| IANRANKIN | Writer whose 1987 novel Knots and Crosses introduced Rebus (3,6) |
| RANKIN | Author of the Inspector Rebus novels including Knots and Crosses, Hide and Seek and Strip Jack (6) |
| OXO | Knots and crosses loses in The Cube (3) |
| ALLEVIATE | Leave tail in knots and take the edge off (9) |
| INITIATED | Tied it in a knot and began (9) |
| PRIESTESS | Cleric ties knot, and is featured in newspapers (9) |
| BLUEBEARD | 1987 novel by Kurt Vonnegut (9) |
| POSTCARDS | Carrie Fisher's 1987 novel, _ From The Edge (9) |
| ICET | Rapper and actor whose 1987 debut album was titled Rhyme Pays (3-1) |
| LOS | ___ Lobos (band whose 1987 "La Bamba" cover hit #1) |
| GUNSNROSES | US rock band whose 1987 debut album was Appetite for Destruction |
| IEUANEVANS | Rugby union winger whose 1987 Wales Test debut was against France (5,5) |
| MOTHS | Feeding on night-scented blooms including honeysuckle and jasmine, insects such as the Brindled Beauties, Peach Blossoms, True Lover's Knots and Yellow Belles (5) |
| CREWEL | Embroidery type that uses French knots and seed stitches |
| NODAL | Boy, on turning up with knots and lumps (5) |
| TIER | He might do sailor's knots and I might draw |
| DISENTANGLE | Will sort out the knots, and is gentle about it (11) |
| FUGARD | South African dramatist who wrote the plays Blood Knot and The Road to Mecca and the novel Tsotsi (6 |
| CAPEL | David ..... , late Northamptonshire all- rounder whose 1987 England Test debut was against Pakistan at Leeds (5) |
| MOORE | Brian ..., rugby union hooker whose 1987 England debut was against Scotland in the Five Nations (5) |
