Oh I agree, but the 'villain' tag is a grey area.
It was 100% for shock-value, definitely.It may have been mainly written this way for shock-value. If so, it was effective.
I'd imagine they would have followed it up, but sales didn't give them the chance.But not having any real follow-up to it, leaves a bad taste in the mouth. Heather was a hero; how does she feel about this act? How does she come to terms with it? Is she a wanted criminal? Does anybody else know what she did? Is she racked with guilt? Leaving us hanging with these questions, knowing full well it could be years before somebody attemtps to answer any of them, is cruel and unusual punishment. Why write it, if you are not going to properly finish it?