Book ~ "Grinder" (2009) Mike Knowles

From Goodreads ~ “You brought me back into this because you know what I am. I’m a grinder, I find out everything.” 

Bullets squared everything. Wilson left his old boss alive in exchange for a clean slate. Wilson held up his end of the bargain and stayed off the grid for two years. Two years of peace until a man came calling. The man brought a gun and a woman in his trunk. Thousands of miles from home, Wilson learns that the city doesn’t let go so easily. The city is more than bricks; it is a machine running on the blood of hard men and women. The hardest man in the city remembers Wilson and he will stop at nothing to get him back. 

A dangerous mobster’s nephews are missing and the only suspects are his lieutenants. Wilson is pulled back to once again work under the radar - to quietly find out who is responsible, so it can be settled with screams. Wilson is back to being what he was. He’s a grinder again. All bets are off and before he’s done - everyone will pay.

Two years ago, Wilson was working for Paolo, a mobster in Hamilton, ON.  He was a grinder ... he did what he had to do to get information out of people.  Some stuff went down and Wilson took off to start a new quieter life in Prince Edward Island.  He ended up getting a job on a fishing boat and kept his head down.  Two years later, two of Paolo's nephews have been kidnapped and he suspects it was done by someone within the "family".  Paolo sends for Wilson (not giving Wilson much choice) to find out who kidnapped his nephews.

This is the second (of six) in the Wilson series ... the first one apparently covers what happened two years ago that made Wilson run.  This is the first book I've read by this author and I liked the story.  It's the first time I've read a book set in Hamilton (I spent three days there a couple weeks ago).

It works as a stand alone ... though I haven't read the first one, there was enough information provided to get the gist of what had happened in it.  I'd like to read the first one to get caught up and then move onto the rest.

I liked the writing style.  It's written in first person perspective from Wilson's point of view.  It was blunt and to the point.  As a head's up, there is swearing and violence.  Despite his occupation and the characters he encounters, I found Wilson likable.