Grouchy former librarian Irwin Abernathy, presently the co-owner of Abernathy & Crane, is busy preparing the bookshop for the holidays. Meanwhile, his neighbor and nemesis, Alastair Brooke, lays dying next door. It's no secret that Irwin and most of the town dislike the irritating antique dealer, but Irwin can't imagine what nasty deed the vile little man did to deserve being murdered! Then again...Within moments of their arrival, the police suspect Irwin's friend, ex-convict Darren Crane. His arrest launches everyone and everything at Abernathy & Crane into utter chaos. While poor, innocent Darren wallows away inside a jail cell, Irwin and his incorrigible friends are busy doing whatever it takes to prove his innocence--which frankly terrifies Darren almost as much as being hauled back to prison! Devoted Friends is a heartwarming story about the compassion and humor required when one is confronted by life's many unpredictable obstacles. It is also about friendships driven by courage, dignity, and the unrelenting fortitude necessary when facing grief and heartbreak in a sometimes unfair, perfectly, imperfect world.