Cryptic crossword No 3,989

Thanks Ouroboros. A very enjoyable puzzle which I found pretty accessible. I liked the linked clues (which helped get 15a) and 10a, 11a, 22a, 17d, 24d and 27d. I didn't get the significance of the character in 15a till I googled and bunged in 19d from the crossers which was my last one in.

That is brilliant, a great theme and always a path to get in somehow, or mostly, (as I missed a few,) but I felt guided by the hand from clue to clue, by design or otherwise, an excellent trait by all reckoning. Many ooo moments, a few smiles, moments when it seemed like it would collapse, but no, then back to mulling. When I checked 19 to find it was correct, I sat for a few minutes wondering how you'd guided my hand to write it in, a really great piece of setting all round, thank you.

Nice one, I enjoyed having it all come together in the main theme answer. 17d was a fav. Mostly I suppose I enjoyed finding one of your puzzles that wasn't way too tricky for me!

Excellent puzzle, and great cohesion of clues into 1d. A few very tricky, but fair, definitions which I won’t spoil with explicit references. Wry much liked 3a, 10a,22a, 9d, and 17d. I couldn’t parse the wordplay for 19d though, even after running things through Chambers - I may be missing a convention perhaps

Thanks Ouroboros for an intricate letter dance. I’m guessing you have personal experience of the theme, though hopefully not the 9d element! All very nicely done, with faves including 1a, 3a, 15a, 30a, 8d, 9d, 19d and 24d. 7d was too technical for me, and I thought ‘criminal’ was a bit open-ended for the little guy. Also the link word in 5d is one I’ve regretfully renounced myself. Cheers!

Hi Ouroboros. That was great fun and not a theme I expected to see in a cryptic crossword! Takes me back to my uni days. Took some educated guesses to get to the end but all was fairly clued. As well as your themed clues, which were great, I also really liked 22a, 24d and 17d

Home run!