Wendy Dalrymple snagged my attention with her story in Truborn Press' Punk Goes Horror antho that released earlier this year, and since then, l've been looking to sink my teeth into more of her writing. And Credenza was the perfect venture for such a thing.

Haunted furniture feels like a very niche, specific kind of horror plot that may be limited, but in the right hands flourishes as with Credenza. Veronica inherits a unique piece of furniture from her Grandma Maddie, a large credenza. While it's not much to bat an eye at, weird things start occurring around this piece of furniture including strange dreams, borderline harassing salesmen, and a feeling Veronica can't shake. As events unfold, it's soon realized that there's more than meets the eye with this piece of furniture, an object with much deeper meaning than Veronica could have ever imagined.

I really enjoyed reading this story as Dalrymple elevates what can be a limiting plot into vast, sprawling territory. You may think you know what to expect with haunted furniture, but this particular credenza has much more to offer than general scares. In fact, Credenza is a story full of stomach-churning gore and thought-provoking insight to familial trauma and cycles. Which is so impressive.

This is a solid read, and if you're looking for something haunted, freaky, and unique, I highly recommend picking Credenza up!

3.5 rounded up.

I picked this because, well it’s a cursed piece of furniture! The actual story was different from what I had anticipated and it was a very quick read. There were a few creepy moments and some gore, but it was not revolutionary and the ending was very straightforward. I suppose in my head I had hoped for something a bit sillier like a murderous piece of furniture!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such an enjoyable emotional journey packed into a quick, easy read. If you’re looking for accessible horror with cursed objects, this is definitely your book. The pacing moves fast, which works perfectly for the story being told.

What really got me were the flashbacks that trace the credenza’s entire lifetime. We get to see it through generations of women in Veronica’s family, all the way back to when it was crafted, and even further back to the actual chopping down of the tree for the wood. There’s something both beautiful and deeply unsettling about following this piece of furniture through time and watching how it affects each generation.

The horror elements hit just right. Creepy enough to give you goosebumps but not so extreme that you’ll be sleeping with the lights on. There’s some gore, but it’s not overwhelming, making this a great choice if you want to dip your toes into horror without diving into the deep end.

The mother-daughter themes and family trauma elements give the story real emotional weight beyond just the supernatural scares. It’s not just about a spooky piece of furniture, it’s about how family secrets and trauma get passed down through generations, sometimes literally through cursed objects apparently!

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for providing a free ARC of this title in exchange for my review.

Could a horror story about haunted furniture with a pink cover really work? Yes, yes it can, and yes it does! Is haunted furniture actually scary? Yes, it is when it holds onto secrets, whispers threats, stabs people and bleeds! And of course Veronica, a vintage reseller, inherits the haunted furniture. We meet Star, Veronica's daughter, Fernando, Veronica's aunts nurse, and Paul, a furniture dealer - who seems just too interested in said haunted furniture.

While the pacing can be slow, the characters are fun to read and feel real. This is a slow burn, good for fans of haunted house books and home improvement shows.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars. Recommend and encourage you to check out her other books - I know I will!

This was an entertaining read. I haven’t read a lot of books about cursed objects, but I enjoyed this one.

Veronica inherits a credenza from her late grandmother. There is something not quite right about the credenza. Sure, it’s a lovely addition to her decor, but strange and disturbing things have started happening since she brought it home. Could it be cursed?

The story is mainly told from Veronica’s perspective in the present time, with some chapters taking place in the past, exploring the dark history of the credenza.

I loved the supernatural elements in the story. There was just the right amount of creepiness. I liked the main characters and the close relationship that Veronica had with her daughter. I thought the ending was really good.

Overall, this was a quick and fun horror read that I would recommend to fans of supernatural horror, cursed object horror, or pink horror.

I can’t wait to read more from Dalrymple!

I will start this off admitting that I don't LOVE gothic horror in general, but I do love Wendy's writing so I decided to give it a read anyway. Unfortunately, this one didn't really do much for me. I don't feel like the ghosty/haunted credenza bits ever built quite enough tension. Honestly, this book felt more focused on the main character's financial and social situations.

I did love the relationship between Veronica and her daughter Star as well as the complex feelings and dynamics with her ex husband. I also didn't really like the ending/climax of the story it took a turn into a thing that I just really hate.

Over all this book just wasn't for me.

When her grandmother passes away, the assisted living home she was in saves her cherished antique credenza for Veronica Marquette, who has mixed memories of that piece of furniture. Her crazy, estranged mother always claimed it was cursed and used to whisper to her. But now that it's in Veronica's home, strange things occur, making her wonder if somehow the credenza is putting her and her daughter in danger.
An antique piece of furniture, an evil cult, a family of witches and a slew of paranoia. These elements all come together in a sometimes cray-cray, but overall solidly written novel. Though it has a bit of a slow start, once the story really got going it didn't let up till the end. I enjoyed this way more than I thought I would. 4.5 of 5 stars.

3.5 rounded up.

Veronica (“Ronnie”) is a single mother in in her thirties, living in Florida with her young teen daughter. She is struggling to provide a stable, loving home to her child, reckon with her feelings about her formerly drug addicted ex and her mentally unstable mother, trying to keep her small business (vintage items she finds at estate sales, restores and resells) afloat, and now dealing with the grief from the recent death of the grandmother who raised her. When she inherits grandma Maddie’s antique walnut credenza, there is no consideration of reselling an item of such sentimental value. But when sinister and strange events start occurring, a ghastly old book is discovered, and a mysterious stranger makes a generous offer to purchase the sideboard, Ronnie soon finds herself debating whether to let the family heirloom go. But it may be too late to save her little family from the curse it carries.

Credenza is a pretty straightforward cursed object tale, as the title and cover would imply. This is a short and easy read, and I would compare Dalrymple’s writing to cozy horror author Darcy Coates, although with a few more rough edges that could stand to be smoothed over through better editing. There’s nothing really new here, the cursed object playbook is certainly not being rewritten or even offering anything particularly unique in Credenza, but I still found the story engaging enough that I was happy to go along for the ride. It’s a short book too, which is in it's favor. I don’t know how I would feel about 300+ pages of this.

I would recommend it for an easy read to horror fans interested in the cursed object trope, who are looking for something more cozy than disturbing. There was some gore at the end, but nothing too extreme. This was my first book by the author, and I would definitely check out more of her work, probably as one of the palate cleanser books I like to pick up sometimes between more dark and/or challenging reads.

Thank you to NetGalley for a free copy of Credenza in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Net Galley and Quill & Crow Publishing House for providing me a copy to review.

As an avid horror fan, I thought Credenza was a pretty nice short horror read for the summer. It's also not too gorey for anyone who wants to dip their fit into this genre as it's mostly character driven. The horror elements don't really happen until the end of the book. Personally, I would've liked more horror elements sprinkled a little more throughout the book.

I liked the cast of characters in Credenza; I found them quite realistic and relatable. The writing was good, as well as the pacing of the plot unfolding.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quill & Crow Publishing House for providing me a complimentary copy of this book.

Veronica is a struggling, albeit stubborn, single-mother to a 12-year old and an antiques seller. The book begins with an eerie scene back in time where a specific, special tree is being cut down by a young man who is desperate to make money to feed his family. Fast-forward to the present and Veronica's grandmother has passed away and she has inherited an antique credenza that's been in the family for years and a box of her grandmother's belongings. After she brings the items home, she begins to experience strange occurrences in her home and life. She realizes that the credenza might be the common denominator for these strange happenings and she is set on finding out more information about this credenza and the creepy green-clothed covered book she finds in a hidden compartment in one of the drawers.

Okay, I *really* enjoyed this. I devoured this in a whole 24 hours and I am not complaining. Even though the book was on the shorter side, I felt like the pace of the story wasn't rushed, but it unraveled at a good speed. The mystery and the weird occurrences were actually pretty creepy. I love the idea of a haunted piece of furniture that is filled full of suspicious history and suspected evil. My only "complaint," which really isn't a complaint, it's just more unrealistic in my eyes, is how honest Veronica is with her 12-year old Star - I feel like the honesty and the amount of information Veronica shared with Star was a little too much. There were things that Star definitely didn't need to know about and I feel like at her age, Veronica was a little TOO honest and open with her; but I also understand that Veronica didn't have anyone else, what with her mother disappearing when she was young, having a non-existent father figure in her life, no friends, and no family around.

The ending was super satisfying, but I feel like it left off on a cliffhanger, maybe? If so, I am totally looking forward to the next one because I need to know what happens next!

Credenza is a fascinating pink horror set in FL where we follow Veronica Marquette, a 35 year old single mother, who’s decided to take home her late grandmother’s credenza and single box of belongings left from the assisted living facility she was living in. Veronica is trying to keep her online thrift store profitable while parenting her daughter who’s about to begin middle school. Veronica starts hearing voices once the credenza is home and what unfolds is nothing I could’ve anticipated from a story that started out with a bang in the prologue where the tree used to make this cursed piece of furniture was graphically cut down. 👀

The horror in Credenza creeps up on you and finishes in a gory display of immortal gluttony, but ultimately this story is a lesson in listening to mothers and believing their intuition. It’s about what happens when you silence women’s voices and diminish their word. The relationships between mothers and daughters and the way they can be fractured or unbroken. Strong or strained. In the end it’s about what a mother will do to keep her own safe.

I had a thrilling time reading this book and highly suggest if you enjoy bloody horror, generational curses, thrifting, vintage deco, and that uneasy WTF feeling a good horror can achieve!

Thank you NetGalley, Quill & Crow Publishing House and Wendy Dalrymple for the eARC of Credenza in exchange for an honest review.

Credenza by Wendy Dalrymple is a wonderfully creepy read that completely caught me off guard—in the best way.

This story follows Veronica, who inherits a beautiful but mysterious credenza from her late grandmother. Seems innocent enough… until it becomes clear that this isn’t your average piece of furniture. This credenza is haunted—not just with ghosts, but with long-buried family secrets that begin to unravel the moment it enters her home.

The atmosphere in this book is eerie without being over-the-top. It’s got that slow-build tension that keeps you wondering, What is actually going on here?? Wendy Dalrymple did such a great job blending family drama, mystery, and a touch of the supernatural. I love when horror creeps in through something so mundane—and this heirloom? Yeah, it’s got a mind of its own.

It’s spooky, it’s heartfelt, and it’s just the right amount of weird. A great pick if you enjoy haunted house vibes but want something fresh and emotionally grounded.

If you’re into quiet horror, ghostly heirlooms, and family secrets that won’t stay buried, Credenza is for you.

Credenza is a fast-paced pink horror story surrounding an apparently cursed family heirloom that could easily be devoured in one sitting.
When her Grandma Maddie passes away, Veronica Marquette is bequeathed a peculiar piece of furniture, the aptly titled credenza. When it arrives home, strange and terrible things begin to happen – and Veronica begins to question her own sanity. Soon, old family secrets emerge, and she is forced to confront an ancient evil.

Dalrymple tackles themes of generational trauma and familial relationships via the haunted piece of furniture through various timelines, while simultaneously underscoring the often difficult bond between mothers and daughters. Credenza works as both a creepy and an unsettling dramatic horror story that is hard to put down.

This comes highly recommended for horror fans who enjoy cursed object stories without too much blood and gore. Dalrymple also wrote the delightful YA novella Birthday Party Demon, and I can’t wait to see what she has in store for her readers next.

A woman inherits an antique credenza after the death of her grandmother. Strange occurrences start happening in her home, in addition to an equally peculiar man offering her a staggering amount for the piece of furniture.

Veronica, a relatable figure with a chaotic family life, is at the heart of this story. She struggles with the loss of her grandmother while navigating the challenges of single parenthood. This isn’t your typical in-your-face horror story. The subtle horrors of daily life, juxtaposed with the mysteries and terrors brought by the credenza, create a complex narrative.

I wish there had been more focus on the group behind the credenza and the group charged with protecting it. I wanted to read more about their story.

I enjoyed this story and could recommend it to pink horror fans. This was the first book I read by Wendy Dalrymple, but I’ll be checking out more of her books!

This started as a basic, run of the mill, haunted piece of furniture, scary story. I want to give a huge shout out to Veronica for actually having a goo head on her shoulders and saying "Oh, fuck no," upon finding a creepy book about ritualistic cannibalism. It's so hard to find smart heroines these days.

She went through the typical stages of being haunted (the denial, the "maybe I'm actually crazy," and finally the acceptance) but it wasn't in a way that made me want to reach through the book and shake some sense to her.

I found some things predictable. Fernando? I didn't trust that guy from the beginning. And this was by all accounts a cozy scary story. And then I got to the last 20% and all hell broke lose. There was fire and gore and lots of unpleasantness that actually caught me off guard because it was so far away from the vibe the first 80% of the story gave me.

I am docking this star because there was one loose end that I don't understand. What was the deal with the plates? And that Billie girl dying? I feel like this should have been explained a bit more, because that wasn't really resolved. Her death was suspected to be foul play, and that's all we know. Who has the plates? Are they just gonna keep getting passed around and getting people sick? I'm more worried about that than I am with the knife still being active in the epilogue lol

I usually don't read horror, but a haunted piece of furniture is up my alley. As a southerner, we all know that cursed piece that goes down generations. We all know not to touch Aunt June's favorite item. And this has a southern Gothic feel. With some working class roots in trying to keep above the payment fray.

Credenza's a multigenerational, matriarchal story that let's readers see the damages done with lies, secrets, and half truths. Gives The Witching Hour vibes, especially the first half of the mammoth book. (Credenza's under 250, so yay.) There's very gruesome cannibalism content and description, fair warning. But it's a fast read. Took less than a day. And it's an interesting thread to learn family lore and mistakes as you go along.

I think the time frames are a bit hard to parse. Thinking they should be slightly longer apart, given the language used in some parts. And I wish we'd been given slightly more backstory on lineal lines. Got confused a few times.

Solid, spooky read. Would be a great Halloween month entry to any of the reading challenges. The writing chops are definitely there.

Thanks to NetGalley, Quill & Crow, and Wendy Dalrymple for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

The haunted heirloom concept of this book was very intriguing and also very well written. It is a little on the slow side in terms of pace but that only adds to the atmosphere of terror and dread. I would've like a more fleshed out ending but other than that, great read for mild horror lovers!

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc. This was a great story and the perfect length. I’ll take any book about Haunted objects! The legend of the credenza was a fun bit and jumping between timelines made the story feel richer.

This had some really great ideas and was very well-written! The pacing was a bit odd - it was slow and slightly repetitive and then everything happened at once. I wish there had been more information about the weirdness throughout the story, not just vague “this credenza is haunted and maybe dangerous.” The last 15% of the book was SO interesting and I wanted to know more! I love the ideas in here and would love to see the author take it further.

I really wanted to love this—spooky family heirlooms and ancient secrets are totally my thing. And with such a short page count, I expected it to hit the ground running. But honestly? It never really took off.

The pacing was slow, which is tough for a novella-length story where every page needs to count. I kept waiting for that hook—that moment where everything clicks and I’m glued to the page—but it never came. The premise had potential, but it felt like it skimmed the surface instead of diving deep into the mystery or emotion.

There were glimmers of intrigue, and I liked the eerie atmosphere the author was trying to create, but overall it left me feeling underwhelmed. Not a bad read, just not one that left a lasting impression.