Blog explanations available at 10pm on the day of publication
Across:
8 Hand (FI-ST-) over key (music key -E-) to a (-A) (FIESTA) car (FIESTA),
9 A (A-) star (-SUN-) from club (-C-) is charged (-ION) (ASUNCION) in South American capital (ASUNCION = capital of Paraguay),
10 No crust in structure (no “crust” in “structure” = ture = TRUE) – is that right? (TRUE),
11 Is that the greatest you can do (MAGNUM OPUS) to sum up mango (sum up mango = MAGNUM OPUS) sauce? (= anagram indicator),
12 Go in (go in = -GION) nervously (= anagram indicator) after (= positional indicator) the foreign (the = LE-) (LEGION) group of soldiers (LEGION),
14 What the accountant did (TOTALLED) for the early man (TOT-) and everyone (-ALL-) with king, for one (king bed), losing head (b) (“bed” without “b” = -ED) (TOTALLED),
15 5 down (“August” = MONTH) is in pursuit of (AFTER) 24 across (“July” = MONTH) (MONTH AFTER MONTH) and while it’s timely, it’s relentless (MONTH AFTER MONTH),
18 Spare man (spare man = PARMESAN) kicked? (= anagram indicator) That’s hard cheese! (PARMESAN),
20 Seals leave Dar es Salaam (“seals” leave “Dar es Salaam” = draaam = ARMADA) with the fleet (ARMADA),
22 Concerns (AGITATIONS) Santiago (Santiago = AG-ATIONS) sabotage (= anagram indicator) surrounding technology (-IT- department) (AGITATIONS),
24 Blue jays abandon base (“blue jays” abandon/without “base” = lujy = JULY) for one of those in 26 across (one of those “months” = JULY),
25 Hard-working (PROLIFIC) detective (P-I-) admits job (role) is not finished (e) (“role” without “e” = -ROL-) and starts finding inconsistences coincidently (starts/first letters of “finding inconsistences coincidently” = -FIC) (PROLIFIC),
26 Those in 5 and 24 down (“August” and “June” = MONTHS) on both sides of march (on both sides of March = MONTHS).
Down:
1 Wild (FIERCE), loud music (forte = F-) that is (i.e. = -IE-) associated with Luther’s extreme (extreme of “Luther” = -R-) church (Church of England = -CE) (FIERCE),
2 Concealed tennis lesson (concealed “tennis lesson” = ISLE) for one in 3 down (“Tasmania” is an island / ISLE),
3 The Animals’ set opens (“the animals set” opens = TAS-) to hysteria (-MANIA) (TASMANIA) in Australian state (TASMANIA),
4 Company (GANG) deposits in JP Morgan guarded (deposits in “JP Morgan guarded” = GANG),
5 Respected (respected/eminent = AUGUST) heads of army units (heads of “army units” = AU-) and air force (-GUST) (AUGUST),
6 Last (= positional indicator) study (-ROOM) on fish (SCHOOL-) (SCHOOLROOM) – that’s one for the books (SCHOOLROOM),
7 Cross (MONUMENT) mother (M-UM-) admits broadcast (-ON-) is half-decent (half “decent” = -ENT) (MONUMENT),
13 Novel (= anagram indicator) ain’t timely (aint timely = INTIMATELY), as secretly it’s not for publication perhaps (INTIMATELY),
14 Giant (TITAN) of Italian Renaissance (Titian) hasn’t got one (i) (“Titian” without “i” = TITAN),
16 Order (O-) from top soldier (-RANGER-) leading yeomanry (leading “yeomanry” = -Y) (ORANGERY) in Valencia’s cultivated area (ORANGERY for Valencia oranges),
17 Take it for granted (REASSUME) with poor (= anagram indicator) measures (measures = REASSUME),
19 Do something to alarm (SET OFF) rotten (OFF) group (SET) to begin with (= positional indicator) (SET OFF),
21 Detective (D-I) admits showing off (= anagram indicator) help (help = -ELPH-) (DELPHI) in home of ancient informant perhaps (DELPHI),
23 How can there be no evil in violence (no “evil” in “violence” = once = ONCE) for some time? (ONCE),
24 James the First (“James” the First = J-) had a nice (Nice, France “a” = -UNE) (JUNE) time in summer (JUNE).