Written by Kevin Wald
In this cryptic crossword, there are two peculiarities in the entry of answers into the grid:
The answers to the clues, with brief explanations, are as follows:
ACROSS
1. SNEER (S+NEE+R)
6. WEEPIE (double definition with WEE PIE)
10. WIN-WIN ([t]WIN + [t]WIN)
11. NEILL ([o]NE + ILL)
13. GREENING (NINE "over" in GREG = GRE(ENIN)G)
14. PEST (P + EST)
15. NINNY (double def.)
16. DISHETH (SHE'D HIT anagrammed)
17. ESPN (ESP + N[eeded])
20. FLIP (F + LIP)
22. THEY (THE + Y)
23. HERS (HE + R[ub]S)
25. GR. WT. (GROW TO - O's)
27. IRWIN (in theIR WINdow)
29. MEIJI ("crossing" tiME I JInx)
33. WEENS (W + E'ENS)
34. WHIRR (WERE homophone)
35. ISN'T (I'S + N + T)
36. MINE (double def.)
37. INNS (INS "will surround" N[eptune] = IN(N)S)
39. SNIT ("overturning" TINS)
40. KIWI (KEY WE homophone)
41. GENESIS (SEE SIGN anagram)
44. CITED (SITED homophone)
47. FLUS (FLUS[h])
48. SCHEDULE ("left" ELUDE "after" SCH = SCH + EDULE)
50. LISTS (double def.)
51. ELECTS (STEEL anagrammed "about" C = ELE(C)TS)
52. NINISH (double def. with "NI!" "NI!" "SH.")
53. TREYS (TRAYS homophone)
DOWN
2. NOIRISH (NO + IRISH)
3. EVEN (NEVE "is upset")
4. BRINY (BRAINY - A)
5. UNBIDDEN (U + NB + ID + DEN)
6. VANNA (VIENNA, writing A for IE)
7. EEGS (EG "penetrating" E'S = E(EG)S)
8. PLEBE (PLE[d] + BE)
9. ESTHETICS (THE TIC[k] "gets suppressed by" ESS = ES(THETIC)S)
10. VOGON (NO GO + V "over")
12. IPHIGENIA (I + anagram of HAG IN PIE)
18. PERU (PURE anagram)
19. CHIASM ("seen in" bronCHI AS Minor)
20. AFRAID (A + F + RAID)
21. NAVAJO (OJ + A + VAN "carried north")
24. SMOOTHER (SMOOT + HER)
26. HAVING FUN (HAN "captures" V + anagram of FUNGI = HA(VINGFU)N)
28. VACANTNESS (VETS SCAN AN anagram)
30. LOESS (SOLES anagram)
31. BRUIT (BRUT "masks" I = BRU(I)T)
32. URANIA (U + RAN + I + A)
34. VANISHER (&lit, V + AN + IS + [t]HER[e])
38. NOVELTY (NOEL + T[imidl]Y "keeps" V = NO(V)ELTY)
42. NUBBIN ("overturned" BUN + BIN)
43. SSTS (SS + T'S)
44. OCELOT (TOO "upset" "about" CEL = O(CEL)OT)
45. BIDER (BRIDE anagram)
46. DEBS (DEBRIS - RI)
49. COSH (double def.)
The grid (with * for the V/W locations) is:
SNEERU*EEPIE *IN*INNEILLS GREENINGPEST NINNYDISHETH ESPNCDFLIPNE THEYHERSGR*T HIR*INIMEIJI ALUCARDTNUOC *EENSU*HIRRS ISNTMINEINNS NSSNITIRKI*I GENESISCITED FLUSSCHEDULE ULISTSELECTS NINISHRTREYS
Thus, the creature hiding in the middle row is COUNT DRACULA, who cannot be seen because he is mirror-reflected. He can be heard in the identification of V and W, and his victims have been drained of their blood-group letters (A, B, and O).
The hidden group of his prey, who can also be seen by looking down, were "each ensnared by the sound of his voice". The eight V/W squares come in four vertical pairs, which surround ("ensnare") the following vertical strings of letters: GNETHA, ENNY, NNIFRID, and JORN. These are just the members of the musical group ABBA (Agnetha, Benny, Annifrid, and Bjorn), who (through Dracula's feeding outside his lair) have lost their initial A's and B's (from which the group's name is derived, as a matter of fact). The group "couldn't hide the way he does" because its name is a palindrome -- mirror-reflecting it has no effect.
Thus, the solution is ABBA.