Lie for a Million

Rivalries #2

by Janet Dailey

Lila Culhane’s life is in turmoil. As if coping with the murder of her husband isn’t enough, now the glamorous young widow has Frank’s even younger mistress to contend with. His pregnant mistress. Crystal. But Lila hasn’t got time for more heartache. With everyone grasping to profit from Frank’s death, including fighting for possession of her beloved ranch, she needs leverage for the battle.

As it turns out, Crystal may be carrying just the edge Lila an heir. Crystal offers to let Lila adopt Frank’s baby—for a price. Lila is willing to consider it—pending a paternity test. Until then, she’ll focus on her role in the upcoming high-stakes Run for a Million reining competition, and her ranch manager—and lover—Roper McKenna.

Rugged, hardworking, and talented, Roper is finally getting his dream to ride in the prized competition. Lila expects he’ll choose the Culhane’s legendary stallion, One in a Million, as his mount. But when he considers other offers, she finds herself questioning his loyalty . . .

Meanwhile, Detective Sam Rafferty’s list of suspects in Frank’s murder is growing. Besides Roper and Lila, Frank’s bitter first wife and his sparring extended family, there are adversarial neighbors, ex-lovers, and perhaps even the woman Sam loves—Frank’s own pampered daughter, Jasmine. And as the surprises multiply, a killer remains free to strike again—if these rivals don’t kill each other first . . .

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Romance, Suspense, Audiobook, Romantic Suspense

288 pages, Hardcover

Published January 21, 2025

About the author

Janet Anne Haradon Dailey was an American author of numerous romance novels as Janet Dailey (her married name). Her novels have been translated into nineteen languages and have sold over 300 million copies worldwide.

Born in 1944 in Storm Lake, Iowa, she attended secretarial school in Omaha, Nebraska before meeting her husband, Bill. Bill and Janet worked together in construction and land development until they "retired" to travel throughout the United States, inspiring Janet to write the Americana series of romances, where she set a novel in every state of the Union. In 1974, Janet Dailey was the first American author to write for Harlequin. Her first novel was NO QUARTER ASKED.

She had since gone on to write approximately 90 novels, 21 of which have appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List. She won many awards and accolades for her work, appearing widely on Radio and Television. Today, there are over three hundred million Janet Dailey books in print in 19 different languages, making her one of the most popular novelists in the world.

Janet Dailey passed away peacefully in her home in Branson on Saturday, December 14, 2013. She was 69.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lie for a Million by Janet Dailey is both a romance and a mystery. Let me begin by saying that I hope there’s another: questions are left answered. Not exactly a cliffhanger, but certainly not a satisfying conclusion. Frank Culhane had been murdered, of that there was no doubt. Who was the culprit was the open question. Now things had just taken a turn. A young woman had called saying she was pregnant with Frank’s child. Lila, his widow, had tried for years to get pregnant and now this young woman had succeeded. She had terms of course: she needed money. At the same time, ranch horse trainer, Roper McKenna was deciding which horse he would ride in the upcoming Run for a Million: Frank’s horse, One in a Million, who was a great horse, but a little old; or ride for another owner. He didn’t want to leave the ranch; he wanted to stay here with Lila, for whom he had feelings.. There were so many complications: his family, who relied on his income; Frank’s first family: wife, son, daughter; Sam Rafferty, the FBI agent looking to find Frank’s killer and was in love with Frank’s daughter. Such a complicated plot. So may storylines to follow.

Good characters, each in his/her own way. Lila was an ex-showgirl with whom her husband had cheated on this first wife. She was not the only one. Madeleine, the first wife, who had an agenda of her own, not really sure what it was. Roper’s mother who thought she had raised her family in a God-fearing way was now having to face their multiple personalities; Sam, who loved Jasmine but was loyal to his boss, Nick, and the FBI. It was really a convoluted mess. Plus, there was the guy across the street who had turned his ranch into a hunting ranch, bringing in big game from circuses, petting zoos, and such so he could charge people to hunt them. The whole thing was a mess, but highly intriguing. The characters interacted in the most curious of ways, the plot was woven around the murder, but there was so much more to it. Excellent read.

‘I was invited to read Lie for a Million by Kensington Publishing. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #KensingtonPublishing #JanetDailey #LieForAMillion

[Eris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book by Janet Dailey. It has mystery, romance and suspense. It has a murder, pregnancy, an affair and love. The ranch owner has many decisions to make about her husband’s death. The dectivie has many suspects to interview even one he loves. The ranch manager has to decide which horse will he ride. Hang on to your hat and see what happens.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

A gorgeous story with a beautiful setting. Would recommend.

Thank you to Janet Dailey, NetGalley and Kensington for the arc of this book.

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an awesome book! Never a dull moment. So many twist and turns. Can’t wait to see what happens next.

[Charlotte A. · Rating 2 out of 5]

To be continued!🥲

I read both books in this series and it is still to be continued. I would not have read either if I had known that you still do not know who the murderer is.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lila Culhane’s life is in such chaos. As if it’s not enough to have to cope with the murder of her husband but now with Frank’s young pregnant mistress, Crystal too. Lila doesn’t have any time for more heartache. Everyone is trying to profit from Frank’s death and fight for possession of her precious ranch. She needs a bargaining chip for the battle.

The edge that Lila may need could come from Crystal, a heir. For a price Crystal offers Lila to adopt Frank’s baby. Pending a paternity test Lila may do just that. Until then she will concentrate on the high stakes One for a Million reining competition and her ranch manager/lover Roper McKenna. The talented, hardworking, rugged Roper is finally getting to fulfill his dream by riding in the competition. One in a Million, the Culhane’s legendary stallion, is expected to be the chosen one for the job in Lila’s mind. But when Roper considers other offers Lila starts to question his loyalty….

Meanwhile, Detective Sam Rafferty’s list is continuing to grow as time passes in the murder of her husband Frank. Besides Lila and Roper are Frank’s bitter first wife, his sparring extended family, hostile neighbors, ex-lovers and perhaps even Jasmine - Frank’s pampered daughter, who Sam’s in love with. As there are multiple surprises the killer is remaining to be free to strike again if these rivals don’t kill each other first.

This is my first book by Janet Dailey and she didn’t disappoint! She kept you intrigued making you wonder what will happen next with some romance thrown in there too. There is a mystery quality to it. There are so many players you really don’t know who murdered Frank. This is a series and she makes you want to read the next book to find out what happens to the ranch and other elements of the story such as the people and their lives. There are so many avenues for the next book to take. It will be hard to wait until the next book comes out! You won’t want to miss reading this story! I enjoyed it! I will definitely be reading the next book too! A must read!

[Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lie for a Million starts off by shooting itself in the foot with pacing. I'm personally a firm believer that sequels, especially in the romance and mystery genre, should be capable of standing as its own novel. This fails at that, which is an immediate no for me (Sorry, not sorry. I'm exhausted with mediocre literature).

It is my opinion that certain scenes were edited with AI interference. AI generation has a tendency to regress towards the mean when it comes to prose. What I mean by that is this is riddled with overused clichés and boring characters whose backstories were apparently laid out in the first book, leading to unearned tension that quite frankly, I couldn't care less about.

"Jerking her close, he kissed her, not gently but hungrily. His arms crushed her against him, his mouth bruised her lips. The taste of her, the scent and feel of her, roused his senses to a frenzy. His body burned with the urge to take her. But somehow, he found the wit to mutter, 'You'd better stop me now, Lila, or it'll be too late.'" (p34). Yawn.

[Tara Peters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good book about the Culhane family. There are a lot of twists and turns in this book. Roper and Lila want to be together but with all the talk surrounding them, they don’t see a way it can work. He has decided to enter the million dollar competition with someone else’s horse and Lila doesn’t know if she can trust him to stay.

Her deceased husband’s mistress is pregnant with his child and is trying to extort Lila. His adult children are still trying to find out who killed him. His ex wife is diabolical. Will the FBI ever figure out what is going on? I feel like there is a lot more to this story and I can’t wait to see what happens next. I received an ARC and this is my honest, voluntary review.

[Sara Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't realize that this was book 2 of 3 until after I completed it. I like the way that it was good as a stand-alone book but would be great if read as the entire series. I look forward to reading book three and will try to read book one while I'm waiting for it to be released.

There is an open investigation going on trying to find the killer of Lilia's husband, she is at risk of losing the ranch to his adult children, and she just found out that his mistress is pregnant. If things weren't stressful enough her housekeeper is spying on her and she is falling in love with her ranch hand, who may be a murder suspect. This book is filled with drama and passion with twists around every corner.

[Anne-Marie Chandler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good second novel continuing the story started in One in a Million. I love the ranch and horse training work at the core and the love between the main characters Lila, the widow of Frank Culhane and Roper, horse trainer I like the continued intrigue from the first novel as well because I am not sure about who killed the rancher Frank Culhane. Roper and Lila had burning feelings for each other that are getting more serious in now that Lila is a widow, yet I don’t think that they were involved so deeply when he was alive.

There are a lot of people within the working ranch and community that round out the possible suspects and I can’t wait to find out in the 3rd novel available in April 2026.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lie for a Million brings us back into the life of Lila Culhane. She has still not gotten the answer to the question about who killed her husband, Frank. There are a lot of suspects including herself that Detective Sam is looking into.
The characters in this book look like they are guilty, but Detective Sam cannot say exactly who the guilty party is.
I really enjoyed this book, and it kept me up reading late into the night.
Each character has something they are hiding, and I cannot wait for the next book in the Rivalries series to have the case solved. Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for ARC of Lie for a Million.

[Jennine Keleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lie for a Million is the second book in the Rivalries series and it does not disappoint! This story resumes in Texas and also adds several more characters as potential suspects to the murder of Frank Culhane.

Roper and Lila want to be together but with all the talk surrounding them, they don’t see a way it can work. He has decided to enter the million dollar competition with someone else’s horse and Lila doesn’t know if she can trust him to stay.

There are a lot of twists and turns in this book. This story contains mystery on who killed Frank and many many lies. The killer could be almost anyone, his ex-wife, his son and daughter in law that expect more, his current wife, his mistress and others.

I am still trying to figure out who killed Frank as I am not convinced that this murder is solved. There are still some cliffhangers at the end of this book and hopefully the third book will resolve all of the loose ends!

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun read. Book 2 continues Lila's story. Sam, the FBI agent, tries to solve the case of her husband's murder. Roper, the prime suspect and Lila's lover, can't prove his innocence. Throw in a scheming stepson, the victim's pregnant mistress, and a notorious mob boss, and the plot thickens. A possible love interest shows up for Roper's young half-sister. The housekeeper continues to spy on the lady of the house, and someone suffers a rattlesnake bite. The novel finishes with the promise of the upcoming Run for a Million reining competition. I look forward to reading the final book in this series.

[Nicola “Shortbookthyme” · Rating 3 out of 5]

The setting for this series is Texas on a horse ranch. I have not read the first book in the series. I think it would have helped me like this book a bit more.
There is so much going on throughout the story with a few of the characters making me cringe. Main characters, Lila and Roper, seem like they need marital counseling and they are not even married.
So….there is a lot of mystery and suspense surrounding who killed Lila’s husband. The list is very long!
A few good twists toward the end made the story interesting.
Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Sheila Penwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series. It seems like we still haven't found out who killed Frank and more suspects keep popping up. In this book we add Frank's mistress Cyrstal who claims she is pregnant with Frank's baby. She tells Lila and wants her to adopt the baby for a price. Lila , of course, will make sure she has all the facts before she makes any decisions. Sam is back because the murderer has not yet beeuut n found. He has his sites set on Roper but can't prove anything. This one keeps you on your toes. A GREAT FREAD.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in this series and it continues to hold the suspense of the first book. I hope there will be a third book to wrap this story up. It leaves you hanging as the first book did. There are definitely answers still to be had. This was a great story and the characters in it are all interesting in their own way. A couple of characters hold some surprises and there are definitely some characters that you will like more than others. I am definitely looking forward to book three in this series. It has been a great one so far.

[Red Book Review · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lie for a Million is the second book in the Rivalries series and it does not disappoint. I was captivated with this from the beginning and I kept turning pages until the very end. This takes place in Texas with drama, scandal and so much more that all is set in the world of ranching. The author wrote this so well and all of the characters in this were interesting. I liked how the book ended and I hope that there is another book in this series. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for this read in exchange of my honest review of Lie for a Million by Janet Dailey.

[Kelli Loy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was chosen to read this book as an ARC ebook from NetGalley, for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley. This is the second book in The Rivalries series and it was absolutely wonderful. I think each story that Janet Dailey writes just gets better and better. I loved the pace of this book and the mystery that is surrounding who killed Frank Culhane. Can’t wait to read the next book in this series.

[Barbara Tobey · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intriguing story. Lots of questions, a few answers, and some lies. I did skip over the intimate scenes. Since the author is dead, I am wondering if the next installment has previously been published. I certainly hope so and that it will soon be released again. While this one ends with an apparent happily-ever-after, there are details that could be resolved. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

[Beth Moylan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lie for a Million is the 2nd in a series but can be read as a stand alone as I did. I really enjoyed this story and the characters. This story contains mystery on who killed Frank and many many lies. The killer could be almost anyone, his exwife, his son and daughter in law that expect more, his current wife, his mistress and others. This was very enjoyable and kept my attention. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

[Helen Drake · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book took me a while to get into it, especially as I was reading another book with a slightly similar plot in that the owner of a ranch was murdered. It did get better as I continued to read. I didn’t realize that it was the second book in a series when I picked it up which was why I had questions on some things that were revealed. The other issue is that since it’s the 2nd in the series, the murder has not yet been resolved. The next book isn’t coming out until next February.

[Barbara Selman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for thr ARC to read and give my honest review. I really enjoyed this book. It kept my interest throughout the story as they were attempting to find Franks killer. It actually could have been any of them. But will they ever really find out who killed Frank? Lots of questions to be answered.

[Renee Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still trying to figure out who killed the rancher the suspects list grew by one and their lie sort of fell through. I still enjoy keeping you with the characters as the story is going along. Some new facts came out. Some characters left the story. I still am recommending this series and this book.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and the Publisher and leaving a review by my own accord.

[Heide Katros · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lie for a million by Janet Dailey

Ms Dailey never disappoints, but always keeps a surprise twist waiting for the reader. As anticipated Lie for a Million was hot and filled with emotional twists. Looking forward to the next episode.Reviewed by Heide Katros, Winter Haven News , Florida

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lila Culhane not only has to deal with the adult children of her late husband who are not happy with her inheritance, but she also finds out a bar waitress is carrying her late husband's child.

The only person on her side is the horse trainer who hopes to win an upcoming race that her husband used to compete in every year until his untimely passing.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Liked part 2 of this series but feel like the author is just dragging things out so she can write the 3rd and hopefully final book.
Was able to read book 1 and 2 back to back so I didn’t need to try to remember who was who. 3rd book due later this year so hopefully will remember to read it when it’s out

[Larry N · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twist and Turns

It is a Janet Dailey book I always enjoy reading her books. In this book
She keeps you guessing with each page just when you think you have it figured out it takes a different turn
I like the characters in the book.I recommend this if you like a good book with lots of different suspects.

[Karen Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wanted to try something new, so thought this would be a good one to read. I enjoyed the ranch and horse part of the book but couldn’t get past how the ranch owner wore silk blouses and slacks….slacks! Who calls fancy pants slacks?! As a farm girl, there is no way I would wear that, even if I was rich. I found the main character annoying mostly because of her wardrobe

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I finished it in one day. It was heartwarming and romantic. It was even a little bit steamy. I look forward to reading more books by Janet Dailey. I'm grateful that netgalley and the publishers let me read this in exchange for an honest review.

[Deb Chambers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't realize when I started this book that it was a series and the end is in the next book. I hate when that happens. Oh well now I'm going to have to read the next book which doesn't come out until the end of 2025.