No 12578, Wednesday 20 Mar 2019, Neyartha

ACROSS
1   Raid retreat hiding priest from the east with cases of protective garments (6,5) BOILER SUITS {BO{ILE<=}R<=}{SUITS}

9   Rich fat needing carbon removal right away (7) OPULENT cOrPULENT
10 Floating insect behind the brown counter (6) NATANT {TAN<=}{ANT}
11 Old clown's daughter driving away the Tesla of the online harasser (5) DROLL (-t+d)DROLL
12 Jonathan orders the concealment of a self-feeding furnace (7) ATHANOR [T]

15 Annoying location for pain? (4) REAR [CD]
16 Kitchen furnace obtained after avoiding work to build repositories (10) ROTISSERIE REpoSITORIES*

18 Omit Mercer's faulty caliper (10) MICROMETER*
20 Family welcoming the new driver with a furnace (4) KILN {KI{L}N}
23 Crafty person seizing brief cut short prior to the modification of a furnace (7) FIREBOX {FOX} over {BRIEf}*
24 Fashion a furnace for working with metals (5) FORGE [DD]
26 Remove the top left on a stupid person (6) BEHEAD Anno pending (Addendum - BonEHEAD - See comments)
27 Break the musical instrument with Lawrence (7) VIOLATE {VIOLA}{TE}
28 Danger! DNA break-down after helium immersion could make a weapon (4,7) HAND GRENADE {DANGER+DNA}* over {HE} (Correction - {DNA}* in {HE} - See comments)

DOWN
2   Exercise in a solitary environment without reserve (6) OPENLY {O{PE}NLY}
3   Former model trading places with the student in a story (4) LATE (-t+l)LA(-l+t)TE
4   Twist reported by an editor covering the auditor's story with a description of some lemurs (4-6) RING-TAILED {RING}{TAIL(~tale)}{ED}

5   Muralist excited by radical philosophy (8) ULTRAISM*
6   Kitchen furnace's core turning up outside the gate (7) TANDOOR {T{AND}OOR<=}

7   Reserved student going out for a run with excitement to get a plant-protecting enclosure (4,5) COLD FRAME {COLD}{F(-l+r)RAME}

8   Burning coal circling the superior furnace (6) CUPOLA {C{UP}OLA*}

13 Instrument with a postman that could lead to a recipient's enrichment? (5,5) MONEY ORDER [CD]
14 Ram needed resolution, having been on an aimless journey (9) MEANDERED*
17 Nitwit leader getting a token concession up front (8) BONEHEAD {HEAD}<=>{BONE}
19 A mythological monster's impossible dream (7) CHIMERA [DD]
21 Drove, we hear, to find the Indian nationalist leaders on top making progress (6) INROAD {In..n}{Na...t}{ROAD}(~rode)
22 Manage to pay for a note about the shallow river crossing (6) AFFORD {FA<=}{FORD}
25 Furnace described in a part of the covenant (4) OVEN [T]

GRID

No 12577, Tuesday 19 Mar 19, Buzzer

ACROSS
9   Short-tail on Australian native bird (7) ROOSTER {STERn}<=>{ROO}
10 Mutation of clone embodying male group at a level (7) ECHELON {EC{HE}LON*}
11 North-eastern close ally? (5) NEPAL {NE}{PAL} &lit
12 Childhood years lady recollected (5,4) EARLY DAYS*
13 Stop agreeing so much and shut up (3,2,4) SAY NO MORE [DD]
14 Echoing prayer, receiver of ashes to feel sadness (5) MOURN {OM<=}{URN}
15 Nothing venerable about American subject (7) NEVADAN {NADA}{VEN}<=
17 Counsel is most comfortable with name-dropping (7) SUGGEST SnUGGEST
19 Knocked back magnificent drink (5) LAGER <=
20 Sort of curry to seek in earnest (3,3,3) CRY OUT FOR*
22 Special destructive avatar is of a goddess (9) SARASVATI {S}{AVATAR+IS}*

24 Do one's best every second in charge (5) ONSET {dO+oNeS+bEsT}
25 Island be turning into hint of very pale colour (3-4) ICE-BLUE {I}{C{BE<=}LUE}
26 I undo knots bound by handcuffs, irons primarily (7)  HOUDINI {I+UNDO}* in {Ha...s}{Ir...s} &lit

DOWN
1   Soaks up noise surrounding skating courses (6,2) DRINKS IN {D{RINKS}IN}
2   Toe the line and act out in a dense manner (6) COMPLY COMPactLY
3   Demanding task rounding up chartered roll at airport (1,4,5) A TALL ORDER [T<=]
4   Capital font we're developing (8) FREETOWN*
5   Costanza perhaps earthy, right revolting example (6) GEORGE {GEO}{R}{EG<=}
6   Way to pronounce serum (4) WHEY (~way)
7   Delight in unspoiled grassy lands (8) PLEASURE {P{LEAS}URE}
8   Complete agreement in how dune gets to be done (6) UNISON {UN is ON} to convert DUNE to DONE
14 Summon up a cast showcasing grand work of art (6,4) MAGNUM OPUS {SUMMON+UP}* over {G}
16 Attorney-General engaged in changes, changes that are unexpected (8) VAGARIES {V{AG}ARIES}
17 Case of kitty sneaking through small window (8) SKYLIGHT {S{KittY}LIGHT}
18 Take flight off Turin, Italy crossing borders (4,4) TURN TAIL {TURIN+iTALy}*
19 Look rigid taking one's snap (4,2) LOSE IT {LO}{SE{1}T}
20 Alpine accommodation is robust in cold temperature (6) CHALET {C}{HALE}{T}
21 Remains doubly stoic at first during defeat (6) FOSSIL {FO{St..c}{St..c}IL}
23 Pressure is solid in ball game for one (4) SOLO (-p+s)SOLO

GRID