2448: Issues

Four pairs of unclued lights (17/5, 22/27, 29/31 and 8/26) form anagrams of the titles (one hyphened, three of three words) of novels by an author whose name is clued without definition.

Across

Most popular

Jawad Iqbal

Blue Origin’s all-female space flight was a step backwards for feminism

1 Apportioning silver crooked nursemaid pinched (11)
7 Being in French city without local friend (3)
11 Sickness in Vermont and Maine infected America (6)
13 Ducks landed in a little corner of rock (7)
15 Opening of Turin Trocadero (5)
16 Charlie and Oscar wolf down shellfish (5)
18 Classy cripple backing pilgrimage (5)
20 King and queen escorted outside stone partition (6)
21 Place hard to reach in a westerly republic (5)
30 To some extent I vote against taking a wife (6, three words)
32 Mac’s nimble women in bed (5)
34 Hot rich bread one left abandoned (6)
36 Wee grandchild creating firework (5)
37 Bird bit grasping lecturer (5)
38 Retiring under pressure, tenor sacked becomes less kindly (7)
39 Spot dotty Ena reversing car (6)
40 Rabbit spinach repelled (3)
41 Shocked old German senses singular immorality (11)

Down

1 Since walking Thorpe Bay endlessly, I dread going out (10)

2 Abuse of whisky – rector laced tea! (8)
3 Rough fabric ruffled Rasta prince (9)
4 Vet announced cuckoo is outside the contract (12)
6 Corruption crooked band still gets right (8)
7 Run outside (5)
9 Gloomy American elk crosses river (6)
10 County loses self-confidence (5)
12 Showy flower ogre kept out of sight (6)
14 Good home smitten with plague taking constant medicine (12)
19 Nasty corners: ten collisions (10)
21 Arab becomes due for payment for motor parts (9)
23 In Hertfordshire town goat doesn’t begin bellowing (8)
24 Set of steps containing a little zeolite (8)
25 Georgia has to know Frenchman (6)
28 Jewel thieves and I almost unite (6)
33 We shall start to solve (5)
35 Corps in wet place constructing shelter (4)