Anatomy of a Cover-Up

The Truth about the RCMP and the Nova Scotia Massacres

De: Paul Palango

Narrado por: Paul Palango

NATIONAL BESTSELLER

FOLLOW-UP TO THE #1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER 22 MURDERS

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

Investigative journalist Paul Palango’s 22 Murders examined the April 2020 shooting spree committed by Gabriel Wortman that began in Portapique, Nova Scotia, and ended thirteen and a half 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 so long?

Since then, the government called a public inquiry into the massacres—the Mass Casualty Commission. Though Palango unearthed a treasure trove of evidence pointing to the possibility that Wortman or someone close to him was acting as a police agent, the commission evaded all the big questions and let the RCMP off with a slap on the wrist. To this day, no one has been held accountable.

In this new book, Palango continues to crack the case, delving deeper into the evidence and testimonies of the witnesses who have been ignored. Drawing on his vast experience as an investigative reporter, he has mined the thousands of pages of commission documents to reveal the wall of secrecy and deceptions constructed by the RCMP and the criminal justice system, exposing new facts that may alter the public’s perception of what really happened.

A tour-de-force of reportage, Anatomy of a Cover-Up accomplishes what the commission set out to do—uncover the truth about the Nova Scotia massacres and bring long overdue justice to its victims.

©2025 Paul Palango (P)2025 Random House Canada

Reseñas de la Crítica

“A gripping and deeply unsettling exposé. Palango’s writing is urgent, raw and unflinching. For listeners interested in true crime, public accountability or Canadian politics, Anatomy of a Cover-Up is essential reading.” —Ottawa Life Magazine

Honoring the Dead by Telling the Truth

Read “22 Hours” to understand the background.Truth matters. The tremendous losses of the Nova Scotia rampages in a small place was unfathomable. The Mass Casualty Commission charged with sorting out what happened let the people down almost as badly as the RCMP did. I say almost because,the culture of the RCMP reinforces incompetence. Their lack of training, poor communication, ad bad assumptions allowed all the death on day two. The cover up made it so much worse. Domestic violence is real and so is trauma. But domestic violence was not central to this situation. Even if it was it doesn’t outweigh or negate the need to account for why so many died. There is a real opportunity for reform, and Mr. Palango‘s work provide a road map