It's true that they're mystery novels, but they're not very formulaic; mostly they're about the interactions of the characters and their lives. Actually, what made me pull down the book off the shelf and read it was a post at Hambly's LJ where she's talking about how writing is really all about the characters for her. And that's mostly what I read for, too -- I mean, all the elements are important, but character is the most important thing. So I decided it was time to get caught up on some Hambly. :D

Death Game ... I don't know? I haven't read it myself, and I've heard things on my flist that are all over the map. If you want to ask the author any specific questions about what's in it, she's answering questions here; I don't know if that would help with deciding if it's a book for you or not. :D