No 13061, Thursday 08 Oct 2020, Afterdark

Solution to 25A has been deliberately left unsolved and is to be answered only by a non-regular / novice commenter, with proper annotation. Those who have answered earlier in the week, please give others a chance.

ACROSS
1   A disheartened boy’s love breaking up. Clear? (7) ABSOLVE {A}{BoyS}{LOVE*}
5   Small place with green leaves at the edges of stretches (7) SPRAWLS {S}{P}{RAW}{Le..eS}
9   Bad taste; people are turned back in transport, say (6,3) ESTATE CAR {TASTE*}{RACE<=}
10 Confine an animal in a container... (3,2) BOX IN {B{OX}IN}
11 ... bad to start, fluid collection overcoming resistance leads to disease (4,3) BIRD FLU {Bad}{I{R}DFLU*}
12 Showered; police officer ready in a frenzy (7) SPRAYED {SP}{READY*}
13 Ridiculous to weep holding first and last letters (5) CRAZY {CR{A}{Z}Y}
15 Indifferent in a way, returns advance (9) APATHETIC {A}{PATH}{CITE<=}
17 Printing pioneer’s tenure disturbed by force on either side to accommodate boy (9) GUTENBERG {G}{UTEN{B}ER*}{G}
19 Olympian has covered last mile (5) OWENS {OW{milE}NS}
21 Midwives appeal after a cocktail with vodka’s empty; getting another liquor (7) AKVAVIT {wiVes}{IT}<=>{A}{cocK}{VodkA}
23 Dingbat house’s illegal, not uniform; case to follow (7) SHOEBOX {HOuSE*}{BOX}

25 Complete book? Not half. Almost absurd (5) T?T?L (Addendum - TOTAL {TOme}{TALl} - See comments)
26 Queen has zeal, somehow controls a baron with competence, essentially hard (9) ELIZABETH {EL{1}ZA*}{B}{c..pETe..e}{H} 
27 Designate listener to spot (7) EARMARK {EAR}{MARK}
28 Former spouse holds deed? Heartless lady indeed (7) EXACTLY {EX}{ACT}{LadY}

DOWN
1   An apparatus for distilling beer, primarily mild and lighter, perhaps (7) ALEMBIC {ALE}{Mild}{BIC}

2   Found in transit, arriving with instrument... (5) SITAR [T]
3   ... we will take the plane by attacks (4,3) LETS FLY [DD]
4   Urge company to sack team leader and hire Charlie (9) ENCOURAGE EN(-t+c)COURAGE
5   Vassals in a corner, king’s force gets silly primarily (5) SERFS {S}{ER}{F}{Si..y} (Correction - {SE}{R}{F}{Si..y} - See comments)
6   Revival of tribe somehow controlled by a factor, say (7) REBIRTH {R{TRIBE*}H}
7   Shrub to grow remotely, all over the place without energy, oxygen (3,6) WAX MYRTLE {WAX}{ReMoTELY*} 

8   Astronomical term to sync and gather match, say (7) SYNODIC {SYN{ODI}C}
14 Four adult films; perhaps Marlon Brando should get an agent (9) ACTIVATOR {ACT{IV}{A}TOR} (Correction - {ACT{IV}{AdulT}OR} - See comments)
16 Saint is imposing in second sermon (9) AUGUSTINE {AUGUST}{IN}{sEr..n} 
17 Receiver of good pay’s in grief often (7) GRANTEE {G}{gRi{ANTE}Ef}
18 Short story? No, very long, covering England’s tryst with the French (7) NOVELLA {NO}{V}{E}{L}{LA}
19 Family of dragonflies on a toad? Impossible (7) ODONATA*

20 Just after five, hotel should be vacated in sixty (7) SIXTHLY {SIXT{HoteL}Y}
22 Pinch, hit, weakling will bear it (5) TWEAK [T]
24 Honoured to be left amongst the finest (5) BLEST {B{L}EST}

Reference List

Small = S, Place = P, Resistance = R, Force = G(Gravity), Boy = B, Appeal = IT, Uniform = U, Hard = H, Charlie = C, Corner = S, King = R, Force = F, Factor = RH, Energy = E, Oxygen = O, Adult = A, Good = G, Very = V, Long = L, England = E, Left = L