Dorothy Van Soest

Dorothy Van Soest is a Professor Emerita and former dean at the University of Washington with a research-based publication record of eleven books and over fifty journal articles and essays. Her debut novel, Just Mercy, was informed by her widely acclaimed investigation of the lives of thirty-seven men who were executed by Texas in 1997 and her knowledge of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice's Restorative Dialogue program. Her second novel, At the Center, is a mystery inspired by her experiences with the child welfare system. Her third novel and the second Sylvia Jensen mystery, Death Unchartered was informed by her experiences during the two and a half month teachers' strike in NYC in 1968. Her fourth novel and third Sylvia Jensen mystery, Nuclear Option (December 1, 2020), was inspired by her nuclear disarmament activism. Dorothy lives in Seattle, Washington, where she is currently working on her fourth Sylvia Jensen mystery. The second edition of her social justice text, with Betty Garcia-Social work practice for social justice: From cultural competence to anti-oppression-was recently published by CSWE Press. Her website is www.dorothyvansoest.com