Andrew Klavan’s latest work of nonfiction has been nominated for a prestigious award from the Mystery Writers of America.
“The Kingdom of Cain: Finding God in the Literature of Darkness&#8221; has been nominated for a 2026 Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Biography. The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/andrew-klavans-new-book-the-kingdom-of-cain-hits-nyt-bestseller-list">New York Times bestseller</a> is a gripping examination of evil, art, the mind, and faith. 
This is the sixth Edgar nomination for Klavan, a prolific mystery writer known for his Cameron Winter series. Klavan, who has two Edgar Awards under his belt, announced this latest nomination on X with characteristic humility.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Wow, here&#8217;s a shocker. &#8220;Kingdom of Cain&#8221; has been nominated for an Edgar Award in the category of criticism and biography. My sixth nomination with two wins. Really gratifying.<a href="https://t.co/mBsqwOwAJ6">https://t.co/mBsqwOwAJ6</a>
— Andrew Klavan (@andrewklavan) <a href="https://twitter.com/andrewklavan/status/2013624108836102570?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;My sixth nomination with two wins. Really gratifying,&#8221; he added.
The nomination and potential win add to Klavan’s long list of accolades as a prolific novelist, critic, and cultural commentator, as well as his work as host of “The Andrew Klavan Show” at The Daily Wire.
&#8220;The Kingdom Of Cain&#8221; centers on three infamous murders from history and explores how acts of darkness have inspired works of literature that grapple with morality, suffering, and the presence of God. Through these case studies, Klavan weaves together literary criticism and theological reflection, arguing that even humanity’s most brutal moments can point toward transcendent truth. 
&#8220;My subject is murder and the imagination,&#8221; <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/murder-madness-meaning-how-can-we-rejoice-always-when-the-world-often-seems-so-broken">Klavan writes</a> in the book. &#8220;My premise is that murder is evil. My belief is that God is love, and love is the source of joy.&#8221;
&#8220;If, then, I enter the literature of darkness, I do it with a sure and certain faith in the reality of light, not light in a future heaven but light in this world of sin and suffering, not light in the world to come but light in this world of present darkness, including the darkness of murder,&#8221; he adds.
Klavan expounded on those themes in a May interview with Daily Wire reporter Megan Basham, during which he explained why Christians should not be afraid to engage with such sinister topics as murder.
&#8220;What good does it do anybody to write about the world as it’s not?” Klavan asks, noting that “Every honest story, every true story, has God.&#8221;
“Whether you believe or not, if you tell a true story, if you tell the truth about life, God will be there.”
“The Kingdom of Cain” is available on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Kingdom-Cain-Finding-Literature-Darkness/dp/0310368340">Amazon</a>, and you can purchase signed copies of the bestselling book at the <a href="https://store.dailywire.com/products/the-kingdom-of-cain?variant=42713621954620&amp;_gl=1*1lezxr3*_gcl_au*MTU3MDM3NjA5Ny4xNzY4MzM5NzEwLjEzODcwMTg2MTIuMTc2ODQ5NDMwMS4xNzY4NDk0MzAw*_ga*MzM0MjA2NTk0LjE3NjgzMzk3MTA.*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*czE3NjkwMTQ4NjkkbzE2JGcxJHQxNzY5MDE1NTU1JGo2MCRsMCRoMA..">Daily Wire Shop</a>. The 80th Annual Edgar Awards will be celebrated on April 29, 2026, at the Marriott Marquis Times Square.

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Drew Berkemeyer

Andrew Klavan Nominated For Prestigious Mystery Writers Of America Award