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I agree with Wintonian, circular puzzles do require a lot of cold solving and this is no exception. I thought most of the clues were on the generous side, though there are some stinkers and I don’t mind admitting I used software to help solve them. I can’t help thinking the extra letters are unnecessary as we don’t have to do anything with the definition they provide.

Fortunately, I worked out the definition given by the missing letters quite early on, so it gave a check for the missing letter in each radial clue. But I agree with Loge that it would have been good to do something more, like writing the word in the centre of the circle.

I did suspect as much Wintonian, but alas when I posted I had none of the perimeter clues. I think I have one now so perhaps that is the foothold I need.

I now only have 4 more (cold) solutions to finish this. The annoying thing is I know 4 letter placements in the grid and the extra letter to be omitted. I also know how they must be entered, but as yet all 4 elude me - this is becoming very frustrating.

All done now, what a slog that was. I think having so many answers with a missing letter and most with double unches, and not knowing exactly where they start, is bordering upon being unfair - but I am never a fan of cold solving most clues without any help. It seems more like a 38 question quiz rather than a crosword. Most circulars have additional thematic material in the circumferential rings to aid the solver, something that this one does not do.

I'm following a similar path to gitto. Trotted through most of it having solved the outer and third rings early on and worked out what the missing letters said.
Now left with 3 clues to grind through potential anagrams knowing that they can start anywhere but the outer ring. (For comparison they are 2, 26 and 35, and I'll probably kick myself over 35).
Might have a go at the Inquisitor and come back to this...possibly.

Hi granama1,

35 and 2 were my last ones in, and between them took around 40 minutes to work out. For 2, I was fixated on finding a botanical name ending in A, which was a blind alley. It’s a botanical term alright, but it ends in a different checked letter.

For 35, the full answer contains a double letter, which must be omitted in the entry.

I found 26 in Bradford’s Crossword Solvers’ Dictionary. Although the wordplay confirmed the entry, I doubt that I’d have worked this out without a lot of slogging.

Good luck with the remaining clues.

A quick google of a few words in third ring gave me theme, name etc. I enjoyed discovering the thematic perimeter words. But can’t parse 2 and 35. Please help.

fgsltw: Wordplay for 2 is a type of car (not a brand, but as in estate, etc.) reversed around A. There's an implied "which" after the "a" in the clue (at least I think that's how it works)

35: Usual crosswordese 3-letter word for newspaper outside word meaning "a certain" as well as joke - did you hear the ___ about... etc

Forgot to say the newspaper is reversed in 35.