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I'm rather new to the crossword game and have been enjoying the Spectator puzzle for a couple of years now.

Forgive me if I sound a heretical note, but this type of puzzle (2350) strikes me as rather uneven in pace...

...they start off utterly baffling, then half-way in the code becomes crackable and suddenly there is an easy rush of, in this case nine answers plus a number of other lights.

Am I alone in craving puzzles which remain evenly challenging through to the end? So that the 'denouement' arrives in the correct place, towards the end rather than in the middle...

Or is that an impossible task for the already challenged, and much appreciated compilers?

I agree with many of your points, KT17. In some themed puzzles it can actually be disappointing if the theme is spotted relatively early - I never like it when I can suddenly fill in the whole perimeter because of spotting the necessary quotation, for example. It'd be great if all puzzles were 'evenly challenging through to the end', but I don't think it's always possible.

Whilst the theme did reveal itself a bit too early I enjoyed this one. At least we didn't need the dreaded Brewers for a change.

I was a bit surprised though at the 7a/8d entry. Normally unless specified you'd have had sum and mons with the appropriate amount of cells. In this case either the M does double duty or needs to be entered M/M.

A bit odd or am I in the wrong?

Dja, I puzzled over that 7A/8D entry for a while too! I felt it was distinctly odd and should have been avoided.

Glad I wasn't alone Malone.

IQ, Listener and EV just around the corner to keep us busy.

'Twas indeed very peculiar, as both SUM and MONS were both valid answers to what could have been interesting clues; also, other answers abounded.

It must have been a rush of blood!