Tls

[frameshift]

I've almost finished it, but have one to go. 20 down Spirit needing plenty of water.
Can't parse 17d, either, which is: Detective echoing poet in work of multi-award-winning novelist (8) ?E?N?S?N Only thing that seems to fit is TENNYSON
Thanks.

[emeritus]

Detective (Jane) Tennyson

[factor-fiction]

How many letters for 20d please and which letters do you have so far?

[roslyn251254]

letters for 20d?

[emeritus]

Lynda La Plante being the award winning Novelist

[emeritus]

20 Aqua vitae ?

[frameshift]

Sorry. (6) ?N?I?E

[frameshift]

Thanks. Just looked up Lynda La Plant and it seems that the detective is spelt with an 'I': TENNISON, which explains the echoing poet.

[roslyn251254]

ondine?

[frameshift]

Thanks Roslyn. Chambers says that for ONDINE you should see under UNDINE which is a water spirit preoccupied with water. The UNDINE comes from German UNDEN, and Latin Unda, a wave. Typical of TLS to have a clue which has two possible answers. I'm going with UNDINE, because of Chambers.

[frameshift]

One wrong, presumably I chose the wrong one.

[roslyn251254]

Hard luck frameshift - I went with ondine and it was correct