the same thing (5)

Re. (t.i.d (three times a day)) + to = DITTO

25 Declare neglected region dead (5)

Area(region) + d (dead) + AREAD

26 One rook’s sacrificed in McNab’s odd openings (3)

Orra (odd Scottish) – r (rook) = ORA

27 Witticism from supporter beginning with bit of satire (5)

S (bit of satire) + ally )supporter) = SALLY

29 River in France providing the means to catch fish (5)

DD SEINE

31 Fellow overturned instrument creating dusty fluff (3)

F (fellow) + Rev (gu(instrument)) = FUG

E 32 Guard requiring storyteller to retreat (5)

Rev (Liar(storyteller)) = RAIL entry ARIEL

35 Bears, two royal ones, crossing river (5)

Us (royal one) x 2 around r (river) = URSUS

37 Port, European, with square worn-out harbours (7)

E (suropean) + s (square) in trite (worn-out) = TRIESTE

L 38 Scots have medic at the front in charge of blood (7)

Hae (Scots have) + m(medic at first) + ic (in charge) = HAEMIC entry MICHAEL

42 More arboraceous lime randomly planted by queen (6)

(lime)* + er (queen) = ELMIER

S 44 Broadcast light that guides sailors (6)

Homonym of fair (light) = PHARE = SERAPH

45 Girl’s freshly dressed after abandoning foxtrot (6)

(freshly)* – f (foxtrot) = SHERYL

46 Small river-fish gutted in Scottish stretch of water (4)

Loach (small river-fish) – a = LOCH

47 Novel carrying the store’s label (8)

DD OWN-BRAND – Dan Brown

48 Ascetic’s sorry shack not complete (5)

Sad (sorry) + hut (shack) – t = SADHU

DOWN

1 Son has left hat; keep it (4)

Stetson (hat) – son = STET

2 Fibre shredded in hangar (6)

(hangar)* = ARGHAN

3 Norfolk girl found in muddy lane of a wood (7)

(lane)* around mor (Norfolk girl) = NEMORAL

4 Tidy up odd pieces of imam’s headband (6)

Rev (neat (tidy)) + ImAn (odd pieces) = TAENIA

D 6 Went furtively, dropping head, and ran slowly (4)

Sidled( went furtivvely) – s (head) = IDLED Entry DEIL

E 7 Sharpen the outline of plane part in river (5)

Dee (river) around fin = DEFINE Entry FIEND

8 Barren area being replaced by international plant (4)

Arid (barren) – a(area) replaced by I (internationsl) = IRID

9 Boggy ground around the heart of Surrey (4)

ca (around) + rr (heart of Surrey) = CARR

10 Group gathering praise for musical sequence (8)

Set (group) around extol = SEXTOLET

12 Controllers suffering endless stress always parting (8)

(stress)* around err = STEERERS

M 15 Dutch explorer’s servant going up for cloaks (5)

Tasman (Dutch explorer) promoting Man (serant) = MANTAS Entry SATAN

19 Layabout flipped injecting proper drug dose (5)

Rev. (Slob (layabout)) around u (proper) = BOLUS

20 Soldier checking permit is genuine (5)

gi (soldier) in let (permit) = LEGIT

21 Old firearm’s unusually deep roar (8)

(deep roar)* = PADERERO

23 Fine streak with depressed section indicates early geological period (5)

STRIA (fine streak) depessing S (section) = TRIAS

24 Earl tipped up magnum, finally getting stuck into ordinary wine (8)

E (earl) + Rev(up) + m (magnum finally) in so-so (ordinary) = ESPUMOSO

O 28 Adult and young child stopping for aged imposter (5)

For (around) a (adult) + it (young child) = FAITOR Entry AFRIT

30 Moral stories – free, apart from the last, with Montaigne’s article (7)

exempt (free) – t + la (French article) = EXEMPLA

33 Colours made by briefly ignited resins (6)

lit (ignited) – t + lacs (resins) LILACS

34 Sulphur and fish making overpowering smell (6)

S (Sulphur) + tench (fish) = STENCH

N 36 Old bullies, nasty rebels constraining resistance (5)

(nasty + r)* = TYRANS Entry SATYR

39 Twenty-nine across holds up French city (4)

Hidden Rev. (niNE AC) = CAEN

40 This culinary plant crushed with oil and root of ginger could be horrible (4)

(horrible – oil- r(root of ginger)* = HERB

41 Computer network hosting electronic bank (4)

Lan (computer network) around e(electronic) = LEAN

S 43 Afghan regional council finding heroin promoted in Koranic chapter (4)

Surah (Koranic chapter) promoting heroin = SHURA Entry RAHU