Clovis House Once Upon the River Platte

What could cause a strange phenomenon of wild animals suddenly and violently attacking humans? The episodes were initiated by bison, which broke out of a pen at a tourist attraction, attacking the panicked people who tried to take refuge in the tour bus and gift shop. This was only a precursor of attacks from other animals, including coyotes, red foxes, white-tailed deer, and even birds of prey. Is it from the prolonged drought and low water levels in the Platte River and its tributaries? Is it a “jumper” virus, possibly from bats? Is it a contaminant? Agent Pike of the US Federal Special Projects Division (FSPD), Dr. Susan Hotaru, a university wildlife scientist, and Elk, an elder of the Pawnee Tribe, artist and mystic, along with Jake Vogel, a local FSPD agent, team-up to solve the problem. But they first need to deal with local kill-all hunters and politicians while trying to understand the ever-increasing weird pandemic occurring along the Platte River in eastern Nebraska. This is an interesting twist on what’s happening now. The author obviously has a firm background in science, and more specifically, biology and was interestingly prescient on the current Coronavirus pandemic. Loved the twist on science interwoven with Native American mythology! K. Gray

I live on the South Platte River in eastern Colorado. At the present time, severe drought has nearly rendered the river dry. Climate change is real. In his full-length novel, Once Upon the River Platte, Kloberdanz does a remarkable job of creating a unique story that blends an understanding of the Platte River with Native American wisdom and the existential threat that our changing climate poses. Set in east central Nebraska, this outstanding novel is both simplistic (in that it conveys well the rural culture) and complex (a story of scientific intrigue). I could not put this book down and immediately picked up one of his earlier novellas about the Red River and will finish it today! An excellent read from a gifted writer.

This novel held my rapt attention throughout. It is exciting, accurate and opens new perspectives regarding a still living frontier. The reader will experience the raw emotion, uncertainty and adventure of life on the river as its irregular pulses of inconsistent and extreme weather, river flows, wildlife cycles and human intrusion daily mix a new matrix of normal. The story leads the reader into real life experiences of warming embrace and unexpected separation, as the artists painting of the river frontier is still wet and all participants are part of a living, mysterious and often unforgiving land. This book is intriguing and moves quickly. I highly recommend this excellent and well written adventure. J Michael Geiger

In "Once Upon the River Platte,” Dr. Kloberdanz creates a story of intrigue that is reminiscent of Hitchcock and King. Like his earlier book, "One Day on the River Red", he creates an intertwining tale of mythology/folklore and reality, including current events. Dr. Kloberdanz obviously did a lot of research to put the various facets of this book together. As a veterinarian, I initially got caught up in some of the details but when I released my own ideas of doing something mentioned in the book, and read it for what it is, a gripping novel which tells an incredible story, I was captivated. I enthusiastically recommend this novel!

This exceptionally well-written novel works on a number of very surprising levels. It is more than just the tale of a Washington, D.C. federal agent trying to get to the bottom of a potentially catastrophic ecological disaster in the backwoods of Nebraska—although that is almost certainly the hook that initially draws the unsuspecting reader in. This action-packed, highly suspenseful book transports you like few books ever do. And it transports you to a place much farther away than just merely the Platte River Country of eastern Nebraska. In one word, this book is completely and utterly mesmerizing.