QUIZWORD CLUES

ACROSS 1 Judy —, US author of novels Wifey, Blubber and Deenie (5)

4 and 16 Down 1987 opera by John Adams (5,2,5) 10 Joe —, author of stage plays What the Butler Saw and Entertaining Mr Sloane (5) 11 Political philosophy associated with Russian revolutionary Mikhail Bakunin (7) 12 2007 debut novel by William P Young (3,5) 13 BBC Radio comedy programme starring Tommy Handley that ran from 1939-49 (4) 15 Agatha —, fictional creation of M C Beaton who first appeared in a 1992 mystery novel (6) 17 Very small nocturnal fox inhabiting deserts of Arabia and N Africa (6) 19 One of the basic patterns of the human fingerprint (4) 20 Robert —, pen name of the author of 1914 posthumously published novel The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists (8) 23 The —, 1963 novel by Iris Murdoch (7) 24 Lester —, US jazz tenor saxophonist nicknamed Pres who died in 1959 (5)

25 and 26 2009 novel by James Patterson (1,4,5) 26 See 25 Across DOWN 2 River in Hades in Greek mythology that caused forgetfulness in those who drank from it (5) 3 Inland port of Baden Wurttemberg, Germany at the confluence of the Rivers Neckar and Rhine (8) 5 Republic on the Persian Gulf; capital Baghdad (4) 6 Romance language of Europe also known as Langue d’oc (7) 7 French physician in William Shakespeare stage comedy The Merry Wives of Windsor (6,5) 8 City in Meurthe-etMoselle, France; capital of the dukes of Lorraine in the 12th-century (5) 9 Branch of medicine concerned with the functions and diseases of women and girls (11) 14 British singer-songwriter who recorded 1977 UK no 1 single When I Need You (3,5) 16 See 4 Across 18 Black partially dried plum with a wrinkled appearance (5) 21 1973 stage play by Peter Shaffer (5) 22 Small burrowing mammal with velvety dark fur (4) Solutions in tomorrow’s Daily Mirror