Mini crossword No 189

Quick backstory: a few puzzles ago, Gennaro wrote this memorably noirish clue: "Heavyweights strangle husband with skin of predatory snakes" (7) - and I liked it so much that I hoped to assemble a collaborative mini with eight murder-based clues each written by a different setter. That fell through, but the mini, for better or worse, stuck. I still think it'd be fun to do a collaborative mini, but in what way? (Thanks again Gennaro for the initial brilliant imagery!)

Fun! Thanks tpg

Thanks tpg for a fun filled mini. 1a & 3d were my picks. Nice consistency throughout.

Very much enjoyed this, tpg! Faves: 1a, 7a. Great way to carry the theme throughout.

An experiment: 8 illustrated clues, via Google Gemini - tiny.cc/8illustratedclues

Really enjoyed the idea and surfaces, with 3d and 8a my faves. Thanks tpgrammar for a fun solve.