The Messenger by Jan Burke

I'm now going to start The messenger. I love Jan Burke. She is a mystery writer who normally writes books with a recurring character (Irene Kelly). However, this is not one of those. This novel is a supernatural thriller that delves into the paranormal territory (I'm intrigued already). For a description of this novel, I've borrowed from Amazon.com...you see, the book just seems too in depth to try and explain it in my own words. Here's what it said:

Tyler Hawthorne, a British officer wounded at Waterloo, receives a memento mori ring on the battlefield from Messenger Lucien Adrian deVille, Lord Varre. The ring grants the wearer immortality, but in exchange Tyler must forever comfort the dying. Tyler also gets Shade, a black cemetery dog, for protection.

In the present, a salvage diver uncovers Adrian's remains in a ship sunk in the Caribbean in 1815. A resurrected Adrian uses the diver to help locate Tyler in Los Angeles, where Tyler is attending to a leukemia patient. Tyler, an ageless 24, has also fallen for wealthy Amanda Clarke, who's haunted by family members killed in an accident that she survived. Mutual attraction and a dedication to do good unite the pair against the evil Adrian. Shade lends a distinctive Dean Koontzian flavor to the action, while Charlaine Harris fans will appreciate Amanda's ghostly abilities.

I'm intrigued and will now retire to my bubble bath to begin this novel. I'll let you know.
 
Update:  I've finished The Messenger by Jan Burke. I liked it. It started out much stronger then it ended. I really like the story line - a man on his death bed at the battle of Waterloo, makes a deal with a stranger in order to live. In the deal, he becomes a messenger for those on their own deathbeds who are unable to speak final, necessary words to their loved ones. The cost for the Messenger, however is immortality. Two hundred years later, sick of wandering through life without being able to make any long-term connections with people (they would notice after several years that he still looks 24), he begins wishing to be dead himself. It is just then (when our story takes place) that he realizes he may just get his wish. Trouble, of course, ensues. I won't say any more - I don't want to ruin it. The problem with this novel was the feeling that the story was rushed. There were parts that I had to re-read because they didn't make a lot of sense. All in all, however, it was enjoyable. I'd call it a "Pretty good, might-as-well-read book".