The traveling carpenter Johannes Keinath is returning to his beloved Lake Constance for the first time in 20 years. He had once left an argument after he had struck down his brother Justus in a violent argument. As soon as he got home - his brother has still not forgiven him - the homecomer gets into a fight again: When two crooks attacked him after visiting the bar, the strong carpenter defends himself with all his might. Against his will, Johannes injures one of the crooks so badly that he believes he has killed him and fled out of fear. Disguised as a monk, he goes into hiding in a small lake village where "Brother Johannes" soon wins the trust of Pastor Arne Clausen. The Protestant clergyman is fighting to keep his dilapidated church, which is to be replaced by a modern motorway church. The support of the energetic monk is welcome to Clausen - Johannes can lend a hand, and his argument: "The church should be left in the village" is heard in the community. The shrewd glass shop owner Ulrich Neigenfindt is less enthusiastic, who has already snatched the precious church windows under the nail and wants to earn a lot from the new construction of the post-modern glass motorway church. Even more annoying for Neigenfindt is that the attractive carpenter's widow Sylvia, whom he has been keeping an eye on for a long time, gets along very well with brother Johannes. When Neigent finds out by chance that the supposed monk is being wanted by the police, he believes he can finally eliminate his adversary. But God's ways are unfathomable.

Ein Gauner Gottes

Prosecutor Katja Schilling is leading a murder trial against the powerful underworld boss Mankoff. But more and more witnesses are withdrawing their incriminating statements in court, because Mankoff's arm still reaches far from prison. All the more important is Nadescha Schaposchnikow, the sister of the young murdered drug courier, who observed Mankoff's crime and is willing to testify as a key witness. Katja keeps them hidden in a secret place until she makes a statement. However, the committed public prosecutor is ambushed herself: an informant and former fellow student is murdered - with her pistol. Ironically, Chief Inspector Tom Schilling, her husband, with whom she is divorced, takes up the investigation and soon finds her trail. Katja is torn: Can she confide in her husband or is he the mole who keeps supplying Mankoff and his organization with secret police information? Her fatherly friend Mirko Nolte, also a detective and Katja's most important confidante, has her back as best he can. But then Nadescha suddenly disappears from her hiding place. Katja must do everything she can to save her witness' life.