Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips (2007, Abridged, Compact Disc)

Marie Phillips gives us a comic, lightly satirical, escapist romance, loosely grounded in mythology.

After the advent of monotheism, the ancient gods are booted out of Olympus and take up permanent residence in London. In 21st century England, they blend in well with the mortal population in public: Apollo is a popular television psychic; Artemis is a dog walker; Aphrodite gives telephone sex; Dionysius owns a trendy social club; and, a grizzled, addled Zeus is confined to his bed, tended to by Hera. In private, the self-indulgent immortals squabble and scheme endlessly and worry about their much diminished godly powers. When vain Apollo falls for Alice, a human who is in love with someone else, he retaliates in such a way that the fate of mankind is at stake. Her boyfriend Neil, a most unlikely mortal hero, must descend into the underworld to save the planet.

Good characterization, snappy dialogue and amusing ungodlike antics propel the plot. Rosalyn Landor is a highly talented reader who can sound male or female in a range of convincing, easily identifiable accents. She gives each in the cast a very distinctive voice. Some sex and strong language.