MADRID (AP) — Acclaimed Cuban novelist Leonardo Padura has been awarded Spain's Princess of Asturias award for literature.

Havana-born Padura, 59, is best known for his quartet of detective novels featuring Mario Conde, a downtrodden police inspector solving crimes in the post-Soviet Union Cuban society. His 2009 novel, "The Man Who Loved Dogs," was praised by critics internationally.

The award foundation described Padura's work in a statement Wednesday as an "impeccable exploration of the story and ways of telling it."

Padura's work shows the contradictions and shortcomings of a revolution in decline but yet is never overtly political.

The 50,000-euro ($54,300) award is one of eight Asturias prizes handed out yearly by a foundation named for Crown Princess Leonor. Other categories include the arts, sport and scientific research.