Tls

[mra1]

Ground to a halt with last 5 viz 1 across an inspector in a hurry leaving teh city G?N?B?

24 (3,5) a novel a day is written about what? T??,?O?R?25 a sleuth returning to Rio packs pens ?U?R??

17 down Cold rebuke follows: hence one making an apology

20 a virtuous girl guide picked up beer on the way back ?A?E?A

[dannyk13]

24.The Hours?

[Mamyalynne]

1a Gently

[mra1]

Many thanks for those two - that makes 20 down ?A?E?A

[fiction-factory]

paella?

[fiction-factory]

Forget that - i had ALE bacjkwards and then sounds like pi

[mra1]

No ?A?E?A

[emeritus]

20 Pamela

[Mamyalynne]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pamela;_or,_Virtue_Rewarded

20 Pamela

ale + map , back

[emeritus]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pamela;_or,_Virtue_Rewarded

[mra1]

Many thanks for that both of you - any ideas about my last two?

[fiction-factory]

24 (3,5) a novel a day is written about what? T??,?O?R?

25 a sleuth returning to Rio packs pens ?U?R??

[mra1]

17 down ?O?R???S
25 across ?U?R??
I have the other three solutions now

[Mamyalynne]

17 Socrates
So + C + Rates

[scorpiojo]

Poirot?

[scorpiojo]

..to Rio + p?

[mra1]

thanks Mamyalynne - that makes it Poirot - I had DoUne instead of Doone in 23 down

[scorpiojo]

..

[mra1]

Sorry Scorpiojo - your assistance did not flag up until after I had replied to Mamyalynne - many thanks yet again

[scorpiojo]

Sorry, I realised after posting :)