Things are not going well for the 12 gods of Olympus in 21st century London. Crammed together in a shabby, filthy townhouse, they're forced to accept menial jobs to make ends meet. Worse yet, they're unable to use their powers, for doing so makes them even weaker. When a squabble between phone sex operator Aphrodite and television psychic Apollo involves mortals Alice and Neil, things threaten to get out of hand and bring about the end of the world.

Alice is depressed when she loses her job at the television station where Apollo works, but when she gets a job cleaning the townhouse of a very eccentric family, she thinks her luck is changing. Sure, they have some odd names, odd habits and odd rules, but it's a steady paycheck. And if she has to put up with Apollo's unwanted attentions, well, he's not that bad. Though Apollo seems harmless, when Alice rejects his attention, his wrath has far-reaching consequences that could spell the end of the gods and humanity.

GOD'S BEHAVING BADLY is an entertaining story, though I have to admit, I didn't particularly like the characters. The gods are unsympathetic and Alice and Neil are milquetoasty. Still, Ms. Phillips has creatively intertwined Greek mythology and 21st century reality into an amusing read. Fans of the Olympus Twelve will get a kick out her take on their lives as near-mortals.