A Flower in the Desert

Joshua Croft #3

by Walter Satterthwait

When television star Roy Alonzo is accused by his ex-wife of sexually abusing their young daughter, Roy hires Santa Fe private investigator Joshua Croft to find mother and daughter, clear his name, and save his career. The trail leads from Beverly Hills to a commune in northern New Mexico, with mysteries proliferating as the journey goes on.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

248 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Walter Satterthwait (b. 1946) was an author of mysteries and historical fiction. A fan of mystery novels from a young age, he spent high school immersed in the works of Dashiell Hammett and Mickey Spillane. While working as a bartender in New York in the late 1970s, he wrote his first book: an adventure novel, Cocaine Blues (1979), about a drug dealer on the run from a pair of killers.

After his second thriller, The Aegean Affair (1982), Satterthwait created his best-known character, Santa Fe private detective Joshua Croft. Beginning with Wall of Glass (1988), Satterthwait wrote five Croft novels, concluding the series with 1996’s Accustomed to the Dark. In between Croft books, he wrote mysteries starring historical figures, including Miss Lizzie (1989), a novel about Lizzie Borden, and Wilde West (1991), a western mystery starring Oscar Wilde. His most recent novel is Dead Horse (2007), an account of the mysterious death of Depression-era pulp writer Raoul Whitfield. 

Reviews

[Bonnye Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

#3 of a series but perfectly stand-alone, Joshua Croft is a PI with partner Rita Mondragon, and this case involves a missing mother and 6-year-old daughter from the Santa Fe, New Mexico area, by way of LA, CA. We spend time in late autumn in both locales, which Mr. Satterthwait describes perfectly, and the mystery is well presented. The bad guys are extremely bad, the good guys are personable, responsible, and have some very good lines, and this had me laughing in spots and fighting sadness in others. Altogether, it is an excellent tale told very well. This is a series I will want to read in its entirety.
REVIEWED on April 28, 2025, at Goodreads, AmazonSmile, BookBub, and Kobo. Not available at B&N

[Otto Penzler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joshua Croft is a private investigator who is hired to find a missing mother and daughter whose involvement in a human rights group in Salvador creates ethical challenges for the detective and his partner, Rita Mondragon. The Joshua Croft mysteries are a great series from an author who is well known for his inventive historical mysteries, such as Miss Lizzie and Wilde West. The dynamic between Croft and Mondragon is intriguing, the clues are subtle, and the prose is original.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel had a special attraction for me because I spend summers in Santa Fe. A mystery novel binge reader, I particularly enjoy following a detective’s progress through familiar territory ( or learning a local’s quirks through a novel). This book traversed the familiar ground of both Santa Fe and Los Angeles, so I enjoyed itvtwice as much.

The protagonist, Joshua Croft is sensitive and tenacious. . . But, perhaps not sensible. That made for an interesting and entertaining introduction to this series.

[John Magee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of fun

Having once lived in Santa Fe, I enjoyed the familiar sights, sounds and geography of a place I dearly loved and still love today. The storyline was well-designed, logical, believable and tied up the loose ends. I will read more Joshua Croft in the future.

[Gail Mathers · Rating 5 out of 5]

A flower in the desert

Fantastic book. Great story, so many twists and turns. Hard to keep up with. Strong characters, great highs and lows. Wonderful to read.

[Diane · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had a difficult time keeping everything sorted.

[Charlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly did not see the little girl beig disguised and the mom being dead. Pretty good twist, even if it did drag on for a little bit.

[Cathy Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first came to Walter Satterthwait's writing through Miss Lizzie, his historical mystery featuring Lizzie Borden. Soon thereafter, I found his Joshua Croft private investigator series set in Santa Fe, New Mexico. A Flower in the Desert is the third book.

The mystery about a movie star wanting to hire Croft to find his missing wife and daughter is solid. Joshua Croft reminds me of Todd Borg's Owen McKenna in that he, too, is willing to be in a relationship on the woman's terms, even if those terms are contrary to his own desires. Croft has an irreverent sense of humor that often gets him into difficulty (asking an extremely difficult motel clerk, "Were you ever in the Wehrmacht?")

The mysteries are good, the characters are good, and Satterthwait's poetic descriptions of Santa Fe and the surrounding area brings the landscape to life. The next book in the series is waiting for me patiently.

[T J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joshua Croft has new case of a missing woman and her child and the only clue is a postcard marked with postmarked Santa Fe with the message "A flower in desert is alive". This had a lot of excitement and twist and turns. It will keep you guessing to the very end.

[Pat · Rating 2 out of 5]

Joshua Craft investigator.
He doesn't want the case because child abuse is involved.
Takes it anyway.
Interesting twist with El Salvador death squads.

[Lynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the character, Joshua Croft. The story was o.k. Not thrilling.....style of writing was enjoyable though.

[Kathleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another Satterthwait novel. I guess they really didn't make much of an impression on me.