DIVINE MISFORTUNE by A. Lee Martinez

Let’s define, “DIVINE,” shall we?

DIVINE MISFORTUNE follows Teri and Phil a (not so) hapless couple trying to get by. Phil isn’t looking to win the lottery, he’d just like to score a lousy promotion. And Teri would like to catch a break for once.

But in a world where the pantheon of gods is not so mythological, it’s hard to get ahead without a blood sacrifice, an altar, and a little scratch to offer a working class deity.

So, despite Teri’s initial reluctance, they give the god game a whirl. They choose a deity from a web site and presto change-o, Luka the Raccoon God of Prosperity is ready to favor them.

Just call him “Lucky.” All he wants is to crash at their pad for a while.

And what’s a little immortal mayhem here and there, right?

Teri and Phil quickly figure out how tricky pleasing the gods can be. Soon, they’re hosting parties and taking in Lucky’s pal Quick (Quetzalcoatl), a down on his luck serpent god looking to move out from under his own personal PR nightmare–Conquistador massacre propaganda.

And that’s not the half of it. Lucky and Quick soon become the least of Teri’s and Phil’s worries. Before you can say Holy Valhalla, they’re in the middle of divine love triangle and grudge match.

In DIVINE MISFORTUNE, it’s hard to judge who’s more sympathetic. Both mortals and gods navigate the pitfalls of existence. Lucky’s just trying to get the girl, and Teri and Phil are just trying to pay the mortgage.

And everybody’s trying to dodge Gorgoz, the bloodthirsty god of chaos. Gorgoz has a score to settle with Lucky, and he doesn’t care who he has to crush to win.

And Gorgoz would really like a decent cable package, too.

Such are the dilemmas faced by gods and men.

The author’s previous works deliver the goods, but DIVINE MISFORTUNE packs an extra special one-two punch of humor and gravitas. Sure, you’ll bust a gut laughing, but this book will pleasantly stimulate the ole cerebellum at the same time.

Like the Greek comic writer Aristophanes, Martinez spins stories which captures the heart and the imagination. With a wink and a smile, the reader is welcomed into worlds both familiar and strange, manifest and surreal.

DIVINE MISFORTUNE is no exception. Pitch perfect, it might well be Martinez’s best yet. At the very least, it is every bit as good as my own favorite of the author’s books, THE AUTOMATIC DETECTIVE.

To paraphrase Aristophanes, “by words the mind is winged.”

So pick up a copy and take flight, already!