No 9609, Wednesday, 12 Aug 09, Neyartha

Another starred clue round!!
Note: Solutions to the starred clues (which carry no direct definition) add flavour to cooking.
ACROSS
 1 - Is this a recovery with medicinal aid? Yes and no! (7,6) - PLACEBO EFFECT [E]
 9 - *These are left in sheltered bays (6) - C{L}OVES
10 - Writer’s portable sunshade in the annex is lost in the shadow (8) - {PEN}{UMBR(-ell)A}
11 - Very cold and unfriendly (3) - ICY [DD]
12 - *Force the Poles in the shelter to return (6) - {F}E{NN}EL<- )
13 - Bioscience using ECE in a bad way (8) - EUGENICS*
14 - Adjusted space on keg for pastry (6,4) - SPONGE CAKE*
17 - *Letters from the drama centre (4) - MACE [T]
18 - Dank places may encourage this tree hugger (4) - MOSS [CD]
19 - Run to follow quarry around Oriental castle with the warden (10) - {GAME}{KEEP}{E}{R}
21 - University doctor in Velachery outskirts excised the inflammation (8) - NEURITIS(-vy)* Nice clue
23 - Goblins in ball kicked out the tyro from the lively dances (6) - P{O}O(-l)KAS Got this from a word search.
25 - This number is also on the radio (3) - TWO (~too)
26 - Repetition played on a harp by Arun initially (8) - ANAPHOR*{A} New word for me
27 - Cheap eggs sent back to Germany’s borders (6) - {STIN<-}{G(-erman)Y}
28 - Might bandaging reveal a business attire? (5,8) - POWER DRESSING [CD]
DOWN
 2 - Sick in the French city (5) - L{ILL}E Double duty for French
 3 - Pledges in a drunken conversation to get rid of the port (9) - COVENANTS(-rio)*
 4 - *Backward R&D centre embraces metric system (5) - BA{SI}L
 5 - Emmy (ape) stricken with inflammatory disease (7) - EMPYEMA*
 6 - *Iron in the north unearthed originally by a European (9) - {FE}{N}{U}{GREEK}
 7 - *Henry leaves friend’s mina wingless (5) - C(-h)UM{(-m)IN(-a)}
 8 - Vehicle deployed incorrectly to take Ron out (8) - TRICYCLE(-ron)*
15 - You can find many rings in these shows (5-3) - PHONE-INS [CD]
16 - A Scottish reel for the octette (9) - EIGHTSOME [DD]
17 - Con men’s IM reveal memory devices (9) - MNEMONICS*
20 - *It is gathered for the auditor (7) - MUSTARD (~mustered)
22 - Poor person from the east smuggles the magazine proof (5) - REPRO [T<-] )
23 - Selection of typos sent to the law group (5) - POSSE [T]
24 - Malicious burning of a bit of gallium for sulphur and gas (5) - AR(-s+g)GON

No 9608, Tuesday, 11 Aug 09, Neyartha

Note: Solutions to the five starred clues (which carry no direct definition) are all lakes.
ACROSS
 1 - Limit to what a student might hear from his geometry teacher (4,3,4) - DRAW THE LINE [CD]
 9 - A Pole replaces the Frenchman’s deer trap (5) - (-m+n)NOOSE
10 - Cooks cheer once in harmony (9) - COHERENCE*
11 - Avoid and turn away (5) - AVERT [DD]
12 - Cost in U.S. fixed to protect BSE divisions (11) - SU{BSE}CTIONS*
13 - *East German trucks into vodka cocktail without notice (6) - V{OST}OK(-ad)*
14 - Clinical department loses right to take part in accord (7) - {ENT}{ENTE(-r)}
18 - Dangerous mania surrounds bismuth in this country (7) - NAMI{BI}A*
20 - Show disapproval about overturned can of fish (6) - BO{NIT<-}O
24 - Beating that may upset a cardiologist (11) - NONRHYTHMIC [E]
26 - *Greek character (male) taken out by a knight (5) - O(-m+n)NEGA
27 - Speaker’s focus is on the characteristics of caricatures (9) - PORTRAITS [DD]
28 - Some men decided to conceal the fix (5) - EMEND [T]
29 - Water source for bulb vegetable (6,5) - SPRING ONION [CD]
DOWN
 1 - Critical device is malfunctioning (8) - DECISIVE*
 2 - *Dry organisation enlists the short sailor in South California (9) - {A{TH(-e)}{AB}A}{S}{CA}
 3 - Capone leaves ornamental doorplate in ruin (7) - TORPEDO(-al)*
 4 - Painter about to come back with partners on time (5) - {ER<-}{NS}{T}
 5 - Immobilised in the Arctic Sea? (8) - ICEBOUND [E]
 6 - The English reportedly crowd together (2,5) - EN MASSE (~mass)
 7 - Returned present, framed in village outskirts, is like a tapestry (5) - WO{V(-illag)E}N<- )
 8 - Attractive Romeo’s departure is inconsequential (5) - P(-r)ETTY
15 - Friendless Rimi virtually paralysed by Roman executives (9) - TRIUMVIRI(-ally)*
16 - Salesman sent up to follow a kind doctor’s American abductor (8) - KIDNA*{PER<-} ) US spellings will spoil my spelling
17 - Snake shoe (8) - MOCCASIN [DD]
19 - The two knights involved in the disastrous raids had guts (7) - I{NN}ARDS*
21 - *Absence of GSM worries agronomist (7) - ONTARIO(-gsm)*
22 - Ali? He may be a rebellious Chinese secret society member (5) - BOXER [DD]
23 - Take delight in George Trevelyan’s contribution (5) - REVEL [T]
25 - *Alternative retreat welcomed by Attila, say (5) - HU{RO<-}N