how to search in the mail app

Hi,
Since updating to Catalina I haven't been able to search for messages from within the mail app. Previously I would use command opt f, type a query, and things would work more or less smoothly. Now when I press command opt f I hear "mailbox search" but it doesn't appear my focus moves to an edit field. Typing the first letter seems to maybe move me to a message that starts with that letter, but subsequent letters don't seem to work. Is this a bug, or did I some how mess up a setting somewhere.
Any help would be appreciated. If not, anyone have a favorite mail client with functional search capabilities?