Walter Satterthwait: Wall of Glass (USA 2012)

From the Publisher:
A conversation with a jewel thief draws Croft into an insurance investigation
It is April in Santa Fe, and a blizzard draws near. Private investigator Joshua Croft sits bored in his office, hoping he'll get home in time to avoid the storm. Just before closing, a man enters, wearing jeans, a Stetson, and a hard-eyed squint that tells Croft he wears the outfit for work, not fashion. A friend of the cowboy's possesses of a haul of stolen jewels, and wants Croft's help selling them back to the insurance company. Croft humors the cowboy, fishing for information on the heist, but the stranger leaves without giving away the scheme. The next day, the cowboy is found stone-cold dead, riddled with bullets.

The owners of the stolen jewels hire Croft to find their missing property. Along the way he dips deep into Santa Fe's underground, looking for the killers of the cowboy who came in from the cold.

Walter Satterthwait: Wall of Glass. A Joshua Croft Mystery. mysteriouspress.com, ISBN: 9781453251256 (April, 2012), 366 KB, ca. 216 p., $.9.99.

Walter Satterthwait: Wall of Glass (USA 2002)

From the Publisher:
Joshua Croft wasn't looking for trouble. It just managed to find him. While Santa Fe private investigator Joshua Croft wasn't exactly comfortable fencing a stolen diamond necklace, he did have a living to make. But when the small-time cowboy who'd offered him the deal was murdered, Croft knew he was into something hotter than hot ice.

In the posh section of Santa Fe, raw earth is as chic as sushi, and the trail of dirt Croft follows leads to even dirtier secrets, kinky sex, drugs, and double dealings -- and a second murder that strikes just a little too close for comfort.

"His use of deft characterization, quick pace and plotting, and effective Santa Fe color make Satterthwait a find." -- Publishers Weekly
"Satterthwait's style is easygoing and unpretentious. His plot hangs together; the violence is muted; Joshua Croft is a welcome addition to the P.I. roster." -- Kirkus Reviews
"In the tradition of Rockford, Sam Spade and Mike Hammer, comes now Joshua Croft, Santa Fe's answer to the private investigator. And the protagonist is flip, cynical, sarcastic and funny... . Satterthwait takes the prototype private investigator on a spin in and around Santa Fe." -- Albuquerque Journal

WALTER SATTERTHWAIT resides in Santa Fe, loves to ride his motorcycle, and writes mysteries that have an international audience. In addition to the Joshua Croft series, he has written the historical mysteries Wilde West and Masquerade.

Cover photographs: © Corbis
Cover design: Melissa Tandysh

Walter Satterthwait: Wall of Glass. A Joshua Croft Mystery. University of New Mexico Press, ISBN: 0826328873 (March, 2002), 254 p., $9.95.

Walter Satterthwait: Wall of Glass (USA 1993)

From the Publisher:
Joshua Croft wasn't looking for trouble. It just managed to find him. While Santa Fe private investigator Joshua Croft wasn't exactly comfortable fencing a stolen diamond necklace, he did have a living to make. But when the small-time cowboy who'd offered him the deal was murdered, Croft knew he was into something hotter than hot ice. In the posh section of Santa Fe, raw earth is as chic as sushi, and the trail of dirt Croft follows leads to even dirtier secrets, kinky sex, drugs, and double dealings -- and a second murder that strikes just a little too close for comfort.

Walter Satterthwait: Wall of Glass. A Joshua Croft Mystery. Worldwide, ISBN: 0373832656 (December, 1993), 250 p., $3.99.

Walter Satterthwait: Wall of Glass (USA 1989)

From the Publisher:
JOSHUA CROFT WASN'T LOOKING FOR TROUBLE. IT JUST MANAGED TO FIND HIM.
While Santa Fe private investigator Joshua Croft wasn't exactly comfortable fencing a stolen diamond necklace... he did have a living to make. But when the small-time cowboy who'd offered him the deal was murdered, Croft knew he was into something hotter than hot ice.

In the posh section of Santa Fe, raw earth is as chic as sushi. The trail of dirt Croft follows leads to even dirtier secrets, kinky sex, drugs and double dealings -- and a second murder that strikes just a little too close for comfort.

"His use of deft characterization, quick pace and plotting, and effective Santa Fe color make Satterthwait a find." -- Publishers Weekly

Walter Satterthwait: Wall of Glass. A Joshua Croft Mystery. Harlequin Books / Worldwide Library, ISBN: 0373260326 (September, 1989), 219 p., $3.50.

Walter Satterthwait: Wall of Glass (USA 1988)

From the Publisher:
One year ago, a diamond necklace was stolen from the luxurious Leighton home. To date, the necklace has not surfaced until pseudo-cowboy Frank Biddle unexpectedly enters Joshua Croft's office at the Mondragón P.I. Agency asking for help in negotiating the return of a piece of "hot" jewelry. As a detective, Croft's attention is aroused, but his interest is sharpened after Biddle is found dead the next day.

The Mondragón Agency is hired under a speculation contract by the insurance agency that paid the claim on the stolen necklace. Joshua does the actual footwork while the brainwork is provided by Rita Mondragón, the beautiful, handicapped owner of the detective agency. Together, the cohorts uncover several shocking circumstances all indirectly linked to the jewel theft.

Santa Fe provides a fascinating setting offering a unique synthesis of the nouveau riche and the rugged charm of old Mexico. Croft's search leads him to remote rural villages, exposing him to unsavory underworld characters; in contrast, he glimpses the luxurious world of Sante Fe's wealthy. But social sets merge together in very unusual sexual scenarios where these strange "bedfellows" form partnerships outside the bedroom as well.

Wall of Glass is WALTER SATTERTHWAIT'S first novel, but it seems certain to be the first of many. The author lives in Sante Fe.

Jacket by Doris Borowsky
Jacket illustration by Bob Newman

Walter Satterthwait: Wall of Glass. A Mystery. St. Martin's Press / A Thomas Dunne Book, ISBN: 0312015305 (February, 1988), 246 p., $16.95.