And the answer is...
No. Barbara Hambly is not a mystery writer. When the story is concluded the clues turned out oblique enough that I missed the majority of them. However, Barbara Hambly is most definitely a storyteller. The book was enthralling and really drew me in. Without any spoilers, there was one part of the story that I actually jumped in my seat when I got to it. All in all, the mystery part was more a reason for certain people to have interactions. If there was no mystery, it would still be a highly enjoyable story. Having read several of her Dragonsbane and Armies of Air series I already knew I liked her writing. This simply added a new series to read.