Anatomy of a Cover-Up: The Truth about the RCMP and the Nova Scotia Massacres

by Paul Palango

FOLLOW-UP TO THE #1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER 22 MURDERS

The truth about the deadliest criminal incident in Canadian history has remained untold—until now.

How does one tell a story that nobody involved is willing to talk about?

Investigative journalist Paul Palango’s #1 national bestselling 22 Murders examined in forensic detail the shooting spree committed in April 2020 by Gabriel Wortman that began in tiny Portapique Bay, Nova Scotia, and ended thirteen hours later when Wortman was shot dead by RCMP officers. The episode left numerous serious questions in its wake—most especially why was the killer able to evade police in such limited geography for an entire night and much of the following morning? Theories emerged, in particular the likelihood that the killer or someone very close to him was acting as a police agent. Though Palango unearthed a treasure trove of evidence pointing to this possibility, the Mass Casualty Commission evaded all the big questions about the RCMP handling of the crime spree. To this day, no one has been held accountable.

In this new book, Palango continues to crack the case while also delving deeper into many of the big questions that 22 Murders asked not only about the RCMP’s relationship to the killer and his crimes, but also about the wall of secrecy and deceptions constructed by the RCMP and the criminal justice system. Drawing on his vast experience as an investigative reporter who'd found himself at the centre of many high-profile controversies over decades, he takes listeners on an unprecedented journey through the sordid and largely unknown history of cover-ups in Canada, exposing new facts about each of them that may alter the public’s perception of what really happened. As Palango fearlessly undresses politicians, police and journalists, his tour-de-force of reportage reveals to the world how the stories we think we know are often a complete facade.

Genres: Nonfiction, Canada, True Crime, Audiobook, Crime, Politics

480 pages, Paperback

Published June 10, 2025

Reviews

[The Page Ladies Book Club · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anatomy of a Cover-Up by Paul Palango dives even deeper into Canada’s deadliest mass shooting and basically pulls the curtain off a whole pile of RCMP mistakes, weird decisions, flat-out missing info and internal documents hinting the RCMP may have known more than they let on.

Palango goes full investigative bulldog here. He’s got leaked tapes, Commission documents, and a relentless tone that’s basically screaming: "Tell us the truth already! It's not light reading, but it's absolutely important. If you care about justice, accountability, or just well-researched true crime that makes your blood boil this one delivers.

[Matt Vaughan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Palango’s first book about the Nova Scotia Massacre, 22 Murders: Investigating the Massacres, Cover-up and Obstacles to Justice in Nova Scotia, and while I enjoyed it, I had some serious issues with the way the book was written. On this go around, I found the negatives a bit easier to stomach, though I find Palango gets in his own way. There’s a lot about the story that is frustrating, especially since the central thesis is that the RCMP is hiding important things in plain sight, and there’s more than a whiff of smoke to go along with that critique. But there’s an emotional element to the book that could be tamped down to better serve the material.

Even something as simple as calling the Mass Casualty Commission a ‘spinquiry’. Okay, look, I know you want to signal to me that a lot is missing from this process, but the cutesy name feels unnecessarily conspiratorial. Simply laying out the facts and pointing out discrepancies paints a picture that is hard to deny, but putting your thumb on the scale makes it pretty damn easy to deny.

There’s also a persecution complex. Objectively, this story did not get the same kind of play in traditional (and alternative, as Palango points out) media. But I don’t need to hear about who didn’t report the information in every other chapter. I get it, you’re the lone voice crying out in the wilderness. But when you remind me how alone you are, it damages your credibility, which wasn’t already sparkling.

Hear me out: I feel like this case needs a Netflix series. The book is good at laying information out, but it’s easy to get lost in the actual action of the shootings, especially when it’s not clear where the killer was at the time. I don’t want a show for entertainment’s sake, I want to truly understand, with visuals, what happened so I can wrap my mind around it. It’s a brutal event that deserves to be understood, and it only works so well on the page and when the author is hamstringing himself as he vents his frustrations.

[Virginia · Rating 5 out of 5]

In April, 2020, a man dressed as a police officer, and driving an official-looking Royal Canadian Mounted Police cruiser, went on a shooting rampage in a small rural area in Nova Scotia, one of the Maritime provinces of eastern Canada. I had watched this on the news at the time, and the pictures of the victims tore my heart out. The list of his victims - 22 people - went on and on. He shot a young couple at their home in front of their two little boys, and then shot the neighbour the boys had run to for safety. He killed a young family, parents and their daughter who were all three known for their love of dancing. He shot a brave grandmother in her own yard while her grandchildren were hiding in the basement. The killings appeared to be pretty random--ordinary, small town people whom everyone knew. Police response was slow and inadequate-- possibly deliberately--and the confusion was compounded by the fact that so many witnesses thought the shooter’s replica RCMP car was a genuine police vehicle already responding to their calls. The killings went on for hours, and included an on-duty police officer and a young woman who went to her rescue. This book was exhaustive and exhausting, and deserves every star just for the colossal amount of research that went into it. I’ll be honest and say I wasn’t able to read some of the information and the witness interviews as they were so horrible and sad. This book is an indictment of official indifference and incompetence that led to a man who’d been on law enforcement radar for almost two decades for a string of violent acts killing 22 people. Not easy summer reading for sure, but highly recommended.

[Colten Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who does not read a lot of true crime books, this was an absolute masterpiece of a read. The N.S massacres were a huge tragedy and being only a few hours away from where it all happened made this book all the more intriguing to read. Even though the author is speculating a lot of possibilities, he does it in a way that feels natural given the evidence. Sometimes the media needs someone that will question authority and point out the holes that are in a story. I think any Canadian would appreciate this read

[Erika · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author of this book is clearly a gifted journalist. I was hooked from the first page. I had no real understanding of what truly unfolded during this heartbreaking tragedy so close to home. This book was an eye-opener, and I’m grateful for the author’s talent for storytelling.

As for Lisa Banfield, it’s clear to me that she was an accomplice and should be held accountable. It’s deeply disappointing that our justice system has failed to deliver justice in this case.

“An apology without change is just manipulation.”
This quote from the book pretty much covers the RCMP’s handling of this case.

[Wendy McKellar · Rating 4 out of 5]

good book but writer jumps around quite a bit. author is really bitter against RCMP. no doubt this was a big screw up, just felt it should be organized a bit better in the book

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s amazing how many people I tell about this book that reply, “How could there have been a massacre of 22 people in Canada and I never heard about it?” Exactly! A couple of summers ago two young men killed several people and tried to hide out in northern Manitoba and that’s all you heard about. The penguins have a baby at the zoo, non stop news coverage. But the massacre of 22 people and bupkis.

I definitely think Palango is correct in his assumptions. At least I sort of hope he is. I certainly hope the RCMP aren’t as bumbling and pathetic at their jobs on the daily. I really want to believe this was an out of the ordinary situation. And that if I ever happen to be hiding in my basement as a crazed gunman is shooting yup the neighborhood the RCMP aren’t “planning and waiting” down the street and over the hill for two hours. Who exactly are they paid to protect and serve? Themselves? Hope that have a plan on how to handle this situation in future, she says while waiting for the great pumpkin.

Having got that off my chest. The beginning of the book drags. There are so many names you need a flow chart to keep up. I get that there is a lot of background information to cover and that a lot of people were involved in the massive screw up, but still it’s hard to follow and to stay motivated to keep reading. BUT, once you hit chapter 19 and Warnell’s part of the story things really pick up. So try to stick it out, or skim to chapter 19.

Actually the book probably could have used some photos or charts to help explain the top down cover up within RCMP ranks. That would have help immensely.

Also, this kinda bugged me so I started counting around og 44. Palango mentions 22 Murders, his first book, at least 38 times starting on pg 44. And I’m sure I missed some as I didn’t always have a pencil with me. I think it bugged me cuz I kept thinking do I have to read 22 Murders to understand this as the beginning was so difficult to follow.

Important book to read, but terrifying if you think the police, at least the RCMP, are going to put their lives on the line to help save you.

[Petros · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for any adult Nova Scotians. The shocking truth of the incompetency in both the RCMPs behaviour and conduct that night, the inside details of the relation ship to Wortman, and the extremely ineffective public inquiry.

While the read is a bit bloated, and often Palango tangents into historical accounts and analogies, he paints a picture of gross negligence. He also paints a picture of typical and disastrously disappointing self-protectionism that we see here in NS and Canada. Rather than grill and discover the justice needed for the families of the slain, and the public at large, the inquiry was designed in a way that protected the RCMP, which it should have been doing the exact opposite.

Large holistic discussions rather than cross examinations. When the public needed a trial of its protectors (albeit failed protectors), we got a sit-around-the-fire and hear them praise moan the mental illness and challenge of the night.

Palango uses speculation and conjecture certainly, and a critical mind must question the integrity and accuracy of the speculation. But; there mere fact we are left in a position where we must speculate; we must conjecture, after the largest murder spree in Canadian history, with the impossible to ignore 2-sprees in 1-event experience, you realize what a failing the entire scenario has been.

Unfortunately, I am not sure what happpens now, but the mere fact that we were all in praise of the inquiry only to have been left less than disappointed and justice unrequited is frankly scary and places our societal fabric into question.

Though, it seems like everything in the west has begun to melt at its seams, and so maybe it's an appt time to have such a failing of our guardrails.

Justice was not had.

[Carolyn Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an in-depth, lengthy investigative report describing historical cover-ups in Canada And is a follow up to the reporter's bestselling book '22 Murders' which detailed the deadliest massacre in Canada that occurred in 2020 in Nova Scotia. The author, Paul Palango, has his own agenda as he has written several books critical of the RCMP, but he has also criticized his own research on '22 Murders'. He states that cases we believe we know from the press are not the full and accurate stories. The Federal and Provincial governments, the RCMP, and the Mass Commission of Inquiry are all deemed guilty. Testimony is omitted, discarded, or lost, and the intention of interviewing crucial witnesses is avoided due to reluctance in upsetting the victims' families. It addresses historic cases, but does not discuss the 22 murders until well into the book. It places suspicion on some of the survivors' and witnesses' testimony, and insists that the public and press never got the full, truthful story.

It asks the question of how the killer was able to evade police in a limited territory for an entire night and much of the next day, and what mistakes were due to poor police tactics. Was the killer's girlfriend being truthful about being a victim? Her story is suspicious. The Mass Casualty Commission evaded the RCMP's handling of the crime spree, and Palango addresses secrecy and deception by the police force and the criminal justice system.

[Patrick Hanlon · Rating 2 out of 5]

There need to be two ways to weigh this book. First off, it is a readable page-turner and Palango has that in his favour even as he digresses away from the case. Still it is a book that relies on conjecture, speculation and the critical mass of frustration and anguish that surrounds the April 2020 spree through rural Nova Scotia. There are times when the book stops short of saying “Everyone’s in on it” but there are places where he could do a bit more research rather than speculating. One instance is when he is talking about purchases made at Staples and suggesting they were for shipment without determining if this was the case or indicating that he tried to follow this possibility.

Palango has a lot here but spends a lot of time questioning investigators, the RCMP, the MCC and other media to make the case that he alone is the only one who is covering this as thoroughly as he is. A bit too self-aggrandizing at times.

[Josh T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid book. A must read, in my opinion. A worthy successor to "22 Murders". while we may never have all of the facts, at least someone has made a stand against the institutions who would deceive us, including the legacy media, who seem to just parrot back what the establishment tells them. This book is very much in the spirit of true journalism, a thing I thought long dead. Perhaps there is hope yet. Or perhaps Palango is among the last of a dying breed, among those hoards of sheep taking up the pen, the keyboard and the bullhorn to simply spout out what those in authority profess as the truth (their version of truth... reminds me of double speak, that does...)

[Kelly Greenwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Paul Palango for continuing to ask questions. It is sad that after so much time and money were spent on a public inquiry there are still so many unknowns. The limits placed on public inquiries in this county are shocking - not being able to consider possible criminal activity foremost among them. Even with that limitation imposed by the Supreme Court of Canada, there were still lots of other inconsistencies in the timeline and the the events which were raised by the author in his 22 Murders book published in 2022 (before the public inquiry) that seem not to have been explored. The secrets are still hidden. My faith in our public institutions has been shaken.

"Fabula ipsa loquitur" indeed.

[Brandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the perfect follow up to 22 Murders. It was a captivating expose on the RCMP response and everything that the Mass Casualty Commission should have been.

There are still so many unanswered questions that will likely never get answered, but as Palango states, sometimes it really is Occam’s Razor - that Wortman was an RCMP CI who went rogue. And this book lays out how the force and our government will stop at nothing to keep that secret.

[Kelly MacKinnon · Rating 5 out of 5]

So this is a local story to me, I lived close to this community at the time this happened. Reading both the original when it came out and this one has only solidified my feelings.

This book was very well written and sheds light on the cover up, and the tragedy and also has brought the only semblance of closure we are likely to ever get.

Incredible read, well written, and very much needed.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paul Palango is a talented and compelling non-fiction storyteller, and here he provides a very thorough and convincing assessment of the response to the Nova Scotia massacres. It still sounds like a conspiracy theory and I'm not someone who really goes for conspiracy theories, but let's just say I won't be surprised if this one comes up true.

[Techiya · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you have read 22 Murders, then this book will feel like a reprise, with many lengthy sections repeated in this book. There was insightful new information, for sure, but the backstory could have been greatly condensed.

[Derrick Good · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting thought provoking read. Looking from outside it is hard not to think things should have been handled better for sure. Day 2 should never have happened.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an interesting and informative read. Really opened my eyes to what really went down in Portapique and how the RCMP operates.

[Maddy Tucker · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 44%

I guess I agree with parts of what was said, but I could not get past how narcissistic and condescending the author sounds.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very hard, tragic read, but interesting to learn things kept from the public. So sad!!

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was very disturbing yet enlightening.

[Ann Moynes · Rating 4 out of 5]

A whole new, worrisome view of the RCMP. Canadians, pay attention!

[Melany · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a crime junkies’ dream. It’s a well laid out sequence of events and the problematic RCMP response. I wish I would have listened to it on audiobook, so it would be more like a podcast.

[Heather Boyle]

DNF at 40%

[Renee Flewelling · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a difficult read due to the subject matter but extremely informative. I hope that the attempt to do a documentary on this case gets revived.