Independent

Wire has provided today’s crossword for our delectation. This week’s Tuesday theme needs no introduction, as many of the solutions entered in the grid refer to the mafia, its tradition, films about it, … Read more >>

Typically, the Monday Indy is a gentle start to the crosswording week in that paper. This was certainly that: not many anagrams, but plenty of easy-end charades to get you going. One I … Read more >>

The puzzle can be found here. Hello all.  On a pleasingly palindromic date we have perfect Sunday fare from Flitwick, of which I particularly enjoyed FATHOM.  I also noted the simple but very … Read more >>

I found this pretty tough. Maybe Dalibor’s puzzles are getting tougher.  His clueing is as sound as ever and clue surfaces continue to tell stories in little vignettes. I see from my notes … Read more >>

The usual tidy crossword from Phi. Things work smoothly almost every time. Phi often uses grids with unchecked letters at the sides, yet he always (I think) has at least 50% checking, which … Read more >>

We realised that we were in for a bumpy ride when we saw that today’s puzzle is a Serpent In the event, we found this to be less challenging than we had expected, … Read more >>

Morph has provided our Wednesday workout this week. It hasn’t fallen to me to blog a puzzle by Morph, who never disappoints a solver, for quite some time, so I was relishing this … Read more >>

Radian can often be found as a setter for the Independent on Tuesday       Radian has compiled puzzles with literary themes in the past with Shakespeare frequently taking centre stage.  Today … Read more >>

An enjoyable challenge from Silvanus today: not the easiest, but with that important quality of “obviously right once you see it”. The neat surfaces hide a good variety of clue constructions, including the … Read more >>

Dill’s third crossword for the Independent on Sunday, and my first encounter with her as a blogger.       I enjoyed the puzzle, and even managed to spot the ghost theme, which … Read more >>

My run of a trio of Hobs comes to an end with a tussle with the Serpent. Knowing Serpent’s reputation there will be a theme, won’t there? And was there? Indeed there was … Read more >>

Phi is back to his usual day this week after a brief excursion to the weekend last Saturday The first thing we noticed about the puzzle was the large square in the middle, … Read more >>

Loglady, with whose work I am not yet that well acquainted, is occupying the Thursday slot this week. I think that I have managed to solve all the clues correctly and unaided, although … Read more >>

Eccles is a regular setter of Wednesday Independent puzzles.  He provides a puzzle that usually avoids messages and themes.  His puzzles would be a good starting point for solvers getting into cryptic crosswords. … Read more >>

Apart from my vague grumblings over the use of ‘possibly’, and what seems to me to be a bit doubtful in 26dn, Alchemi has as usual produced a very neat and enjoyable crossword.  … Read more >>