h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Just kidding

If you need advice, let me know.

Just to say that this type of puzzle is best solved collaboratively - you eliminate possible answers as you go.

I'm doing it - started off quite well last night, but still plenty more to do...

I'm impressed! Any grids filled yet? That's the toughest bit.

I managed to place one of the names I found, but the others I have so far could be put in more than one place, so I'm not sure yet...

In Part 1 I've got:

Spaceman - Cosmonaut - Mason
Model - Exemplary - Palmer
Density - Stupidness - Dupin

Palmer goes in the grid at the bottom.

The theme is fictional detectives, I think.

You might want to rearrange 'Palmer' (hint: town near Manchester) ...

Aha!

So the theme is fictional detectives and I have

Model - Exemplary - Marple
Intoxicated - wrecked - Creek
Prophylactic -French letter - Fletcher

I think the amateur detective hidden in the grid is Cadfael

You're doing fine!

Thank you

Right, so we have:

Intoxicated - wrecked - Creek
Tented - *RCA* - ?A??????
Density - Stupidness - Dupin
Prophylactic -French letter - Fletcher
Spaceman - Cosmonaut - Mason
Habituate - Frequent - Queen
Model - Exemplary - Marple

Cadfael

In Part 3 we have:

Capital City - Budapest - Spade
Demeritorious - Blameworthy - Marlowe
Zeolite - Harmotome - Hammer
Choppers - False Teeth - Steele

Can't find any words that fit with the pattern ZE*ON...

They can be phrases as well as single words. They're still listed in the dictionaries. You'll have heard of that one, I'm sure.

As to the last one in Grid 1, it's a little more obscure than the others. The detective is the American equivalent of Sherlock Holmes. The author died on the Titanic.

Ah! Thanks for the extra clue Tented - Under Canvas - Van Dusen

I also got Inadvisable - Unrecommended - Drummond

Hidden Private Detective is Ramotswe

That means there is a detective with name beginning with M - Magnum?

Holmes or Poirot would fit in the grid too...

Hmmm

I was convinced nobody would get Ramotswe!

You're doing fine.

I have read a Number One Ladies Detective Agency, so when I started filling in the grid and saw *sw* that was easy!

Filling in the rest of the grid is not so easy, but I found Disarming Proposal - Zero Option giving Poirot

That leaves *LLI* and *XI* for Automatic Firearm and Effectively...

Hmmm...

I've made some progress with Part 2 just now.

Gnomon gave me Relish - Chutney - Hunt
Bibbed Trousers - Dungarees - Regan
Greek Tyrant - Polycrates - Tracy
Intimacy - Carnal Knowledge - Wallander (fitted into the grid)

Aha! Jest - Crack A Joke - Kojak

Hat - Deerstalker (of course!) - Lestrade
Retreat - Hermitage - Maigret
Electricity SI Unit - Coulomb - Columbo
Thinking - Cerebrating - Bergerac
In agreement - Consenting - Tennison

Just leaves Department, Fennel-like, In view of, with BR*, C*NG, FER*

Phew Not bad for one day

The fennel one's not easy. It's a botanical term, and it would help to know the Latin for giant fennel. The other two are common.

The automatic firearm is two words, and the second one's guessable.

Aha! Ferulaceous - Clouseau

Got it!

Department - Branch - Chan
In View Of - Considering - Ironside

Now to fit them into the grid...