Murder On The San Juan Express: An Agent Nelson Paine Mystery

Was Johann Mueller's death a tragic accident or was he a victim of murder?

Mueller, A German born physicist who immigrated to the United States in the 1930s to escape Hitler and the Nazis, was a scientist for the U.S. Department of War. Traveling on the Denver & Rio Grande Western's famed San Juan Express, Mueller dies under mysterious circumstances.

With World War II raging and foreign spies operating in the United States, FBI Special Agent Nelson Paine is assigned the sensitive task of uncovering the truth about Mueller's death.

Forced to retrace Mueller's last hours of life, Paine finds himself riding the same passenger train through the open, arid lands on the border of southern Colorado and northern New Mexico. One bit of evidence after another leads Paine to believe Mueller's death is neither an accident nor a murder of opportunity. Suspecting espionage, Paine continues Mueller's journey, seeking to discover why the scientist was murdered. Paine soon discovers things are not what they seem as spies, danger, and uncertainty abound.

Join Agent Paine as he travels the narrow gauge rails of the Denver & Rio Grande Western and the Rio Grande Southern railroads in an effort to solve the murder of Johann Mueller.

Influenced by the actual history of the times and two famous narrow gauge mountain railroads, fans of murder mysteries, spy stories, and history alike will enjoy unraveling the multiple mysteries presented in Murder on the San Juan Express.

"An interesting and entertaining read." - Earl Knoob - Retired Locomotive Engineer and Modern Day Railroad Boomer

"An authentic ride back in time. It felt is if I were a passenger on the train, watching the murders and hunt for the killer unfold." - Dan Petrosini - USA Today & Amazon Best Selling Author

"What an incredible story! Sivils pulled me back into time with his writing and attention to historical detail." - Gavin Reese, USA Today and Amazon Bestseller and retired police officer.

"A very readable who-done-it with lots of interesting historical detail." - John West - Noted International Railroad Photographer and Retired Railroad Executive

"Set in the very real world of narrow gauge steam trains and the secret metal mines of Colorado's San Juan Mountains, this story recreates the beginning of the nuclear arms race." - Olaf Rasmussen - Noted Rail Photographer and World Traveler