Financial Times 14,702 by Cincinnus

Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of August 16, 2014

A Cincinnus puzzle is a rarer treat than it used to be, and a very welcome one. My favourite clues here are 1a (MOBY DICK), 30a (COLLIERY) and 2d (BATTLE). The best surface has to be 18d (STARKERS).

ACROSS
1 Heartless lad immersed in second detective novel (4,4)
MOBY DICK – MO (second) + B[o]Y (heartless lad) + DICK (detective)
5 Surrounded by children, warrant officer passes out (6)
SWOONS – WO (warrant office) in SONS (children)
9 A carnival location seen by reluctant ladykiller (8)
LOTHARIO – LOTH (reluctant) + A (a) + RIO (carnival location)
10 Seaside attraction concerning Peter French (6)
PIERRE – PIER (seaside attraction) + RE (concerning)
12 Like tar on abandoned ship (3,6)
OIL TANKER – anagram of LIKE TAR ON
13 Was a runner brilliant in the road? (5)
RACED – ACE (brilliant) in RD (road)
14 New sports officials about to make money (4)
COIN – IOC (sports officials, i.e. International Olympics Committee) backwards + N (new)
16 Renault distributor sitting on the fence (7)
NEUTRAL – anagram of RENAULT
19 Suitable trial for Darwin’s survivors (7)
FITTEST – FIT (suitable) + TEST (trial)
21 Compelled to bring cheese back (4)
MADE – EDAM (cheese) backwards
24 What about painting lair? (5)
EARTH – ART (painting) in EH (what)
25 Bromide’s first swallowed by singer as sedative (9)
BARBITONE – B[romide] in BARITONE (singer)
27 Bird by river – one providing music (6)
DEEJAY – DEE (river) + JAY (bird)
28 Person in family tree can store nuts (8)
ANCESTOR – anagram of CAN STORE
29 Journey to get quarters in lodge (6)
RESIDE – ES (quarters, i.e. East and South) in RIDE (journey)
30 Dog rarely outside? It’s mine (8)
COLLIERY – COLLIE (dog) + R[arel]Y

DOWN
1 Children’s writer almost coming round to poet (6)
MILTON – TO (to) in MILN[e] (children’s writer almost)
2 Fight Club time – almost ten seconds (6)
BATTLE – BAT (club) + T (time) + [a]L[most] [t]E[n] (almost ten seconds)
3 Row about area initially allocated for goddess (5)
DIANA – A (area) in DIN (row) + A[llocated]
4, 21 Dish with yellow and orange nuts? Monsieur tucked in (7,7)
CHICKEN MARENGO – CHICKEN (yellow) + M (Monsieur) + anagram of ORANGE
6 Steal cycle collection (4-5)
WHIP-ROUND – WHIP (steal) + ROUND (cycle). I did not know that ‘whip’ could mean to steal although it seemed very likely. Chambers confirmed.
7 Single line about resistance officially noted (2,6)
ON RECORD – R (resistance) in ONE (single) + CORD (line)
8 Without haste it delays outcome (8)
STEADILY – anagram of IT DELAYS
11 Royal monogram in Ireland (4)
ERIN – ER (royal monogram) + IN (in). The answer also happens to be hidden in reverse in the clue.
15 Caught up, crossing Central America (9)
OVERHEARD – [ame]R[ica] (Central America) in OVERHEAD (up)
17 Volunteer to hold object for criminal (8)
OFFENDER – END (object) in OFFER (volunteer)
18 Naked king amid fascinated spectators? (8)
STARKERS – K (king) in STARERS (fascinated spectators)
20 Instrument upsetting neighbour (4)
TUBA – ABUT (neighbour) backwards
21 See 4
22 Species that is under attack (6)
SORTIE – SORT (species) + IE (that is)
23 Flutter with fish shop (6)
BETRAY – BET (flutter) + RAY (fish)
26 Trader’s assertion resulting in fine? (5)
IDEAL – “I DEAL” (trader’s assertion)