(by MartinHafer on 23 December 2013)

In some ways, "The Devil's Novice" is pretty funny. After all, folks keep confessing to crimes or assuming someone did it and they didn't! So, if you think you know who dunnit, hold on--you're probably wrong.
This show begins with the obligatory rich jerk arriving in town. I say obligatory because in most of the previous installments of "Cadfael", some rich jerk acts boorish...and is soon killed. Well, no surprises here--though it takes a while for everyone to find the corpse. But you can scratch one more rich jerk! Well, oddly, a guy who didn't do it confesses and everyone seems ready to hang the guy. Everybody except Brother Cadfael, of course.
This one has a very interesting plot and is well worth your time--as are the other Cadfael shows. I just wish they'd kill more ordinary or poor folks--and ones that AREN'T jerks in order to keep the viewer in suspense!