Criminal attempt recalled in regret (5)
I believe the answer is:
rogue
'criminal' is the definition.
The definition and answer can be both people as well as being singular nouns.
Perhaps there's a link between them I don't understand?
'attempt recalled in regret' is the wordplay.
'attempt' becomes 'go' (go is a kind of attempt).
'recalled' is a reversal indicator.
'in' is an insertion indicator.
'regret' becomes 'rue' (synonyms).
'go' reversed gives 'og'.
'og' inserted into 'rue' is 'ROGUE'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for rogue that I've seen before include "Impish, likeable person" , "Scallywag" , "one behaving atypically" , "Stray" , "Fraud" .)