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wrt 17d: you need to figure out 22a and then 17d will make sense.

I liked this one. Some tricky clues and a nice twist.
12d was a favourite. Earlier posts suggest usurper is the definition but I think it is an &lit that in this case actually works.
I think the highlighting is fair. One word in the preamble immediately struck me as being unusual and pointed me straight to the answer.

First time posting to the forum. Would greatly appreciate a nudge towards understanding 10d. I have everything else complete in the crossword - the theme, the instruction from the extra letters, the unclued entries and the shading. All I am left with is the unchecked letter in 10d, which I think has only one possibility if the grid entry is to be a real word (and taking account of what I think the answer in the crossing unclued entry is and why). In the clue, I have an idea what 70 might represent, but I can't see any detectives or smackers suggested by the letters I have. Any help with this parsing gratefully received!

Hi Twit,

Welcome to the Forum:-0

10d - the "detectives" are a slang word (I think I heard in Brookside a few times) minus extra letter and that goes around single letter "70" (medieval) - definition is "smackers" (as in 'kisses') but you'd never guess unless you already knew it or checked second definition in Chambers.

Of course! Thanks Brendan. That fits perfectly. I feel like I've lived up to my new username already!

Seventy can be represented by S in medieval Roman numerals.
You need a word for detectives, or some might use it for the police in general. There is an extra letter which you probably have already identified.
Smackers as a definition is confirmed by Chambers.

Not at all, I doubt there's a cryptic solver who hasn't frequently been in the same boat:-)

Thanks Smithsax - much appreciated.

after what seems like hours, I still can't see how the entry for 17d is a word, and how finding 22ac (which I'm unable to do) helps.

On the other side I'm struggling equally with 10d and 15d. Sorry to be so dim- and annoying, as the theme topic is a specialty of mine!

dylan, some initial grid entries are not real words, but will become real words once the unclueds are filled in.