Credenza is a surprisingly fun and suspenseful read that blends family drama, mystery, and a touch of the supernatural. Veronica Marquette inherits her grandmother’s old credenza, expecting it to be just another piece of furniture—but what she finds instead is a whirlwind of secrets, danger, and a past that refuses to stay buried.

As Veronica digs deeper, she uncovers hidden truths about her family and confronts an ancient adversary connected to the heirloom. What really drew me in was how Dalrymple mixes the eerie and the ordinary. The story isn’t just about supernatural intrigue—it’s about relationships, legacy, and how the past can shape the present in unexpected ways.

The pacing is excellent, keeping you turning pages, and the blend of humor, tension, and family dynamics makes it more than just a typical suspense novel. I loved how it balanced scares and surprises with genuine emotional moments. If you enjoy mysteries with a touch of the uncanny and characters that feel real, Credenza is worth diving into.

Grandma has a demonic piece of furniture. Beautiful, I'll take it.

Grandma Maddie has recently passed away and the only thing Veronica wants is the prized credenza. After said credenza is safely in the house, all seems right in the world. Until it isn't. Strange things start happening around Veronica and her daughter, Star, after the cursed cabinet enters their home. Then, Veronica finds a hidden storage compartment containing a wicked looking knife, and a more wicked book. When things could't get any stranger, a man offers her $10,000 cash for the old piece.

This book kept me intrigued. I finished it in two days, excited to see what would happen next. While some parts did drag along, it has its action as well. No one in this book feels safe. I was suspicious of every one at some point in time. The truth of what was going down with this accursed cabinet was not something I would have guessed, and did not involve the people I thought it would!

Overall, a decent pink horror read with a beautiful cover.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

DNF_ This is a simple, straightforward story of a cursed object. If you enjoy this trope, I can see it being about a solid 3-star read for most people; however I just found it too simple and undeveloped to continue when there are 1000s of other books on my TBR. This could also have used another round of editing imho.

This was a ride! A ride that I really enjoyed. I haven't read many books about objects being possessed so I really enjoyed this a lot. The writing is stunning and I loved the fast pace.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

First and foremost, thank you to Netgalley and Quill & Crow Publishing House for providing this ARC copy in exchange for my honest review

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⚝ Rating ⚝: 4.25✩ / 5✩’s

⚝ Review ⚝: Pink Horror? Absolutely! I need more!

Credenza follows Veronica ("Ronnie"), a single mother raising a young teenage daughter, scraping by as she tries to keep her small business afloat, renovate her home, and maintain a sense of stability. All while reeling with the reality that her ex and the father of her daughter, a recovering drug addict, is back in her daughter's life, her unstable mother who abandoned her as a toddler is showing back up, and her grandmother, the only sense of normalcy she has ever had, has just passed away.

In picking up the pieces after her grandmother's death, Ronnie inherits one box of personal effects and a vintage credenza. Being a lover of vintage and antiques and having nothing else from the woman who raised her, Ronnie and her daughter tote the heavy sideboard from the Assisted living facility where h grandmother has been living to their home. Immediately, strange things start to happen and both Ronnie and her daughter start to question if they are as crazy as the mother that abandoned Ronnie more than 30 years ago.

This is a horror that eases you into it instead of being a straight gut punch. It moves a bit slow in the beginning which is where I struggled, but once things pick up, it is definitely a fun ride for horror fans. Ronnie gives you a look into horror not often seen: a truly good, loving mother who is struggling to hold herself and her life together for her daughter. Let me tell you, having a parent in a horror book actually say 'I believe you' was a fantastic turn.

The story wasn't entirely what I expected, but it also wasn't shocking. This story about a cursed object takes some interesting, bloody turns that had me absolutely devouring this book as quickly as possible. The writing style was fantastic and easy to follow/read, the characters were believable and likeable (at least the ones readers are supposed to write) and the book hit just the right levels of creepy.

Wendy Dalrymple is definitely an author I'll look into more!

⚝ Representation ⚝: N/A

⚝ TWs ⚝: Death, Gore, Murder, Fire, Cannibalism, Blood, Family Trauma

Veronica is no stranger to doing things on her own, so when her grandma Maddie passes away and leaves Veronica her old credenza, Maddie doesn't blink twice at hauling the thing home on her own. But with the arrival of the strange piece of furniture bring with it odd happenings in Veronica's house, and also the presence of a strange man who will stop at nothing to obtain ownership of the credenza. Unravelling long lost family secrets and an ancient enemy, can Veronica triumph over everything and make it out the other side? Or will she become just another victim?

This was my first Dalrymple read, and it certainly won't be my last. This was such a great haunted object horror, and it was so different to what I was expecting, and not in a bad way. It went places that I wasn't expecting it to and I was just along for the ride. I wasn't a hundred percent sure where the story was headed, and it touched on things I wasn't expecting which was great.

I really enjoyed the character of Veronica; she was a strong and independent character which I really enjoyed. I did feel for her, the feeling of occasional loneliness and of not really having anyone that she could lean on or contact for help when she needed illustrated really well. I enjoyed the character of her daughter Star, and thought she was a wonderful support character, and the addition of the character of Veronica's mother, which helped deepen the story was great. I loved the relationship dynamics between Veronica and all of the characters that she was connected to and came in contact with. The character of the furniture buyer was a great addition, and his creepy aura really jumped off the page, some characters just ooze atmosphere, and he was one of them. The credenza even felt like a character, which is something that I love. I love when inanimate objects become such a big part of a story that they become a character all of their own.

The story itself wasn't what I was expecting, and this wasn't a bad thing. It's kinda nice when a story turns out to be different that your expectations, especially when it's in a good way. This was fairly formulaic as a haunted object story, until it wasn't. It took a little bit of a turn into territory that I wasn't expecting, and I was here for it. I worked things out right about the time that I was supposed to and I thoroughly enjoyed the read. The pacing held up well and I'm curious to know if Dalrymple will revisit this world at some point.

All in all, this was a great haunted object story, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I feel like the world could be revisited and it will be interesting to see if this is something on Dalrymple's schedule. There's a lot that can be explored here and I'd read it in a heartbeat. If you're after a good haunting story with good characters give this one a go.

Wendy Dalrymple’s Credenza is a delightfully weird and deeply creepy novella that sinks its claws in from the first page and doesn’t let go. What begins as a seemingly quiet tale quickly spirals into something much darker, stranger, and more unsettling—in the best possible way.
Dalrymple masterfully blends domestic unease with eerie, almost surreal horror. The titular credenza isn’t just a piece of furniture; it becomes a haunting presence, a symbol of the uncanny that looms over every chapter. The story's creeping dread builds slowly, but once it sets in, it lingers long after the final page.
Fans of offbeat, spine-tingling horror with a literary edge will find Credenza a twisted little gem. It’s weird, it’s creepy, and it’s wonderfully original.

Short, tense and creepy. it kept me on the edge and turning pages.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

3.5 ⭐️ A horror story surrounding a credenza! Yeah, you heard it right, one evil piece of furniture if you will.
I don't want to spoil the fun (or rather funny things) by explaining the things this crendenza holds/does, because those were some of the interesting parts of this book. As you read on, you learn more about its powers, or the evil power it holds! Just to give you a gist of what you can expect, the credenza bleeds, it stabs, etc., to mention a few.

What I liked about the book:
- The characters and the dialogues were fun to read
- Veronica, as the main character, shows off a real side of a mother who is struggling to hold it together sometimes
- Star is a strong and smart kid, and didn't make me hate reading a kid's dialogue and side of things, which is a plus!
- The setting and vibe were a good match for the mood I was in, and a good choice for summerween
- Fernando was 'actually' good! Shocked me

What I didn't enjoy as much:
- I wish the story didn't drag as much in the beginning, since the book was quite short; there was potential for more
- Cursed object is not an original story, so I kind of wanted some twist to this story

Thank you to Quill & Crow Publishing House, the author, and NetGalley for providing me with this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.♡

Wendy Dalrymple is such a gem of a pink horror writer, and her latest, Credenza, is another terrifically fun read that is just the right amount of creepy.

I love horror built around household objects that either aren’t what they seem or have sentiently taken on sinister motives, and the titular Credenza is a bit of both. It feels like the perfect piece of furniture to use for something like this, and Dalrymple gives us a well-crafted and creepy backstory for both the object and the characters dealing with it.

I tend to not like true horror because it dips too often into really icky themes or torture porn, and I love that Dalrymple is so good and knowing how far to go to be as eerie as possible without ever tipping over into something off-putting. Is it scary? Yes! Is it a little gross? Yes! Will it also make you laugh just a little while still glancing nervously over your shoulder? You bet.

I had no idea how much I’d enjoy a horror novel centered around a credenza—but here we are. Credenza completely surprised me in the best way! What starts off as a seemingly simple cursed object story soon unravels into a gothic, emotional journey steeped in family trauma, generational curses, and the complicated relationships between mothers and daughters.

The story follows Veronica (“Ronnie”), a single mother trying to hold things together while navigating grief, motherhood, and the unexpected inheritance of her grandmother’s antique walnut credenza. But when eerie events begin to unfold and a mysterious stranger appears with a tempting offer, Ronnie is forced to confront her past and the sinister legacy attached to her heirloom.

This book blends gothic pink horror with cozy, slow-building suspense. While the beginning was a bit confusing, it picks up momentum quickly and becomes incredibly engaging. Wendy Dalrymple’s writing is smooth, easy to follow, and layered with emotional depth. I especially loved the multiple timelines and perspectives—it added richness to the cursed object’s backstory and made the horror elements even more impactful.

Shoutout to my favorite characters: Fernando and Star! Also, The Shining reference was such a fun and unexpected touch. There’s even a sprinkle of humor and the hint of a love story to keep things interesting.

🪞 Don’t let the beautiful cover fool you—this one’s eerie, mysterious, and deeply emotional.

Content Warnings: Death, trauma, memory loss, addiction, and mental illness.

Recommended for: Fans of fictional dark horror with haunted furniture, emotional family themes, and cozy-but-creepy vibes. If you enjoy authors like Darcy Coates, this one might be right up your alley.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Wendy Dalrymple, and Quill & Crow Publishing House for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was properly creepy. I love that it published on 6/13: this was the perfect read for Friday the 13th!

This was a short and sweet* novella that I read in a day. (*Okay my definition of “sweet” might be a little different, considering this is a horror, lol.) I have a credenza in my living room, one I was very excited to get when we moved into our house. My husband made fun of me for calling it a “credenza” but I loved that term. Thankfully, it doesn’t seem to be haunted! But when I saw this book, I knew I had to read it. I liked the folksy haunted tale that is featured in this book, and the gore and supernatural aspects were on point. Overall a super fun read, and now I’m hoping the author might do more haunted furniture stories in the future!

𝑾𝒉𝒐 𝑰'𝒅 𝑹𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒐:
Horror lovers! Especially fans of the supernatural, gore, and haunted tales.

Review coming to Instagram soon.

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.