Overall, I enjoyed this and read it in a single sitting, although I did take a break to do some online estate bidding inspired by the book! The last 15% of the book kind of fell apart for me though. Certain details seemed like afterthoughts and the lack of context or motivation behind their inclusion was jarring for me.

Good, quick read, but not anything that will stick with me.

If you think this book is going to be a campy story about a haunted piece of furniture, then you would be just like I was before starting this book. And I was wrong.

I straight up devoured this book. The first third or so felt like a ton of filler adjectives thrown around like bubbles at a wedding, but that did eventually calm down. Dalrymple did a great job at keeping the reader engaged and had the perfect amount of jumping into different years to add to the story. This felt like a 2010s horror movie, just written onto a page.

The ending was not expected by me, at least not based on the feel of the first 75% of the book. I still wonder what happened after the epilogue, though.

PLEASE check trigger warnings for this book as there are a number of sensitive subjects throughout the story.

Thank you, Quill & Crow Publishing and Netgalley, for this ARC opportunity. This honest review has been left voluntarily.

This tale manages to make an inanimate object feel creepy and dangerous, I shall never again read the word "credenza" without a chill.

The ominous feeling of the story is its greatest achievement in my opinion, I felt unsettled throughout the whole book and kept waiting for more terrible things to happen.
On the other hand, I didn’t enjoy the main character’s internal monologue or her decisions, and at many points I was screaming at her in my head to please be sensible 😭
When the mysteries are finally revealed, I liked the concept but the evil characters felt a bit cartoonish.

Overall even if it wasn’t my favorite, it’s a good horror story.

This was such a unique book. I loved the concept and I think the suspense and horror were done really well. It had nice pacing and I think the length of the book was perfect - short, but not too short, with just enough character development. The history behind the haunted credenza was quite creepy and there were excellent witchy vibes. I had a fun time reading this one.

Such a quick and terrifying read! Definitely added a new fear to my list (antique furniture). Highly recommend for those who love their horror bite sized and fast paced.

I never would have thought a book about a decorative cupboard could be so gruesome. Holy shit. There's some properly dark and macabre stuff in there.

Four generations of women have to hold it down to protect themselves from an ancient evil. What's that got to do with a frigging credenza? You'll probably be surprised. I sure as hell was. The women in this book are survivors, giving some Sarah Connor vibes for sure. There was some playful camp thrown in and a few genuine chuckles from me, even at tense moments. I could tell Wendy is a fan of some classic '90s horror films.
I would recommend this one to people who liked Doctor Sleep by King, Gothic by Philip Fracassi and maybe even Alien for Ripley as played by Sigourmey Weaver.

It's hard to run a vintage shop and destroy evil, ask my wife. She can tell ya. That was a fun part of the book as well. My wife does run an online vintage shop and a lot of this book resonated because hunting for vintage gems is part of the daily grind!

Fun book. Glad to have read it and will read more from the author and the publisher, Quill and Crow has other books I have and will read.

I loved this book about a cursed object. It had been so long since I have read anything about a cursed object, so I was stoked to read this. I found this book to be easy to read, light horror and overall entertaining. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a light horror book that is quick and easy to read.

This was a quick and entertaining read that I finished in a few hours.
A well written story that kept me hooked from the very beginning.
The characters draw you in and keeps you flipping the pages.
The characters were all realistic and very well developed.
I really enjoyed the writing style. I found myself hooked, turning the pages.

Loved it. Creepy, interesting back story, and a quick at the beach read. Looking forward to more by this author.

Southern Gothic is one of my very favorite horror subgenres and I'm from Ft. Myers so the setting definitely ticked some boxes for me. I'm also so glad that pink horror is gaining popularity. I read a lot of dark and heavy topics, and really appreciate when there's some hope. The relationship of the main character (Veronica) to her female family members was well done and added an element of mystery and survival instinct to the story. I'd also really like to visit Veronica's house because her decorating skills and antique/retro aesthetic sound top notch. I was pleasantly surprised at the folk horror present in this story, but felt like I was missing a bit of information about the gifts of the Old Mothers and their relationship to Veronica's beloved grandmother, who literally Wills her granddaughter the family trauma. I would have enjoyed seeing a bit more exploration of that betrayal. When the book eventually reaches its action-climax, it does not disappoint. There's gore, there's suspense, and there's a credenza. This one matched the summer reading mood I was in - it's quick, compelling, and makes you want to go to the beach to browse an antiques market. I'll happily reach for more of Dalrymple's books. Thank you to NetGalley and Quill & Crow Publishing House for the chance to review an eARC!

Wendy Dalrymple’s Credenza is a fast-paced, plot-driven horror novel that wastes no time drawing the reader in. The story centers around a cursed piece of furniture, passed down from mother to daughter through generations. The chilling pacing keeps the tension high throughout.

While the plot held my attention, I struggled to connect with the characters. As someone who tends to prefer character-driven narratives, I found myself wanting more emotional depth and development. That said, fans of atmospheric, plot-forward horror stories will likely find this an engaging and unsettling read.

This novel has all the makings of a great horror film!

I received a free arc from NetGally. I am voluntarily leaving a review.

I am not going to lie.

I was on a kick of sentient object romance books. I scrolled on Netgalley. I saw this title and cover. Now I know that I found it in horror and therefore it wasn't exactly the same as what I'd been reading, but boy did I click that request button fast based solely on the fact the book appeared to be about a piece of furniture.

And it sure was.

Cursed furniture that had a mean streak from the time our main character was a childhood. And a very very mysterious past/present/and future.

On top of that we have a single mom, family trauma, and an entire cast of characters that make you side eye everyone. Except the daughter, she was fun at all times.

The story is pretty standard as far as this type of horror lite goes, and I would absolutely add it to any pink horror lists. It was a shorter very... dare I say cozy read. I enjoyed it so much honestly that I forgot to take proper notes and will be rereading it to properly review it on my Instagram.

But for now thank you Netgalley, Quill & Crow, and Wendy Dalrymple for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I can't wait to read it again.

Yes, yes, this is about a cursed family heirloom. I’m still waiting on someone to do a possessed tea set tale.

I enjoyed the story, but Dalrymple isn’t reinventing the wheel here with the genre she’s chosen.
It’s definitely horror you can jump into and out of, if that makes sense. An enjoyable tale that you really don’t have to think too hard about. I wasn’t overly invested in the characters, but the plot kept me engaged.

I like that the author is doing “pink horror” stories, and recommend checking out her other books as well! Each of her stories has amazing covers that add flair to readers’ bookshelves as well.

Lastly I will be working hard at incorporating the word “credenza” in my day to day vocabulary because it’s tragically under-utilized.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Quill & Crow Publishing House for a copy.

Thank you to Net Galley and Quill & Crow Publishing House for this title.

This story is a quick read, clocking in at 199 pages. You could knock this out in an afternoon 📖. Credenza is creepy as hell, and you get a good bit of information from the prologue that briefly explains the tree that this cursed credenza hails from.

Our protagonist (single mom), Veronica, is trying to keep her online antique business thriving while raising her daughter, Star. Star’s father is only beginning to step back into the picture as he’s clean, sober, and ready to be a part of her life.

I like this character. She runs her own business, owns a home, and while things are not perfect, she’s making it work. I admire her hustle. Veronica is also grieving her recently deceased grandmother, Maddie, who raised her. Towards the end, Maddie had dementia, but Veronica still took the time to visit her with Star and make memories. She struggles without her. Veronica’s mother, Karen, is out of the picture and has been since she was two years old.

There is a reason Veronica’s mother, Karen, has stayed away, but after her mother’s death, she reaches out to Veronica about the credenza, pleading with her to get rid of it. As a child, she heard voices from the cabinet, but no one believed her. It only got worse after Star was born.

It was interesting to learn (not just the origins of the wood to make the credenza) but the reason behind why it was created, what it was used for, and the group of women who were tasked with protecting it.

This cabinet (throughout the years) would bring on mysterious beheadings, poisonings, and other deaths 💀. The best is saved for the last 15 pages of the story, and I usually would be mad at waiting so long, but the short story builds the tension, and some things are better left to the very end.

Great quick Summer horror read!

Credenza by Wendy Dalrymple is a dark, cursed object, horror novel that masterfully blends unsettling horror, familial relationships, and inherited generational trauma.

Veronica (Ronnie) is a single mother used to doing everything on her own. When her Grandma Maddie passes away, Ronnie only has her memories, a small box of items, and a credenza to remember her by. Hauling Grandma's credenza home is easy enough, but Ronnie doesn't realize exactly what she has let in to her house. Soon bizarre things start to happen. Ronnie and her daughter start hearing voices seemingly coming from the credenza, and a stranger is persistent in his quest to buy the mysterious object. What exactly is this credenza hiding and what has Ronnie allowed in her home?

For a shorter story, Credenza packs quite a punch. What I thought at first to be a straight up cursed heirloom novel quickly turned into something deeper and more meaningful. The way that Dalrymple explored the trauma that can be passed down and how difficult family relationships can be was perfect and it added a needed emotional depth to the narrative. The pacing was neither too rushed or too slow, rather a blend of tense buildup and then a twist or gore scene to shake things up a bit. Overall a great pink horror, cursed object horror story with emotional depth and ominous vibes!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Wendy Dalrymple, and Quill & Crow Publishing House for this ARC!! Publication date is June 13th 2025.

One of my favorite sub-genres of horror is cursed or possessed items. When I saw the premise for this book, I had to read it. From the very first pages to the satisfying end; this book hit all the spots for me. A piece of furniture built from cursed wood, a family with the mission of guarding cursed wood and what happens when the cursed item is let loose in the modern world. It would be bad enough to lose someone that was important in your life but hen to receive an heirloom that had a questionable history….way too much to handle. Veronica tried her best to dal with what hand she was dealt; both in family and life. So when she received the family heirloom of course she would be skeptical of there being something evil about the credenza. Even the name ‘credenza’ gives off some serious creepy vibes. When things begin to spiral out of control, I do not think Veronica was ready for what she was about to discover. The more she tried to find out about the credenza and the book she found within the more things began to unravel. Luckily she had her mom persistently trying to save her. I guess almost dying is enough for someone to finally connect the dots. Whew what a read this was! Makes one think about ‘vintage’ or ‘antique’ shopping.

Veronica is a single mother who owns a business dealing in vintage clothing and home items. When her dear grandmother passes on to the other side, she leaves her beloved credenza to Veronica. With new people and old loved ones suddenly coming into her life, the question is raised: Is the credenza just a valuable family heirloom or a cursed object out to ruin her family?

This story takes place in Florida near the Gulf Coast, where I spent my childhood. It is always fun to read stories set in areas you have a connection to. Credenza has been a fun horror story that mixes modern and gothic with just enough gore.

Before reading Credenza, I had never heard the term Pink Horror. Count me intrigued. I'll be searching out this sub-genre to see what other gems I can find.

This was my first read by this author but certainly won’t be my last. The gothic vibes are immaculate, and this cover is perfect for gals like me that love some #pinkhorror! Although this is largely a cursed object horror, the short novella offers so much more in terms of touching family moments, the dark side of family legacies and heirlooms, and the struggles of single motherhood. The author perfectly blends humor and horror in this one to create a lasting piece of gothic fiction that I will be thinking about. I will certainly be thinking of this the next time I need to buy a new piece of furniture - who would have thought that a credenza could offer so many frights?

A no nonsens straight forward haunted house story. It gives you a eery feeling, this one. It is an easy read about family connection and how far people will go to protect their family. A fast-paced horror story with some characters which are well described.
A good horror story with a utterly beautiful pink cover.
I had a great time reading this one!
Thank you Netgalley for my gifted copy.

I’m writing this as I’m sitting next to my antique armoire that survived a house fire giving it major eye after this one.

I loved this! This is about family and what we pass down. I really don’t want to spoil too much about this because I feel it’s best gone in as blind as possible but I will warn that cannibalism plays a factor and is depicted rather graphically.